Tranmere Rovers v MK Dons Match Preview

MK Dons Factfile:

Ground: Stadium MK
Formed: 2004
Nickname:  The Dons
Manager:  Karl Robinson
League Finish 2009/10: 12th
Kit Colours: White shirt with black sleeves, white shorts and white and black socks (home), red shirt with white sleeves, red shorts and red and white socks (away), gold shirt with black sleeves, black shorts and socks (third)

Previous Meetings:

MK Dons did the double over Tranmere Rovers last season, as a duo of 1-0 wins over the Wirral side resulted in Paul Ince's side picking up six points against the Prenton Park side.

The clubs first met at Prenton Park in August, when John Barnes' side put in a battling display but eventually lost the game 1-0 thanks to a striker from Jabo Ibhere.

The goal was a late strike from Dons, who dominated the possession in the game, seeing 62% of the ball compared to just 38% for Tranmere.

Rovers had several chances in the first half to take the game, Shuker and Curran having the best efforts for Rovers, but after the break, the game went Dons' way, with a substitute just after the hour mark from Paul Ince, bringing Ibehre on, swinging the game in the visitors favour.

MK Dons scored the winner therefore in the 81st minute, with Ibhere, who was heavily linked with Tranmere in the summer netting the goal, as he bundled home Jemal Johnson's pacey cross.

When the two sides next met in January, Les Parry was Tranmere manager, but he couldn't change the result from when the two sides last met, as MK Dons picked up an identical 1-0 win.

This time, the goal came in the seventh minute as Jason Puncheon superbly converted Andros Townsend's cross, and from then on the game was always going against Tranmere.

Thomas-Moore and Bakayogo had chances for Tranmere to win the game, but Rovers couldn't get back in it and ultimately made it three successive away games without scoring.

Vital Stats:

In eight home games against Saturdays opposition (as both MK Dons and Wimbledon), Tranmere have picked up just two wins, losing on five occasions

Tranmere haven't won any of their last four games against the Dons

Rovers have netted just seven goals at home to the MK Dons/Wimbledon, conceding on twelve occasions

Tranmere have failed to score in three of their last four games against the Dons

Tranmere haven't kept a clean sheet in any of their last seven games against the Dons

On This Day:

2004:  A second half strike from Ian Sharps is enough to secure Tranmere a 1-0 win over Brentford

2001:  Dave Watson's Tranmere lose 2-0 to Oldham Athletic in the Associate Members Trophy

1999:  John Aldridge's Rovers side beat Crewe Alexandra 2-0 at Prenton Park in Division One, Clint Hill and Wayne Allison the scorers

Tranmere Rovers have played sixteen previous games on this day, picking up seven wins, four draws and five defeats.  In these sixteen games, they have scored eighteen goals and conceded thirteen.  They have however won just two of their last ten games on this day, a run dating back 40 years, whilst they have won four home games on this day.

The Form Book:

MK Dons last six away games:  LLLLLL
Tranmere Rovers last six home games:  DLDDWD

For their fans, MK Dons' home form does not make good reading, with the Dons having lost all of their last six away games, and having won just once on the road all season.

They do however come into this game having played away from home just once in the last month, with fixtures and cup draws meaning the Stadium MK side have played four of their last last five on home soil.

The Dons started their six match sequence with a defeat to Carlisle United, losing 4-1 against the Brunton Park side, before losing 2-0 to league leaders Brighton and Hove Albion Albion in their next away game.

Karl Robinson's side were then knocked out of the League Cup after a 3-1 defeat to Birmingham City, who've since progressed to the Quarter Finals of the competition, before losing 2-1 to another high flying side, Peterborough.

Two more away defeats have followed for the Dons, leaving them with six away defeats in a row, as they firstly lost 1-0 at the Valley against Charlton before being edged out of a close game at Dean Court by Bournemouth, losing the League One fixture 3-2.

In their only other away game this season, MK Dons beat Walsall 2-1, meaning that they've beaten the only side they have faced outside of the top eight in an away game so far this season.

