As Tranmere travel to Macclesfield Town in the FA Trophy on Saturday, keep up to date with the action and have your say on what’s unfolding with our Match Thread......
After Tuesday's setback in the National League with a 2-1 defeat away Barrow, Rovers are back in Cup action this Saturday as they make the short trip to Macclesfield Town in the first leg of the FA Trophy semi-final.
Whether you are at the game or are following from somewhere else, why not discuss what you are seeing or hearing from the match as it progresses, using our Message Forum facility at the base of this story? Fans of both Tranmere and Macclesfield are welcome to join in the discussion before, during and after the game.
Also for anyone who is part of our Total Tranmere Prediction League, don't forget to make your prediction for this game by clicking on the 'Prediction League' option at the top of our left page menu and then clicking on 'My Predictions'. Any predictions made can be changed any time up until kick-off.
Come on Rovers, let's just get to Wembley!! I think we'll win comfy Saturday, 1 each for Norwood, Cook, Stockton and Connor. The inevitable goal conceded to.
I think we are due another win and its about time we had a clean sheet so 2 - 0 I hope, we could also make the play off final which could be tricky as two trips to Wembley expensive! So lets just win the league instead of making the play offs final still waiting for Lincoln bad spell
Can't be to dissapointed with that. Didn't sound like the best performance but we've got a second leg to rectify that. Heard "to close to the keeper" an alarming amount of times in regards to set pieces. Advantage us though I would say
Not the best result,ok we drew 1-1 but with out the penalty we'd would have lost that 1-0.
Didn't seem to cause them much trouble in the game,the lack of goals from open play is a worry not for this FA Jamjar cup but in the the league we're not getting out of this league with results like this.
We seem lacklustre in recent games and it is concerning as we come to a critical stage..In the main the results were kind to us today in terms of securing a play off place.We struggle,however to dominate teams.The trophy is almost a rehearsal of or approach to any two leg matches..Perhaps because of recent years I do not feel confident when we have to win at home. If I had to chose which of the next two matches to win it would be Tuesday's,despite the superficial attraction of a Wembley date
Good result, particularly when macca were the better side
Issue is lack of service to front men. Playing too deep , inviting pressure , we lost the midfield battle in first half. Our full backs are full backs, not natural wing backs, which means they tend to drop back as opposed to getting in attacking positions, which further weakens our attack.
We need a creative attacking wide player.
We looked more dangerous when Connor came on.
And to McNulty critics , I thought he played very well , keeping Holroyd quiet
Absolutely the worst game I've seen this season.Soft penalty but WAS a foul but then we let them dictate things too much.They weaved plenty of nice patterns in the first half but only created a couple of good chances,the best one of which saw a header hit the underside of the bar and come out.We were absolutely awful,just seemed keen to keep it tight.
Second half was like watching paint dry-both sides were abysmal.Ball regularly going high in the air .We often looked like a team of individuals who had never met before-not a team.
YET AGAIN-another refereeing clanger cost us the equaliser-clear handball by one of their players before a second one put it in[He got their MOM yet he was the first one their manager subbed.Must have been because of the goal]Their number 7 was their best player.
Our MOM Ihiekwe by a mile. Vaughan played well when he got on[Buxton was ok in a 4-4-2 but poor in a 3-5-2] Connor Jennings tried to keep the ball on the ground when he was on-was better than most[not difficult]
The ref contrived to issue 6 yellow cards-not sure why as there was hardly a bad foul in the game though it is clear that these two sides don't like each other.
The only good thing is that I predicted the right score so will get 3 points in the Prediction League
jonesy792 Good result, particularly when macca were the better side
Issue is lack of service to front men. Playing too deep , inviting pressure , we lost the midfield battle in first half. Our full backs are full backs, not natural wing backs, which means they tend to drop back as opposed to getting in attacking positions, which further weakens our attack.
We need a creative attacking wide player.
We looked more dangerous when Connor came on.
And to McNulty critics , I thought he played very well , keeping Holroyd quiet
The two strikers were very isolated particularly in the first half-we hoofed and hoofed and hoofed on many occasions.We did sit far too deep. The S Jennings/Harris midfield palpably did not work again.Hughes was also poor.
No just pointing things out. He made one shocking mistake for their goal the rest were similar standards to others we've seen this season.
It was the hand of God; more like the hand of Kenny Everett (obscure reference but some may get it)it was that big and that obvious! Spot on with your earlier match assessment Hoots; some may not like your honesty though! Browne, their no. 7 looks an excellent player and turned Ridehalgh inside out; certainly should have been MOM for them. Very uninspiring game overall and Steve Jennings token appearance baffled many; at least Mickey saw this wasn't working and changed it at half-time. Can't complain about the result though as we're still in a strong position and hopefully the game at PP will be a little more inspiring.
Awful game , awful performance absolutely no creativity whatsoever it seemed only hughes and ithy wanted it, jennings was awful first half, and mcnultys header was a belter.
