Match Discussion: Altrincham (A)
By Deadly Submarine
August 27 2015
A place for fans of both Rovers and Altrincham to discuss Saturday afternoon's upcoming National League match at Moss Lane in the first of two Bank Holiday weekend matches for Rovers......
Following Saturday afternoon's 2-0 home defeat to Boreham Wood, our match discussion thread returns once again as Rovers prepare for the first of two Bank Holiday weekend matches as they travel to Moss Lane to face Altrincham in a League match for the very first time. Tranmere are of course going into the game looking to bounce back from the perhaps surprising home defeat to Boreham Wood last weekend.
Whether you are unable to make the game for any reason, or even if you are attending, this is the place to discuss all the pre-match build up including team line-up and score predictions, events during the match itself and all the post match fall-out and analysis. The thread is open to fans of both sides to discuss the events surrounding the game so if you haven't got a Message Forum accounts yet then why not sign up now?

Tranmere travel to Moss Lane on Saturday for a League match for the first time ever
During the game, Total Tranmere will also be providing Live score updates from Moss Lane via our Facebook and Twitter accounts so if you don't already do so, why not follow us why not do it right now so you don't forget later! Just click on the two links above to go to our Social Media accounts.
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015:08:30:18:38:54 by Deadly Submarine.
Play well and get a result everyone will be happy again.
Play well and get beat, the fans will look at the positives.
Play poorly and win, we'll consider ourselves lucky.
Play poorly and lose, let's not go there.
For me, I think a polished 2-0 win
I won't wake up on Sunday morning and feel bad cos we didn't play well. I'll wake up happy to recall that we got another important three points!
Quote:Deadly Submarine
Call me whatever but I don't care about the performance if we win at all!
I won't wake up on Sunday morning and feel bad cos we didn't play well. I'll wake up happy to recall that we got another important three points!
+1.
Every ball is a white ball............TRFC
Anyone remember Wigan away in the King era when we were doing well?
It was a rainy midweek game and the away end was a grassy bank. TRFC were rubbish that night and the SWA was moaning at JK to make subs. What happened next.....
5 minutes from time, Muir was played in by Harvey (I think) and scored. Cue scenes of delirium from the SWA and three points came back to Birkenhead.
The point I am making is that the game was rubbish and there was only one bit of genuine quality all game, but we went home happy because of the win.
I am so guilty of over analysis that I am going to remember this memory all season to keep my feet on the ground.
2-1 to TRFC today.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015:08:29:09:51:47 by Kenny_Crons.
Honeymoon period over for brabin
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015:08:29:15:55:55 by Hollins.
Quote:sparky100
For those that thought this league would be a breeze then the last two weeks has prooved it will be a hurricane! Time to stop working out how many points we need for promotion, how many do we need to avoid the drop......again! Utter shambles, clueless and these are meant to be the better players in this league. Find some part timers with a bit of bottle and sign them up. They can't do any worse then this lot. Oh and by the way I refrained from booing during the game, but by God it was hard not to.
Spot on mate
We are in a new league with new players a new manager and only 6 GAMES in yes thats SIX , not even out the first month of the season.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015:08:29:17:46:37 by Higgosboots.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015:08:29:18:11:17 by Higgosboots.
We were slow to get going first half (in fact we didn't get going at all to be honest but second half we were the better side and the positives were that the new guy Jackson looked tremendous and Mekki certainly looked much more promising.
Holness'performance today was an absolute embarrassment and despite being 100% behind Brabin I will be shocked if he plays again on Monday.
As some users on here said would happen today was Altrincham's Cup Final just like it was for Boreham Wood and that is something that Brabin and his staff have to get to grips with and sort out pretty quickly.
Credit also to Stockton who had a frustrating game but still contributed far more than Margetts in holding up the ball and trying to get other players involved.. the result? Stockton jeered off and nothing for Margetts!
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015:08:29:18:24:04 by Deadly Submarine.
Bury have signed Tom Pope & Leon Clarke and already have Danny Rose so even a fully fit RL is going to find it hard to regain his place.
He would score goals for us but, I believe the majority of fans would still be against it.