Ahead of this match, the Dons have played six away matches in League One, picking up three of an available 18 points, thanks to one win and five defeats.

Notable results on home soil for the Dons so far this season include victories over Southampton (2-0), Exeter City (1-0), Dagenham (2-1) and a 4-3 League Cup win over Blackpool.

Karl Robinson's side come into this game in seventh place in League One, having picked up 20 of an available 39 points from 13 games, this thanks to six wins, two draws and five defeats.

Tranmere's home form has hardly been startling so far this season, but they have only lost one of their last six home games in normal time.

However, it has been tough going so far for Rovers this season, as they have, as yet, managed just one home win all campaign, with three home league defeats already behind them.

In the first game of their six match sequence, Rovers drew 1-1 with Accrington Stanley in the Johnstones Paints Trophy, losing the game on penalties, but they have of course since been reinstated into the competition due to Accrington playing a suspended player in the game.

Les Parry's side then went on a three match unbeaten streak in the league at home, starting with an excellent 1-0 win over Peterborough thanks to an Arnaud Mendy goal, before the Wirral outfit came from 1-0 down to draw 1-1 with Charlton Athletic on home soil, Enoch Showunmi scoring the Rovers goal.

Tranmere next came from a goal down to draw 1-1 with Brighton and Hove Albion, Scott Wootton getting his name on the score sheet, but Tranmere were hugely disappointing as they lost 3-0 to relegation threatened Brentford at Prenton Park.

In their most recent home game, Rovers played Stockport County in the Johnstones Paint Trophy Second Round, drawing the game 0-0 in normal time before winning 4-3 on penalties, their first shoot out win for 19 years.

Tranmere have lost their three other home games this season, against Oldham (2-1), Bournemouth (3-0) and Swansea (3-1).

Rovers have played six home games so far this season, picking up five of an available 18 points thanks to one win, two draws and three defeats.

Notable results away from home for Les Parry's side include a 1-0 victory over Bristol Rovers, a 4-1 hammering of Walsall and draws with Huddersfield Town (0-0) and Dagenham and Redbridge (2-2).

Tranmere Rovers come into this game in 22nd place in Npower League One, having picked up thirteen of an available 39 points from thirteen games, thanks to three wins, four draws and five defeats.

Double Hit:

As well as former Rovers midfielder Gareth Edds, Alan Navarro has represented both Tranmere Rovers and MK Dons in his career, though the mdfielder was released by MK Dons in summer 2009.

After progressing through the Liverpool academy, Navarro enjoyed two spells on loan at Crewe before joining Tranmere on-loan during the 2001/02 season

Navarro impressed during his loan spell at Prenton Park, so much so that manager Dave Watson splashed out £225,000 on the player, bringing him to the Wirral on a permanent deal.

The midfielder would stay at Tranmere for four years and put in several impressive performances before a knee injury sustained during the 2002/03 season hampered his progress on the pitch, putting him out injured for nearly a year.

On his return from injury, Navarro never quite looked like the same player and failed to recapture his impressive form from his early days at Prenton Park.

The transfer that Tranmere had signed Navarro on meant that once he got to 50 appearances for the club, Rovers had to pay Liverpool another installment in his transfer.

With Rovers unable to afford to pay Liverpool the money, they were forced to loan him out to Chester and Macclesfield before releasing the player in September.

After being released by Rovers, Navarro signed for Accrington Stanley on a one-month contract before joining Macclesfield Town in October 2005.

At Macclesfield, Navarro joined up with manager Paul Ince for the first time and in 2007, having made 71 appearances for the Silkmen, he followed Ince to MK Dons, where he would spend two years, making 89 appearances for the club and scoring four goals.

In August 2009, Navarro was released by MK Dons, joining Brighton and Hove Albion on a free transfer.  He has so far made 43 appearances for the Seagulls, though after only two appearances for the side this season, he once again damaged his knee, ruling him out, most likely, for the rest of the season.

