Two League Games in, what have we learnt?
By Young Andy
August 16 2021
After Saturday’s game at Vale Park it may be too early to say too much about our season ahead. Having watched us play Walsall at home and then Vale away it was interesting to see the contrasts.
They key points seem.
- We need a striker - it seems obvious and this is not to dismiss the efforts of Mani D, but our lack of firepower in front of goal is concerning. It may have been different if Nevitt had’ve been available, given he opened his account at Oldham in the cup, but in his absence we created lots but failed to convert any. Glatzel’s absence was also puzzling on Saturday. Micky has said he likes to rotate the squad, but surely the starting point must be putting out your strongest XI?
- Merrie & Feeney give us energy - it was noticeable that we lacked penetration down the left hand side of the pitch in the absence of Chris Merrie. His debut against Vale was impressive and Feeney seemed to buzz off his contribution. Merrie’s final game suspended, for his red card picked up against Walsall, will be the midweek away game at Swindon. It will be great to have him back. Feeney worked hard against Vale, he picked up a knock in the 2nd half and remained a bit subdued, but until then his contribution had been solid.
- Cogley is looking good - He seems a bit weak as a defender but going forward he has pace and energy. His performance against Vale was better than his performance against Walsall. If he carries on like this he will become a vital piece of the machine.
- Most of the new signings are an upgrade of what we had previously - some might say it’s too early to make such a rash statement. On the evidence so far though players like Davies and Watson have much to offer. Added to this there is more energy to the team and a better sense of togetherness. Whether this will survive through to the depths of winter remains to be seen.
- Quite a few players aren’t at full fitness - this includes Knight Percival & McMannaman, plus Morris. Once everybody has a bit more game time our performances will likely improve. Obviously, we will lose players to injury, but as time goes on we’ll get stronger as a unit.
- IFollow was great, but no substitute for being in the ground - joyful, is it not, to be able to watch a match without having to rely on a wobbly camera mounted on the Johnny King gantry? The noise of the SWA, the sense of anticipation as you take your seat and the post match feeling can never be replaced by kicking the cat or getting up to make a cup of tea. Football is back, in all its glorious and horrendous detail. Magic!
Now, you may not agree with all of this or you may think marbles have been turned to mush. Add your perspective your point on the message board.
Two League Games in, what have we learnt?
Posted by: Total Tranmere (IP Logged)
Date: 16/08/2021 10:26
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Re: Two League Games in, what have we learnt?
Posted by: Uptonrover (IP Logged)
Date: 16/08/2021 10:32
Glatzel wasnt absent Saturday. He was substituted in the second half…..
Re: Two League Games in, what have we learnt?
Posted by: Zint (IP Logged)
Date: 16/08/2021 11:11
But for the one error, not a bad article đź‘Ť
Re: Two League Games in, what have we learnt?
Posted by: DevonExile (IP Logged)
Date: 16/08/2021 12:49
A fair summary.. The big deficit is not having a replacement for Vaughan. The key question is whether the gains elsewhere in the squad do enough to close the deficit of the loss of a prolific striker.
Two games is not time enough to either judge that or to dismiss the concern
Two games is not time enough to either judge that or to dismiss the concern
Re: Two League Games in, what have we learnt?
Posted by: Wozza (IP Logged)
Date: 16/08/2021 14:35
Fair assessment didn’t glatzel get subbed in the 2nd half
Re: Two League Games in, what have we learnt?
Posted by: Doogie'sGhost (IP Logged)
Date: 16/08/2021 14:44
The lack of goals looked like being the most pressing issue all the way through preseason. Let's hope Nevitt is back soon and provides the solution.
Re: Two League Games in, what have we learnt?
Posted by: LifesFullOfUpsAndDowns (IP Logged)
Date: 16/08/2021 15:00
I think we have a number of strikers... We just need them to score goals! That needs creativity and a willingness to have a shot. There was not a shot on goal at Port Vale until MacManaman came on.
Mellon needs to work on how the team can provide the creativity and how the team can do in games all that they practice on the training pitch (countless videos of them practising passing and shooting at goal)
However, it IS a new team and the players are still learning about each other. We need to see how the team performs by around the tenth game.
