Tranmere Rovers v Sheffield United Match Discussion
By Deadly Submarine
April 21 2014
If you can't make Tranmere's vital game at home to Sheffield United on Monday 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, host Sheffield United in yet another vital game on Monday afternoon in Sky Bet 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.
We have got ourselves in a hole and we are going to have to dig ourselves out!
United are looking to pick up points to try and get in the play-offs.
Rovers are desperate for a win and results to go our way to ease relegation fears.
We have to have a go at them. This is no time for caution.
This is the time for those players to show they care, we are playing for our future. A lot rides on todays game.
The fat lady is reaching full voice at Stevenage but doesn't know whether to start singing properly at Colchester,TRFC,Crewe,Carlisle,Notts County or Shrewsbury.
A shock win for us today and a few other results go our way
would certainally move her away from PP.
I predict 1-1 and more tension for next week.
The miss by Cassidy today was a bitter pill to swallow. Lost for words. Rowe looked excellent today, some neat footwork. A good show all in all but fear that miss by Cassidy will be huge.
Great display today, we were really unlucky!
Cassidy played ok first half to be fair,however looked out of it after an hour but still Stockton doesn't come on!
What is McMahon doing giving Cole 90 seconds?? McMahon it's time to go!!
Maybe no change of manager with two games left, but surely we can't contemplate giving him job full time next season, whatever league we are in! Had 3 months to put his stamp on the team and achieved nothing, we don't have poor players just unmotivated ones, this clearly stems from poor leadership!
McMahon may get the job but this does not mean it is the right decision. Just how badly off is this club.Are we really worse off than Accrington or Exeter or Morcombe. All of whom have managers that do well relative to their resource base.
I do not think it is pay that deters potential managers from coming to the club but the poor image of the club and a board that lacks any kind of plan.
It is that lack of planning and vision that could lead to McMahon being appointed.It is also the kind of move that for many supporters will push them away from the club.
There are plenty of clubs managing on restricted resources but the image of Rovers is not good.
Is Deadly's conclusion about the likely appointment a comment om McMahon's merits or a comment on the failings of the board?
It was right to go with a caretaker roll in the short term but madness to make expediency the benchmark for the long term
Thought some really good football at times, short passes up the pitch (key being Jennings showing for the ball) and good work from Pennington/Max to play through midfield.
Pennington outstanding (we have to try and keep him)
Jenno/Max brilliant
Rowe looked classy when he came on, would much rather see him than kirby as he has the skill to beat a man and looks more likely to create something.
Cassidy did some very good link up play but again frustrating in front of goal...
To be fair to John Mc he's got us playing much better football and has done a good job in very tough circumstances. Yes stockton could have come on sooner but Cassidy was linking the play well and looked like he could make something happen...
Matt34 A good result; just a shame Tranmere didn't get a goal as that would really have taken some pressure off.
A good display but not a great result really. We really needed to win and should have done. I thought Ash,Pennington,Brown and Power were excellent today but strangely that our front 2 of Lowe and Cassidy looked a bit flat. We just needed one piece of inspiration just something different. I cant see us getting more than 50 points now - will that be enough though??
ming05 Played to deep at times and shame brown had to go to left back.
Cassidy and kirby really arent up to it, I didnt see point of giving stockton so little time on pitch.
Cassidy was a lot better today[apart from the header] than he has been for some time. Agree with you about Kirby-Rowe was far better when he came on. Brown's crosses from free kicks were excellent-pity Ash seemed to try and glance each one in rather than go with the firm header. But we played well and should have won. With any sort of luck we would have.
Best players for me today was brown jennings and rowe and lowe was unlucky hitting the post in first half, still not gettin why give stockton about a minute on the pitch ? A point is better than no points today !!
I don't think Cassidy even broke sweat today, gives the impression of being totally disinterested in the game around him.
Rowe looked good, junior could be a gem if we can keep him.
Pennington looked assured at CB, although I'd think EFC would like to send him to the championship next season to progress him if they think he's enough potential.
Another good display from Max - pushing for a starting place next season?
Just unlucky infront of goal, when lady luck's on your side efforts like Lowes in the 1st half hit the post and go in
Happy with how we played today, thought we deserved a win to be honest.
Junior Brown was excellent today considering he moved to left back. Pennington and Jenno also brilliant. Rowe looked good like people have said but looked a little lost whilst out wide, which is understandable.
Lowe seemed out of sorts today. Spent far too long dicking around with his shinpads or socks or whatever he was upto.
