Optimism v Pessimisim

It's interesting looking at how perceptions quickly change in football. At the start of August the Total Tranmere site seemed full of positive anticipation about the season ahead. At the end of the month all that has changed. Rovers are at the wrong end of the table, looking at a relegation battle not a promotion push. 

What has gone wrong? Maybe nothing. It could be that the team is just taking a little longer to come together than we might expect. If we get beat next Saturday, against Hartlepool, it will be three defeats on the trough. That suggests more than fine tuning is needed. The different parts of the team don't appear to be working together. The first few matches saw our defence looking relatively solid. Yet this wasn't the case versus Newport. Whilst we might have been unlucky to concede a penalty against Scunthorpe, the defence still relied on Joe Murphy to put in a performance that belied his years. In midfield too things are not working. MacManaman must have had enough game time now to be fully fit. Feeney & Spearing have put in below par performances and playing Morris as a wing back is questionable at best. Then up front we seem ineffective, 1 goal in 5 League games. Dieseruvwe seems lightweight, Nevitt is still developing and both Jolley & Burton seem not to figure in Mellon's plans, despite the fact that we don't have a luxury of riches. 

All in all things appear to be very wrong. Writing this before the transfer deadline, fans have been told that there is room for 3 or 4 additional signings. There is an obvious need for a striker, but the stumbling block appears to be the availability of players that we can afford. If, by close of business tomorrow, nobody new appears fans will rightly feel frustrated. 

September sees home games against Hartlepool & Salford, with trips to Rochdale & Forest Green as well. By the end of the month it will become clearer if we have been able to start an upward trajectory or if we face a frustrating winter. Supporters have backed the club with good attendances at home & away games. This matters.  Yet there is only so much supporters can do. We are not the solution to our current problems. It's the players and management that need to deliver. All we can do is get behind the team and continue to support them.