Quote:Higgosboots
I understand what you say about cup finals Deadly however we should be good enough to deal with that, we are not the only "big" side in a division. It's the tactics that baffle me, we've signed a few pacy strikers with good form, Maynard looks a big athletic lad who can run and Harris is relitivley quick, we should be going out with a formation that looks to blow the opposition away, run at people and play at pace, we are one of the few full time teams in the division so our fitness levels should be more than upto a high tempo game. Haven't been to a game for two weeks but against Halifax we only looked dangerous when the two lads up front ran at people and they looked more than happy to run at people.
Fair enough but compared to other sides in the division I guess we are new to it. Not trying to make too many excuses but that's the way I see it anyway!
Mangan looked much more lively than Margetts (and Stockton) when he came on. Whether he was rested to avoid his seemingly regular injury problems previously in his career I don't know but based on that sub performance he starts on Monday!
I was also thinking about the apparent 3-5-2 formation and wondered if that was purely done to accommodate Maynard more centrally without dropping Harris or Jennings? Or was it totally tactical and accommodating Maynard was a bonus?
Quote:Deadly SubmarineQuote:Higgosboots
I understand what you say about cup finals Deadly however we should be good enough to deal with that, we are not the only "big" side in a division. It's the tactics that baffle me, we've signed a few pacy strikers with good form, Maynard looks a big athletic lad who can run and Harris is relitivley quick, we should be going out with a formation that looks to blow the opposition away, run at people and play at pace, we are one of the few full time teams in the division so our fitness levels should be more than upto a high tempo game. Haven't been to a game for two weeks but against Halifax we only looked dangerous when the two lads up front ran at people and they looked more than happy to run at people.
Fair enough but compared to other sides in the division I guess we are new to it. Not trying to make too many excuses but that's the way I see it anyway!
Mangan looked much more lively than Margetts (and Stockton) when he came on. Whether he was rested to avoid his seemingly regular injury problems previously in his career I don't know but based on that sub performance he starts on Monday!
I was also thinking about the apparent 3-5-2 formation and wondered if that was purely done to accommodate Maynard more centrally without dropping Harris or Jennings? Or was it totally tactical and accommodating Maynard was a bonus?
Couldn't comment on today as I wasn't there, but he looked good against Halifax, I'm happy with 5 3 2 as a formation s long as we play it the John King way! I think the players are good enough to, we need to cement a play off place, anything else is a bonus!
If we play 4-4-2 then I think we will be fine.
As posted previously IMO the problem has been the formation and players, Lois Maynard in particular, playing out of position. We have now signed Marlon Jackson a wide player and with Mekki now involved, we do have more options.
Unfortunately, until all players give 100% commitment and effort from the first whistle to the last, we are going to struggle against teams who have those qualities in abundance.
Even Bristol Rovers (First Team in 10 seasons to go straight back up) only took 1 point from the first 3 games but, then went 22 games unbeaten.
There is still a long way to go, naturally people are upset at two losses on the bounce but, the team is still work in progress and GB deserves more time to get things right.
Quote:Jack of all Trades
To even suggest GB position is under threat after 6 games is quite frankly absurd.
As posted previously IMO the problem has been the formation and players, Lois Maynard in particular, playing out of position. We have now signed Marlon Jackson a wide player and with Mekki now involved, we do have more options.
Unfortunately, until all players give 100% commitment and effort from the first whistle to the last, we are going to struggle against teams who have those qualities in abundance.
Even Bristol Rovers (First Team in 10 seasons to go straight back up) only took 1 point from the first 3 games but, then went 22 games unbeaten.
There is still a long way to go, naturally people are upset at two losses on the bounce but, the team is still work in progress and GB deserves more time to get things right.
Well said indeed Jack!
Quote:Jack of all Trades
To even suggest GB position is under threat after 6 games is quite frankly absurd.
As posted previously IMO the problem has been the formation and players, Lois Maynard in particular, playing out of position. We have now signed Marlon Jackson a wide player and with Mekki now involved, we do have more options.
Unfortunately, until all players give 100% commitment and effort from the first whistle to the last, we are going to struggle against teams who have those qualities in abundance.
Even Bristol Rovers (First Team in 10 seasons to go straight back up) only took 1 point from the first 3 games but, then went 22 games unbeaten.
There is still a long way to go, naturally people are upset at two losses on the bounce but, the team is still work in progress and GB deserves more time to get things right.