Cheered up after the game my macc supporting mate took me into there club, what a top set of people and supporters even if they did laugh at me having my work suit on.
A postcript the fat macc supporter who had the bodywarmer on was in there giving it large
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2017:03:11:20:53:12 by the kav.
think they are doing the same. A Macc fan has put a picture up online of a ball clearly over the goal line saying they were robbed of a win .
Is it clearly over the line though? It's very difficult from that angle to see whether the ball has actually touched the ground at that point.Also as the camera shot is not along the goal line,it's impossible to definitely decide. The refs assistant at that end should have had the best view-he didn't flag nor did the Macclesfield players make a concerted appeal about it.
think they are doing the same. A Macc fan has put a picture up online of a ball clearly over the goal line saying they were robbed of a win .
Is it clearly over the line though? It's very difficult from that angle to see whether the ball has actually touched the ground at that point.Also as the camera shot is not along the goal line,it's impossible to definitely decide. The refs assistant at that end should have had the best view-he didn't flag nor did the Macclesfield players make a concerted appeal about it.
It went like a rocket too impossible for the officials
think they are doing the same. A Macc fan has put a picture up online of a ball clearly over the goal line saying they were robbed of a win .
Is it clearly over the line though? It's very difficult from that angle to see whether the ball has actually touched the ground at that point.Also as the camera shot is not along the goal line,it's impossible to definitely decide. The refs assistant at that end should have had the best view-he didn't flag nor did the Macclesfield players make a concerted appeal about it.
It went like a rocket too impossible for the officials
absolutely, I was just stating they are having a moan aswell.
It seemed like the closer it came towards the end we were simply doing whatever to avoid defeat with no real imagination to win. Maybe the idea that to be 1-1 half way through is Ok, and we'll step up to win back at PP. If that really was the mentality it seems like short changing the fans who 'd spent their cash to be there?
Eric01 Tranmere It seemed like the closer it came towards the end we were simply doing whatever to avoid defeat with no real imagination to win. Maybe the idea that to be 1-1 half way through is Ok, and we'll step up to win back at PP. If that really was the mentality it seems like short changing the fans who 'd spent their cash to be there?
think they are doing the same. A Macc fan has put a picture up online of a ball clearly over the goal line saying they were robbed of a win .
Which is my point every week, the refs are bad for everyone, yet our fans seem to bang on about it week in week out as if they have it in for Rovers, we aren't big news anymore in this division we're just another NL side and we get away with an awful lot ourselves. Take the non penalty penalty at Chester, it was a bad decision but either way it was a foul and he should have walked an now be suffering a 4 or 5 game ban for a second red.
Away goals don't count andy but I cudnt see us keeping a clean sheet nxt week anyway. I thought they not a bad side and hope they have to play our rivals. ?I'm going for a narrow win 2.1 hopefully and expect plenty of nervous moments late on.
A very bad week performance wise in both games .i am going for a Macc win next week .to many Tranmere players don't seem to be up for the fight .they need to fight like they did at Chester for the rest of the season .ls it just me as I think they just sleep walk through some games .
think they are doing the same. A Macc fan has put a picture up online of a ball clearly over the goal line saying they were robbed of a win .
Which is my point every week, the refs are bad for everyone, yet our fans seem to bang on about it week in week out as if they have it in for Rovers, we aren't big news anymore in this division we're just another NL side and we get away with an awful lot ourselves. Take the non penalty penalty at Chester, it was a bad decision but either way it was a foul and he should have walked an now be suffering a 4 or 5 game ban for a second red.
How do you know that the ''ref's are bad for everyone''? A very sweeping statement.Do you watch everybody's games?
Was a poor performance yesterday, not really understanding why the players were not up for it. Putting it down to the fact it was only the 1st leg. 900 odd of us there and it was like a morgue. Can't remember being so miserable at an away game. Maybe realising we might not go up this year if we don't shift up a gear. ... also total prize money for this FA Trophy if we win is just shy of 105k add that to additional gates of around the same figure then it's around 250k that's a nice little earner for us.
TranmereFan Was a poor performance yesterday, not really understanding why the players were not up for it. Putting it down to the fact it was only the 1st leg. 900 odd of us there and it was like a morgue. Can't remember being so miserable at an away game. Maybe realising we might not go up this year if we don't shift up a gear. ... also total prize money for this FA Trophy if we win is just shy of 105k add that to additional gates of around the same figure then it's around 250k that's a nice little earner for us.
Definitely not the best way to convince people who came to watch us for the first time this season to come back again.
There were a few occasions during the game where it was so quiet that could basically hear a pin drop.
think they are doing the same. A Macc fan has put a picture up online of a ball clearly over the goal line saying they were robbed of a win .
Which is my point every week, the refs are bad for everyone, yet our fans seem to bang on about it week in week out as if they have it in for Rovers, we aren't big news anymore in this division we're just another NL side and we get away with an awful lot ourselves. Take the non penalty penalty at Chester, it was a bad decision but either way it was a foul and he should have walked an now be suffering a 4 or 5 game ban for a second red.