Ash Taylor... Ash Taylor has to be the most frustrating player in the world for me. Great in the air and strong defensively but my god he is let down by his use of the ball. His long balls and passes out from the back are dreadful. And for a team who at the moment seem to enjoy a long ball, it just isn't working. Fair enough a centre back shouldn't be a worldy on the ball, but his long balls and distribution from the back is just woeful.
God display yesterday. Should have had at least one penalty. Pennington, Jennings, brown all superb. A bit more luck and we would have won. Cassidy's miss will be on a bloopers show I am sure but did well in his all round play on the ball but not enough off the ball. We are still in with a shout! Swa
Cassidy's miss? Is this the one in the second-half when the ball was headed by Ash across the box which flicked off Pennington's before reaching Cassidy, all in a split second, don't be ridiculous. Cassidy had no time to react.
Give Kirby a chance, you could see how nervous he was when he came on (probably due to the all the carp written on this site) but he settled well, he is only 19 years old and in my eyes is a great prospect.
Why aren't people castigating Lowe's performance today, apart from the moment of brilliance in the first half when he hit the post with a deft lob he was poor.
He should have laid the ball into Brown's path in the first half when we had 3 on 2 but elected to be greedy and shoot.
Cassidy played better then Lowe today and put himself about.
The good news is Wolves will probably let go in the summer and no-one will fancy him due to his lack of goals which will give us a great chance of getting him.
We all know what he can do, just needs that goal.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014:04:22:09:12:34 by Lepton119.
It was a very very good performance yesterday by a team hit with 2 early injuries. Which in my opinion cost us the game. Junior Brown and Akpo where are biggest threatsand we effectively lost both of them when Brown moved to left back.
Only dissappointing thing is how scared/reluntant the management are to make a change, bringing Stockton on with just injury time to go is insulting. Not wanting to change the game.
However I was impressed with McMahon's support for cassidy. No secret in football that big strikers do more work than the fans see. McMahon made it clear he was behind Cass. Which although he is off form, the treatment of him for me is wrong. Probably cost the club a striker with goals in him for next year on a free after wolves get rid. So well done to JMcM for supporting him. Not with playing time but he was up the touchline everytime he did something well, which was more often than most can see.
Good to see Max's performance. Max bossed the game. Controled the tempo and he was the reason for the performace, but if koumas was fit, i think we would have won that game.
Pros and cons yesterday
Pennington superb
Power - huge energy - how much ground did he cover, and probably the only player seeking to make himslef available when we had a throw in.
Fonners - a good save, but kicking gain poor, and distribution far too slow.
Rowe - improved as the game progressed.
Kirkby seemed to be a rabbit caught in the spotlight - too may hospital passes, reluctant to go forward or take on his man.
Unfortunately we may have hoped that those coming into the team would look to grab the game by the throat, and demonstrate that they were worth a new contract / start in the next game - but far from the case in both of the early substitutes cases.
Incidentally, why is it that the other wingers in the opposition ranks play as wide as possible, looking to come in off the wing, and ensuring that they have every opportunity to control passes to them, whereas these two come inside and watch the ball go past them, or over their heads (you may blame the person passing the ball, but surely there is a lesson to be learned by someone).
As for cassidy - give him a youth team / reserve gmae, to give him the chance to get back in the goal scoring groove). Probably too late now!
As regards the talent expected to return to his game - remember they said that about Franny Jeffers - and Michael Ricketts!
Great effort yesterday and deserved all points and would have got them with a decent centre forward am sure, Cassidy has had loads of chances to prove his worth just not either up to it or not intrested am not sure yet. Only credit can give him had a decent first twenty minutes after that waste of space cant think of a positive thing and as for miss he should be expecting the ball to reach him in six yard box his job is to score. His record since he left us first time is awful and i am hoping we dont recruit him next season if wolves release him early from contract. Pl;us side centre halves Max and Brown where excellent and lets show same bottle last two games
It is a strange one with Cass, but he defo is bigger built than Stockton. If his role is just to hold the ball up , not just score goals. Then i guess thats why hes in the team, but we need goals badly!
I like many other fans just cant see why he wont use stockton .we neede a goal saturday yet only gives the lad a few minets .what is the problem with mcmahon does he not like him .we need goals to win games mcmahon its as simple as that
who can change a game in 2 minutes?!
We were looking for the win, not trying to run down the clock - it really wasn't worth Stockton coming on when he did.
Give him at least 20 mins, or don't bother
Presumably he thinks that Cassidy is more likely to provide goals,despite the evidence. Still if he comes up with a winning goalin the last two games all will be justified. I just think that Stocton is more likely to provide that scenario.
I'm not sure all would be justified. Start Cassidy for long enough, and give him enough game time, and he has to score at some point, but that doesn't mean that continually playing is the right decision
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