Just my opinion that he may be under threat, Personally I have been quite impressed with him, and the signings, nor do I think we won't go up just can't see it being as Champs, merely relaying what I have heard to which my first reaction was who would replace him, I just wouldn't be surprised if he went is all. Forest Green as we all know are being bankrolled and if we or any other team for that matter wanted to win the league we had to stay in touch early on, as with BR last year those early jitters cost them Barnet were to far ahead to catch & Forest Green won't stutter.
Also if the players & formation is wrong well correct me if I'm wrong in saying that's the managers department who had a whole pre season to get wide men in!
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015:08:29:18:57:34 by Higgosboots.
Didn't even raise a wry smile when we scored!! Alty manager permanently on the sideline shouting instructions whilst all Brabin did was whinge at the officials instead of getting a grip of his substandard players!!
As has been stated elsewhere there is still money available to strengthen the squad and Marlon Jackson may not be the only one brought in.
It just seems to me people are expecting miracles from day one and whilst the start has been far from perfect, it is a step in the right direction.
In a previous post, I stated Mark & Nicola deserved a minimum of three years before fans judge their tenure to be successful or otherwise. Unfortunately, on the playing side GB appears to have considerably less of a honeymoon period.
Quote:Jack of all Trades
As I said Higgosboots the team is work in progress, yes you are quite correct they are GB selections having begun from scratch to assemble a squad from the previous shambles.
As has been stated elsewhere there is still money available to strengthen the squad and Marlon Jackson may not be the only one brought in.
It just seems to me people are expecting miracles from day one and whilst the start has been far from perfect, it is a step in the right direction.
In a previous post, I stated Mark & Nicola deserved a minimum of three years before fans judge their tenure to be successful or otherwise. Unfortunately, on the playing side GB appears to have considerably less of a honeymoon period.
I do think people expected we would walk, I wasn't one of those myself but I did expect more from a team that in this league is a well paid team, we no longer have the excuses of not enough cash. I would like to see more urgency in our game and that comes from tactics, I feel,the team set up is all about not conceding or dominating play, which is fine but it has to be dominated in the right areas. I wonder if there is an expectation amongst players that we will walk it?
We fundamentally are allowed to criticise our team as fans of the club, and it is not inconceivable that our problems are down to managerial errors.
However, as with everything in life, context needs to be applied. Time has to be given so Gary has a chance to bed in players and settle his formation. But at the back of his mind and ours are results and performances. These things matter.
But whatever anyone feels about the situation, targeting individual players is unacceptable and counter-productive.
The ten game mark is a good yardstick because there is still time to make changes if they are needed, yet a lot of football has been played.
Maybe we should reserve judgement until then??
Quote:hong kong rover
for those that were at the game today, what was the reasoning behind the double striker substitutions mid way through the 2nd half. I was a tad surprised by it. assuming there were no injuries. was it that the margetts/Stockton combo wasn't working or were they not posing any real threat or was it something else?
yeh , posing no real threat although I thought Cole was the better of the two and was better than in previous games.Thought we looked better when Meki moved onto the left after the final substitution
Quote:InflatableboneQuote:hong kong rover
for those that were at the game today, what was the reasoning behind the double striker substitutions mid way through the 2nd half. I was a tad surprised by it. assuming there were no injuries. was it that the margetts/Stockton combo wasn't working or were they not posing any real threat or was it something else?
yeh , posing no real threat although I thought Cole was the better of the two and was better than in previous games.Thought we looked better when Meki moved onto the left after the final substitution
Yep I concur! Also think Stockton was the better of the two! Haven't seen Margetts have a decent game yet sadly!
Mangan was great though coming on but would probably have kept one of the others on - Stockton for me!
Quote:Hardly Irons
Our fans seriously need to get off the players backs. Some bloke heckling from the whistle, not joining in the chants and screaming abuse at Margetts every chance he could get.
Was this the guy to the right of the goal ? if so he was a total wa*k@r makes you wonder why he bothers going , feel sorry for his Missus if that's the negative@#$%&he spouts all the time.
Having said that (although he was a little way away from me) I said nothing maybe it's time we turned on these people and told them their behaviour is wrong
Seriously, I didn't understand why we played 3 at the back when the four played in previous games have by and large looked pretty solid. Why did Holness play rather than Ihiekwe[who is a centre back not right back] or Hill?
