• Nigel Adkins has been given the Tranmere job on a permanent basis signing until the end of the 25/26 season. Continue the discussion here.

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As another thought, hopefully season ticket sales will pick up as a result of these signings. Palios said they were 12% down on last year at the Q&A.
 

Ian

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You would expect sales to be down at that time after the disappointment of last season and let's not forget we were in the misdt of the CBS campaign and we all got a bit excited a bit too early.

Little bit more reluctance this season but I expect sales to be around the same as most will take advantage of the early bird offers and it's always nice to see new faces in the squad.
 

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As for the squad, we still need a RB and a LB. Ridehalgh not good enough and if we don't sign Vaughan up we'll need a replacement. I'll be surprised if Vaughan leaves given he's seen Harris, Jenno & Ihikwe sign plus Jennings and Cook joining. Remember we got him from another NL side in Cheltenham and whilst he was good overall, I can't see any league clubs wanting him.

Have we actually offered Vaughan a deal to stay? Or was he simply released from Cheltenham?
 
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I think we are still discussing terms with Vaughan. I like him and hope he stays, a good attacking right back at this level. We have been linked with Danny Holmes, but I would actually much prefer Vaughan, particularly if Mekki remains our only wide player.

I think the offer to Zoum is still on the table, so it will be interesting to see what happens there. He played 22 games in the second half of last season at Crewe, so he must be reasonably fit again.
 
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Ian

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I loved Holmes' commitment to the club but as an attacking full back he was useless. Went to jelly when he got past the half way line.

Vaughan is decent at this level. Have a feeling we won't be seeing Zoum.
 

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Season tickets; personally still undecided. The price hike for Town Paddock to pay for a facility I never use means that if I do get one it will be in a different part of the ground. Missed too many games last season to break even and the quality of the football was poor, while I could get a cheaper ticket for my local club, if so inclined. However I am excited by our new recruits...

I think Vaughan's lack of height is a weakness, but overall he's a decent full-back for this league and wouldn't mind him signing a new deal. If not, we need to recruit a specialist right-back now or play Gumbs/Duggan there if they're still with us. Left-back is more pressing. I wouldn't mind Ridehalgh re-signing as a squad player, though he's gone backwards during his time with Rovers, but we do need another player for that position.
 

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Ahh well, plenty more out there. Mackreth gone to Maclesfield too. Another of last seasons wasteful signings.
 
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I doubt we offered Mackreth a contract but good luck to him at Macc.

I have to say I am a bit gutted about Dawson, one of the best players in the division when he is fit. However, with his injury record we were probably right to steer clear.
 

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I'm totally with RLC. Gutted about Dawson who when fit was a top player at this level. His quality on set pieces was great and he had real pace. When you compare him with others who played wide last season such as Kirby, Hughes, Mekki etc, he was miles better than all of them.

Even Mekki who I think our fans overrate a bit. Worth another year yes but still fitness issues and as I've said previously, I'll be amazed if other clubs are queuing up for him.

Pity about Mackreth and hope he does well. Still a good age.

Although early days the Dawson news reminds me of real concerns I still have about midfield creativity. Who knows how many chances Dawson would have created for the likes of Cook....
 
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The only really exciting football we played last season was for the short period with Dawson and mangan in the side. I would agree with sparky that Adam was a cut above at this level.
 

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It will be interesting to see how many games he plays at Eastleigh. He only has a one year deal. I see that another player mentioned on this forum, Deverdics of Dover, has signed for Hartlepool. With Payne gone as well they may be less of a threat next season.
 

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This is the problem for a lot of these clubs. They lose their best players whereas we are in a position to cherry pick to a certain extent who stays and who goes with some decent signings to strengthen the squad chucked in for good measure. I suppose there are some advantages to being one of the leagues big boys.
 
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Deverdics is a player who could have added the midfield creativity we need. However, as has been commented, at least Dover are weaker having lost two of their three best players, plus he has not gone to another nl side.
 
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You are quite right, Ian. As arguably the biggest club in the league we have not only financial muscle but the obvious potential to attract the best players at this level. In this respect, it's no different from the Premier league. We just need to gel as a team and employ the right tactics. We already know the downside, having to play in the other team's cup final most weeks.
 

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Mackreth was never really given a chance by Brabin. Could have been a reasonable squad player, but arguably no great loss.

Dawson. Undoubtedly made an impact when he arrived and were it not for an untimely injury could have been signed up during the mid-season window. However the fact that he didn't score during his time with us (unlike Kirby and Mekki) and hardly had any assists (again Mekki had a handful), the fact that despite the family reasons for joining us on loan he's now signed for a club on the south coast and his failure to make anything of his spell at Nuneaton all make me wonder just how well he will fare at his new club. It will be interesting to see how it all pans out.

Ritchie Sutton apparently destined for Barrow, no real surprise, but it does mean defensive cover now required.

While I'd have liked to see Deverdics playing for us, as pointed out, his departure weakens Dover. Likewise Braintree have lost a key player as well as an influential manager. Very much swings and roundabouts though, as other sides not in last season's promotion mix are building decent squads.
 

drwhoman

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Agree with all the above. I suppose the key is to find players with potential to play at a higher level who have not been acquired by those already there! Not easy particularly when decent wingers and creative midfield men are at a premium at all levels. I know Gary turns his nose up at younger players cast adrift by more senior clubs but they may be able to make a positive contribution if they are keen to get their careers back on track. I can think of several youngsters at Liverpool who, in reality, are never going to make it at senior level who would have something to offer. A willingness to work hard and to take the National League rough with the smooth has to be a key focus for such young men. Some like Eccleston, who did himself no favours at Rovers, and Adam Morgan, who both had potential, just drifted into obscurity because, I suspect, being told they were expendable after a lot of hype was too much for them to handle mentally. Some youthful vitality would not go amiss in the Rovers team but only linked to a hard working ethic. The National League is no place for wimps!
 
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I indulged myself in a bit of nostalgia last night, looking on YouTube for past Tranmere games. It reminded me how positive Johnny King's teams were. Playing out from the back. Incisive passing through midfield. Great balls in from the wing with a winger or two attempting to dribble past the defence. And that happened with a fourth division setup. It brought home to me how incredibly predictable and long ball game Tranmere were last season. You could see the enthusiasm and self belief of the teams from 1988 to 2000. There was also understanding of where other players were and who would run onto a pass. I think Brabin should be made to watch a few hours of these games. He would learn a lot.
 

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Agree Mal. I'm still a fan of the traditional 4-4-2 with 2 wingers and a big man/little man partnership. Or one striker a poacher and the other a workhorse.

There seems to be an obsession these days with having a 'number 10' - who can play in the hole, or central midfielders playing wide in a 'diamond'. The key as we all know is that it can be successful away, as we saw last season, but at home, when expectation is on you to create chances score goals and win, often against lesser sides - playing only one recognised striker sometimes doesn't work.

You need to have decent wide men too which on paper in terms of players signed up at the moment, I don't think we have but I'm sure GB will be aware of this.
 

Sparky

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Lee Vaughan signs a new 1 yr deal. Another good signing brining further continuity to the back line for the new season. Just need a new left back now.

Rovers (and Barrow) strongly linked with Ben Heneghan of Chester. A 22 year old England C international (out of contract) who was with Everton/Stoke as a youngster. Very highly rated by Chester fans who are unimpressed having lost John Rooney to Wrexham.

Barrow have snapped up Turnbull from Macc who was their skipper and centre half last season. Whether that may mean Sutton will stay with us remains to be seen.
 
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