How do you know that the ''ref's are bad for everyone''? A very sweeping statement.Do you watch everybody's games?
How many ''my point every week''s do you have?
Cuz they are all sh&te refs, I speak to a lot of visiting fans and or officials of clubs or players whose opinions are equally as informed as ours. I tend to keep an open mind when it comes to refs decisions in regards to both Rovers and whoever we are playing and any other games I may watch, they Ultimatley equal out, over a season,there's just more pants decisions in this league, because either the refs haven't gained the sufficient standard to progress or have been demoted as not up to it. I just won't except refs as an excuse for a league position, Ultimatley a side ends up where it deserves to be and I think with 10 games or so to go we deserve to be 3rd/4th, unfortunately we haven't shown enough, but the final standings are what count.
I make a variety of "ref based points" each week which I mostly get hounded for.
Refs have become a traditional area for managers to deflect blame due to the relatively unforgiving nature of their employers. In days gone by managers could admit mistakes, that's few and far between nowadays because of all the cash floating about and need for success.
They're NOT all@#$%&referees.I usually defend them because they have a very hard job but in four games recently[Bromley and the last three] they have made calamitous errors which can't be defended.
On the subject of referees (again!) it's not necessarily that they make mistakes that bothers me (we are all human and will err) it's the lack of recognition and lack of accountability. No company would continue to employ a person who did not firstly recognise errors and then try to minimise the occurrences of such errors. They're all made of Teflon. We're okay player and manager bashing but referees we must treat like a creature on the brink of extinction, a rare and delicate orchid, a distant cousin of the dodo, a priceless piece of artwork, a newborn baby, a precious jewel, a feint-hearted wallflower, an all powerful Demi-God, the holy grail, a Tranmere trophy (a rare commodity indeed!).
Phil65 On the subject of referees (again!) it's not necessarily that they make mistakes that bothers me (we are all human and will err) it's the lack of recognition and lack of accountability. No company would continue to employ a person who did not firstly recognise errors and then try to minimise the occurrences of such errors. They're all made of Teflon. We're okay player and manager bashing but referees we must treat like a creature on the brink of extinction, a rare and delicate orchid, a distant cousin of the dodo, a priceless piece of artwork, a newborn baby, a precious jewel, a feint-hearted wallflower, an all powerful Demi-God, the holy grail, a Tranmere trophy (a rare commodity indeed!).
Phil65 On the subject of referees (again!) it's not necessarily that they make mistakes that bothers me (we are all human and will err) it's the lack of recognition and lack of accountability. No company would continue to employ a person who did not firstly recognise errors and then try to minimise the occurrences of such errors. They're all made of Teflon. We're okay player and manager bashing but referees we must treat like a creature on the brink of extinction, a rare and delicate orchid, a distant cousin of the dodo, a priceless piece of artwork, a newborn baby, a precious jewel, a feint-hearted wallflower, an all powerful Demi-God, the holy grail, a Tranmere trophy (a rare commodity indeed!).
spot on
And as video technology is used to punish players retrospectively, could this not be used to enlighten and educate referees. They pick up their coats and walk out of the door without a backward glance. I bow down to that even rarer breed of referee who apologises for their errors; these are the ones we should be protecting and promoting as their self-reflection is laudable. We could set up the RSPR to protect their breeding grounds and watch them from rickety platforms (most non-league stadia already equipped for this). A big push to increase their numbers would benefit our environment and a purge on the rogue, non indigenous grey referee, would help them to prosper.
"Refuse to lower your standards to accommodate those who refuse to raise theirs".
Phil65 On the subject of referees (again!) it's not necessarily that they make mistakes that bothers me (we are all human and will err) it's the lack of recognition and lack of accountability. No company would continue to employ a person who did not firstly recognise errors and then try to minimise the occurrences of such errors. They're all made of Teflon. We're okay player and manager bashing but referees we must treat like a creature on the brink of extinction, a rare and delicate orchid, a distant cousin of the dodo, a priceless piece of artwork, a newborn baby, a precious jewel, a feint-hearted wallflower, an all powerful Demi-God, the holy grail, a Tranmere trophy (a rare commodity indeed!).
Phil65 it's the lack of recognition and lack of accountability. No company would continue to employ a person who did not firstly recognise errors and then try to minimise the occurrences of such errors.
Sadly I have to disagree with this bit because of the bullying I am aware of in at least two places.
Phil65 On the subject of referees (again!) it's not necessarily that they make mistakes that bothers me (we are all human and will err) it's the lack of recognition and lack of accountability. No company would continue to employ a person who did not firstly recognise errors and then try to minimise the occurrences of such errors. They're all made of Teflon. We're okay player and manager bashing but referees we must treat like a creature on the brink of extinction, a rare and delicate orchid, a distant cousin of the dodo, a priceless piece of artwork, a newborn baby, a precious jewel, a feint-hearted wallflower, an all powerful Demi-God, the holy grail, a Tranmere trophy (a rare commodity indeed!).
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