If you can't make Tranmere's game away at Milton Keynes Dons on Saturday afternoon, why not join in the banter right here with other Rovers fans who are unable to attend...
Following football even at League One level is pretty expensive these days and no matter how much you love the Rovers, it will sometimes be difficult to make the games in person whether it be the lengthy away trips, or for exiles living elsewhere in the UK or abroad, the home games too.
As a result, for those fans who can't make some of the Rovers games this season, we at Total Tranmere will be providing this match discussion thread for you to discuss developments with the game.
Tranmere of course, travel to MK Dons on Saturday afternoon in Skybet League One, so if you're not going to the game why not join in the banter right here while the game is going on? You could also use this thread to discuss other interesting scores throughout the league as well as discussing this game afterwards if you have been to watch the game live.
What you discuss below is up to you but hopefully it can all be focused on one thread to make it easier for everyone to use.
I would like to see us play a formation 4-1-4-1. With Koumas pulling the strings in midfield, Jenno holding. I would drop Jake for Koumas. We need to play a high defensive line and have a go at them, put the pressure on them. If we sit back we will get ripped apart.
Then we would have a great deal of options on the bench, if we fall behind.
However, the likely starting line-up will be the one that started Tuesday.
I wouldn't start Robbo either, he had a great impact coming off the bench, I think this is his future role.
If Ridehalgh is fit, I would start him even though Horwood has been decent in the last two games.
I wish Fon Williams could be given a rest, as I feel that Mooney will give us a boost in playing a higher line in the back four.
We have a decent squad now that the injuries have eased, I just hope Ronnie can be more positive in his tactics and formations.
I agree with all of the above until you say that we have a decent squad. We may have ,in the same sense as the English cricket team.i.e plenty of players that were once ok , but who now are just not performing. We have a defence that can look static against any team. A disjointed midfield and our passing and general fitness looks second best far too often.
We have two of the best midfielders in League One in Koumas and Wallace yet Ronnie says he has to choose between them because of the formation he is playing at the moment - Why?
Either of them would get an automatic start for any other League One side because they are that good.
My personal solution would be to play 5-3-2 which would have two positives i.e. accommodate Koumas and Wallace; strenghthen the defence because we look dodgy every time the opposition attack.
My line-up would be:-
Fonners
Ridealgh or Horwood
Goodison
Taylor
Arthurworry
Pennington
Jennings
Wallace
Koumas
Lowe
Cassidy
I know people will question Goodison but he's still got a lot to offer and he'd add strength to the defence.
Maybe so but we must have used over 30 players this season, I think you could probably argue a case for perhaps 2/3 of them being "consistently reliable."
On the flip side, the best individual performance from any player this season was Ian Goodison Vs Bolton!
Don't think I'd change the back four in fairness unless Ridealgh is fit. However if Goodison is fit and is brought back into the team, I'd be sound with that.
Yeah I wasn't saying he shouldn't play but I just meant if 532 was to be the formation of choice we'd need another CB option in case Goody gets injured.
As a one off game when he's rested I still feel Goodison is our best defender. Bolton being a good example.
MK move the ball back to front through a deep midfielder who drops in as the CB's move wide. (we should have 3 players pushed up to stop this imo, backed up by a high line in defence, Lowe dropping onto the CM and Kennedy/other winger on the CB's) this would mean them having to go long which should be easily dealt with by our CB's.
I'd expect us to do the usual though, sit back allow the midfielder loads of time/space to run the game for them.
They also like to play a slow tempo in the games i've seen, in the past we've dropped to their pace, we cannot afford to do that tomorrow either.
High Line, High Tempo, ideally in this formation for me
Ridehalgh left of Ash in a 3 man defence, with 5 in the middle and 2 up, might be an option and if it looks like there is a bit too much pressure on the back 3 after a while, drop the wide players down 10-15 yards into WB positions and allow for a little more tracking back down the flanks, to support your back 3.
Admittedly this tactic didn't serve West Ham well against Forest, but that doesn't mean it's a useless formation with no potential to work, however I feel Ronnie will go 4-4-2 or 4-5-1 as per.
Yet MK have had one or two spells of shakey form this season, so anything is possible.
Then I ate his Liver.......... with some baked beans and a can of coke.
Not long back from the game! Six bloody trips there I've waited for that and my God was it worth it!!!
The fans that have stuck by the team by travelling deserved that and I wouldn't say the win was lucky or undeserved either!
First half we weren't on our game and had very few chances but whatever Ronnie said at half time worked absolute wonders. We went at them from the start of the second half and played a much higher line and we dominated the second half almost throughout!
A word for Steven Jennings who put in one of the best CM performances I've seen for a long time whilst Koumas in particular but also Wallace weren't bad either.
Ash Taylor was a Man of the match contender for the third game in a row but misses out to Jenno and the rest of the back four were also decent.
If I had to pick a weak link it would be Cassidy but he was involved in the goal so can't complain too much. Fonners made a number of important saves in the first half and commanded his area well. Just his kicking that was a let down.
The win was a much welcome one and the points gap between Tranmere and the drop zone a nice gap to have.
If Tranmere can start to get the team functioning like they should be able to, with Lowe getting service, the midfield string some good passing and link play together and the defence holding firm, then Tranmere should be clear of the drop with a few games to go.
Then I ate his Liver.......... with some baked beans and a can of coke.
The first half, we had the formation wrong. Lowe was out wide in a 4-5-1, he's the top scorer in our league for a reason. Other then that, we sat to deep and invited them on, at times our players backed off way too much. A better team would have put a couple past is!
Second half was completely different, from the start we controlled the game and attacked in numbers, we made a couple of wrong decisions in the final third, but I thought the draw (we were heading for) was a fair result.
It was hard to see, but I think it was Ash that threw his body in front if a shot that was going in (about 65 minutes), and we cleared one off the line.
The goal was amazing, it was like we won the World Cup!
I'm gunna put it out there, but I don't think we would miss Wallace if he left.
I don't think we would either, one man doesn't make the team. Although if he left we would be looking for a replacement in a season or two as Koumas and Jenno age...I'd like to think after the injury loyalty he will stick by us for another contract
Let's not start the Wallace can go campaign please-he's a great player and the midfield with him Jennings and koumas in is a good one-yes he might go at the end of his contract but we will defo miss him if he does but hopefully after him missing a year of his contract he may stick around
Have just seen our goal on u tube and was well impressed by Cassidy,s vision and pass to Lowe on the far post...3 points, yessss!!! Preston at Prenton next, cant wait.
Johntyponty I don't think we would either, one man doesn't make the team. Although if he left we would be looking for a replacement in a season or two as Koumas and Jenno age...I'd like to think after the injury loyalty he will stick by us for another contract
Think he will be like any modern football player in fact he will be like any worker if offered more £££££ he would be away like sh*t off a shovel
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