Mellon needs to work on how the team can provide the creativity and how the team can do in games all that they practice on the training pitch (countless videos of them practising passing and shooting at goal)
However, it IS a new team and the players are still learning about each other. We need to see how the team performs by around the tenth game.
Re: Two League Games in, what have we learnt?
Posted by: This is sh1t (IP Logged)
Date: 16/08/2021 15:30
No goals coincided
Re: Two League Games in, what have we learnt?
Posted by: bedfordave (IP Logged)
Date: 16/08/2021 15:31
We play ten behind Manny, previously we have done something similar with Norwood, Ferrier and Vaughan. The middle of that trio was clearly the weak one when we were very poor.
Currently our ten are creating little and what we do create we fail to even convert into a scoring attempt.
Getting a class act and benching Manny would be a game changer, but I cannot see it happening. Putting a second forward up is tempting for us amateurs, but I am very sure Micky sees the flaw in that idea.
Spearing will never be involved in many goals, Feeney and Morris if advanced enough can create goals. On Saturday the latter was disarmed by being left back and the former again over hit passes and shots. Something has to give we will either be in trouble by being toothless or we will efficiently grind many team down.
Who knows?
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021:08:16:16:03:55 by bedfordave.
Currently our ten are creating little and what we do create we fail to even convert into a scoring attempt.
Getting a class act and benching Manny would be a game changer, but I cannot see it happening. Putting a second forward up is tempting for us amateurs, but I am very sure Micky sees the flaw in that idea.
Spearing will never be involved in many goals, Feeney and Morris if advanced enough can create goals. On Saturday the latter was disarmed by being left back and the former again over hit passes and shots. Something has to give we will either be in trouble by being toothless or we will efficiently grind many team down.
Who knows?
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021:08:16:16:03:55 by bedfordave.
Re: Two League Games in, what have we learnt?
Posted by: White Noise (IP Logged)
Date: 16/08/2021 17:39
I’m not sure if I was at the same game as the OP, but Feeney consistently gave the ball away/over hit passes in the first half, so I’d be reluctant to call his contribution solid. It was a stark contrast to his performance in the opening game.
Re: Two League Games in, what have we learnt?
Posted by: DevonExile (IP Logged)
Date: 16/08/2021 18:04
[quote TRSince1968]I think we have a number of strikers... We just need them to score goals
I think that it is true that we have a number of 'potential' strikers. What we do not have is a proven scorer. Only time will tell if potential turns into substance
I think that it is true that we have a number of 'potential' strikers. What we do not have is a proven scorer. Only time will tell if potential turns into substance
Re: Two League Games in, what have we learnt?
Posted by: misterecoli (IP Logged)
Date: 16/08/2021 19:03
Quote:DevonExile
A fair summary.. The big deficit is not having a replacement for Vaughan. The key question is whether the gains elsewhere in the squad do enough to close the deficit of the loss of a prolific striker.
Two games is not time enough to either judge that or to dismiss the concern
100% this, the telling question is whether the improvements elsewhere mean we can cope with a striker who's a little less prolific than a Vaughan or Norwood.
I'm actually quite heartened so far that this is the only obvious problem, everything else looks generally ok.
Re: Two League Games in, what have we learnt?
Posted by: Kennys_Iron (IP Logged)
Date: 16/08/2021 22:15
Joe Murphy (although lacking some of the same mobility from 20 years ago) is still a quality keeper for the club.
Re: Two League Games in, what have we learnt?
Posted by: Bored rover (IP Logged)
Date: 17/08/2021 18:13
We don’t need another starker we simply need to shoot more no shots equals no goals! All the possession Saturday but less shots, let’s shots on target and less corners than Vale
Re: Two League Games in, what have we learnt?
Posted by: Doogie'sGhost (IP Logged)
Date: 17/08/2021 19:21
Quote:But isn't that symptomatic of not having a genuine goal scorer? Someone who instinctively shoots when given a half chance, rather than tries to find a gilt edged chance which often doesn't materialise.Bored rover
We don’t need another starker we simply need to shoot more no shots equals no goals! All the possession Saturday but less shots, let’s shots on target and less corners than Vale
Re: Two League Games in, what have we learnt?
Posted by: Eric01 Tranmere (IP Logged)
Date: 18/08/2021 11:11
Slightly off topic but I was reading yesterday about Jose Baxter returning from football at just 29 years old. I know he was never ours, just on-loan but while at PP he looked good. Maybe it's one of life's eternal questions but why do things not work out as they seem like they could. In my dream world he would be back here, with his life back on track and scoring!!!