One To Watch:

He may now be 37, and may have spent a year away from the game after retiring, but having come back to football in the summer, midfielder Ditermar Hamann has cemented his place in the MK Dons side and has been in strong form so far this season>

The former German international, who famously scored the last ever goal at the old Wembley stadium with a free-kick that beat David Seaman from 30-yards, retired from football in July 2009 after his contract at Manchester City came to an end, but he was coaxed back into the game by Karl Robinson when he was appointed Dons boss in the summer.

Hamann started his career in his homeland, playing over 100 league games for Bayern Munich between 1996 and 1998 before coming to England, signing for Newcastle United for £5,250,000.

A year at Newcastle was all it took for Hamann to impress the big four, as after making only 31 appearances for the Magpies, he signed for Liverpool in 1999 for £8,000,000.

Over the next seven years, Hamann enjoyed a hugely successful period at Liverpool, winning the F.A. Cup twice, the league cup once, the Super Cup, the Charity Shield, The UEFA Cup and The Champions League during his time at Anfield.

He was a first choice midfielder under both Gerard Houllier and Rafa Benitez and made 282 appearances for the Reds, scoring 11 goals, as well as continuing his successful international career with Germany.

In 2006, Hamann left Anfield and briefly signed for Bolton, before making a U-turn only hours later, signing for Manchester City for £400,000 without making an appearance for the Trotters.

The move to Eastlands however saw Hamann make fewer and fewer appearances, as in three years he played just 71 appearances for the club, though this was more due to his age than his ability.

In 2009, after being released by City, Hamann retired, but returned to the game with a player/coach role at MK Dons in the summer.

A ball winning midfielder with a fierce shot, Hamann's legs may be weakening, but he still has the ability to pick out a superb pass and can comfortably control a game at this level.

Wearing the number 16 shirt for the Dons, Hamann, who won 59 caps for Germany in his career, has made twelve appearances for his new side this season and will no doubt be an influential figure in the middle of the park on Saturday. 

nPower League One:

There is a full round of fixtures in League One this Saturday afternoon, with all 24 teams kicking off in twelve fixtures at 3pm.

Bournemouth vs. Colchester
Bristol Rovers vs. Carlisle
Charlton vs. Sheffield Wednesday
Dagenham and Redbridge vs. Hartlepool
Exeter vs. Brentford
Huddersfield vs. Walsall
Leyton Orient  vs. Rochdale
Notts County vs. Southampton
Oldham vs. Plymouth
Peterborough vs. Brighton
Tranmere vs. MK Dons
Yeovil vs. Swindon

Team News:

Marlon Broomes and Adam McGurk once again played 90 minutes for the reserves on Wednesday against Preston and could both be on the bench for Rovers, which is a huge positive for Tranmere who have been struggling with injuries all season.

Les Parry still has a few absentees though, with Gunnar Nielsen, Ash Taylor and Alan Mahon set to miss the game through injury, whilst Paul McLaren is doubful.
 

Jones' Prediction:  Tranmere 2-1 MK Dons

MK Dons' form on the road this season has been poor, although they have faced some tough opposition, whilst Tranmere's form at Prenton Park has been almost as bad.  However, I feel Rovers can pick up a vital win against the Dons this weekend.

Rovers are now two unbeaten and will be full of confidence following their thumping 4-1 win at Walsall last Saturday and then they're 4-3 penalty shoot out win over Stockport on Tuesday, their first penalty shoot out win for 19 years.

The key for Tranmere is to win the battle in midfield, like they did against Walsall on Saturday.  In that game, midfielders Labadie and Welsh got forward well to support the strikers, whilst Max Blanchard cleaned up well in front of the back four, sweeping up lots of loose balls and preventing plenty of attacks.

Having striker Enoch Showunmi fit is also key for Tranmere though.  The 6'5 striker, Rovers' leading scorer, proves a key link between Tranmere's midfield and attack, bringing strikers Thomas-Moore and Jennings into the game, and if he is missing then Tranmere could well struggle when going forward.

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