Let battle commence!
Tranmere crest
By David Sindall
August 1 2025
Tomorrow. The new season, that 13 week break, a whole quarter of 2025, is over. Is this a new dawn, or are we watching the setting of a fading sun?
Football in general is in a precarious state. Morecambe, who did the double over us last season, have ‘ceased football activities’. Sheffield Wednesday, a club with a massive fan base are under a transfer embargo with rumours that players are refusing to play due to non payment of wages. Whilst the Wrexham story suggests that with the right investment clubs can zoom up the Divisions, there is ample evidence that new ownership doesn’t always result in positive new eras.
In the middle of this there is us, the long suffering supporters. Players come and go, as do managers, but next Saturday, when I take my seat for the game against Shrewsbury, the faces around me will be mostly the same as last season and the one before that. It being August some will be on holiday, and I will cast an eye around to check that some of the older fans have made it to the start of the coming season. There are mini communities all over the ground, people who don’t know each other by name, but will still know each other. ‘The bloke that sits by me’.
It’s really difficult to assess how this current squad will do. Defensively it looks solid, and Smallwood as Captain will bring much needed leadership to the pitch. Hawkes, Morris and Hendry have gone, so we have to hope that our midfield has a higher level of creativity and a bit more bite. And there is still the worry that our forward line lacks the ability to put the ball away. This could still be the team’s core weakness, and in the absence of new ownership maybe something that needs to be accommodated rather than addressed. Can we find other scoring options?
I will be interested to see how Connor Jennings does this season. I suspect he will not be a first choice in the starting XI, and instead will be brought on as an impact sub. I have a bromance with Connor, but I am not blinded to the fact that players get older. I hope that he is studying for his coaching badges, he’s one of those players who I suspect will make an excellent manager for us, one day.
In the interim, and for the foreseeable future, we are ‘Andy Crosby’s Super White Army’. Let’s enjoy the season, maintain a bit of hope, and that we are all here, as a club and supporters, a year from now.
The views expressed are personal
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I believe I have every reason to be optimistic this season as the squad is a definite improvement on last season.
Having watched the pre-season friendly against Wigan I too share concerns about where our goals will come from; over the course of 90 mins in that game we never really troubled the Wigan keeper & never really looked like scoring (shades of last season here).
In his pre-match YouTube video yesterday, our manager advised that the transfer window is still open & that recruitment hasn't finished; I hope this means we are looking to recruit another decent striker, someone that is a natural finisher.
We certainly need another player in this position but in AC I have trust & faith.
Onwards & Upwards SWA!!
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025:08:01:11:18:51 by Glasgow Super White.
I'm very confident about tomorrow and the new season. Let's see....
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My biggest concern is that we are dependent on the same aging forwards and back up from the likes of Saunders, whose strike rate is likely to be behind that of some defenders. Despite that the gap between potential play off candidates and mid table obscurity is relatively small, good organisation and freedom from injuries and suspensions can make a massive difference. A pity, therefore that we start with a midfielder out for the season and another on a long term ban