Re: Two League Games in, what have we learnt?
Posted by: Matt34 (IP Logged)
Date: 18/08/2021 20:59
Word at the time was Johnson wanted Ronnie to get him and ronnie said Baxter wouldn't fit his system.
Baxter new the squad from being on loan and had some kind of connections to Robbo I seemeed to think, as he wrote something on the internet about Robbo's mum, as if they were soehow more connected than just team mates. I think after his stint at Oldham he'd have come back in a shot if offered a chance and considering he'd scored a few including a goal against Forest in the cup, he'd have been a good signing who was hardly playing for a moneybags club, so he would have been affordable, as he only had a half season contract anyway.
If he wanted a trial at Tranmere right now I say let him have one and if he looked good and there's enough money in the bank balance to pay him a reasonable anount get it done.
Then I ate his Liver.......... with some baked beans and a can of coke.
Baxter new the squad from being on loan and had some kind of connections to Robbo I seemeed to think, as he wrote something on the internet about Robbo's mum, as if they were soehow more connected than just team mates. I think after his stint at Oldham he'd have come back in a shot if offered a chance and considering he'd scored a few including a goal against Forest in the cup, he'd have been a good signing who was hardly playing for a moneybags club, so he would have been affordable, as he only had a half season contract anyway.
If he wanted a trial at Tranmere right now I say let him have one and if he looked good and there's enough money in the bank balance to pay him a reasonable anount get it done.
Then I ate his Liver.......... with some baked beans and a can of coke.
Re: Two League Games in, what have we learnt?
Posted by: Bored rover (IP Logged)
Date: 19/08/2021 21:57
Quote:Doogie'sGhostQuote:But isn't that symptomatic of not having a genuine goal scorer? Someone who instinctively shoots when given a half chance, rather than tries to find a gilt edged chance which often doesn't materialise.Bored rover
We don’t need another starker we simply need to shoot more no shots equals no goals! All the possession Saturday but less shots, let’s shots on target and less corners than Vale
To get promoted we need min 80 goals they can’t all come from one person. By all means have a 20 goal striker but we still need another 60 goals from round the rest of the squad. 12 players all getting 10 goals is better than 2 players getting 40.
Re: Two League Games in, what have we learnt?
Posted by: LifesFullOfUpsAndDowns (IP Logged)
Date: 19/08/2021 23:33
Quote:Bored roverQuote:Doogie'sGhostQuote:But isn't that symptomatic of not having a genuine goal scorer? Someone who instinctively shoots when given a half chance, rather than tries to find a gilt edged chance which often doesn't materialise.Bored rover
We don’t need another starker we simply need to shoot more no shots equals no goals! All the possession Saturday but less shots, let’s shots on target and less corners than Vale
To get promoted we need min 80 goals they can’t all come from one person. By all means have a 20 goal striker but we still need another 60 goals from round the rest of the squad. 12 players all getting 10 goals is better than 2 players getting 40.
Did you mean 60? the last two seasons the top team scored around 62
Re: Two League Games in, what have we learnt?
Posted by: bedfordave (IP Logged)
Date: 19/08/2021 23:41
Quote:Bored roverQuote:Doogie'sGhostQuote:But isn't that symptomatic of not having a genuine goal scorer? Someone who instinctively shoots when given a half chance, rather than tries to find a gilt edged chance which often doesn't materialise.Bored rover
We don’t need another starker we simply need to shoot more no shots equals no goals! All the possession Saturday but less shots, let’s shots on target and less corners than Vale
To get promoted we need min 80 goals they can’t all come from one person. By all means have a 20 goal striker but we still need another 60 goals from round the rest of the squad. 12 players all getting 10 goals is better than 2 players getting 40.
120 is of course better than 80 we won't get either!!
Re: Two League Games in, what have we learnt?
Posted by: Matt34 (IP Logged)
Date: 20/08/2021 19:55
Not goals of course, but if those numbers related to total passes in a game, or shots / tackles in a season, that might be more achievable 
.
Then I ate his Liver.......... with some baked beans and a can of coke.
.Then I ate his Liver.......... with some baked beans and a can of coke.
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