Why,when it was clear that their big animal of a striker up front,was bullying and beating Holness to the vast majority of balls,did Brabin not move Sutton or Riley to mark him instead?
I say 'animal',because that's exactly what he was,as evidenced by the incident where he tried to throttle Sutton who cried at the ref ''he's an animal you ******g d******d''The ref heard what he said,called him over,knew he[Sutton] was right and did nothing about it.
It was hard to be impressed with anybody.I thought Altrincham were worse than Borehamwood yet again we contrived to play into their hands.
Maynard was better in central midfield but it was hard to escape the thought that the defensive change was made to accommodate the captain who,particularly in the second half,seemed to miss almost every tackle .
Wasn't impressed with Mekki-thought Jackson was much better when he came on. How Blissett missed from Jackson's excellent cross about ten minutes from the end,only he knows. It looked so easy,I think most of us on here could have scored it.
And finally,I believe our sizeable minority of ***head ''fans'' were at their worst today[for details you'll have to read elsewhere]. Apparently they brought great shame on the club yet again.THEY are the only constant at the club over the past few seasons.
Quote:InflatableboneQuote:Hardly Irons
Our fans seriously need to get off the players backs. Some bloke heckling from the whistle, not joining in the chants and screaming abuse at Margetts every chance he could get.
Was this the guy to the right of the goal ? if so he was a total wa*k@r makes you wonder why he bothers going , feel sorry for his Missus if that's the negative@#$%&he spouts all the time.
Having said that (although he was a little way away from me) I said nothing maybe it's time we turned on these people and told them their behaviour is wrong
Yes! Was thinking the same. Calling Brabin a fat everything throughout, he was a portly lad himself. No need for it at all. Glad someone else spotted him.
Anyway, a great deal of work to be done and I expect that the team will look quite different by Christmas, the problem is that it will be too late by then. However, my main gripe today was with Riley...he was abysmal...has to be one of the worst I've seen and that includes both Holness and Kevin Gray. He was slow, weak as p1.5s, lacking confidence and has no ability on the ball at all! My impression was that he is playing about 3 levels out of his depth. He should never play for the club again from what I saw today...or did he just have an off day?
Early season prediction - 10th
Quote:Blue&white2015
So what were the so called fans upto in the town today?
Some of our 'fans'
A post from elsewhere:-
Probably get shot down, but couldn't give a @#$%&. The numbers were good today but the actual support and behaviour was embarrassing.
7 minutes they waited until the personal abuse started. Yes Stockton is not very good, but do you think he'll get better after abusing him 7 minutes in to the match???
Abusing the players from when Altrincham scored.
Throwing cans, lighters and coins at their keeper.
Saying you'll finger the keeper's nan.
Threatening to flatten a 60 odd year old because he told you to grow up.
Embarrassing.
Add to that jumping up and down on top of peoples cars before the game-most of them appeared to be owned by OUR fans.
Abusing our players[particularly Mangan] who had the guts and decency to applaud their ''support'' after the game
Getting every Tranmere fan banned after the game at a Hale pub because the landlady there was so disgusted at the behaviour before the game.
Need we go on?
Quote:Bocks
Early season prediction - 10th
I think they can finish higher than that, but they need to start turning this, at the moment, blip around.
Let's look at it another way, Chelsea have a huge budget, won the Premier league and have a manager used to winning with them in a league he knows inside out, but their league position right now is far from spectacular currently being worse than 2 promoted championship teams.
Tranmere may be a budget side with a manager who knows the league inside out pretty much, but he's with a team in transition and one he's not experienced before and arguably if you're a manager of a big team with players who sometimes cost £80,000+ more than some people can afford you expect a significant gulf in quality.
If you're in a league where your players might be worth £500 a week more than other peoples, you can expect them to be better, but not the point where you can expect 6-7 back to back wins and a couple of 4 or 5-0 victories.
Tranmere need to find a way of converting more of the chances, because it's two games in a row where chance are coming, but not enough are on the money and you'll struggle to win games, fluffing 70% or more of your chances.
Tranmere should be aiming for 40%-50% or more shots on target in about 70% or more of their games and then if you defend properly you'll be winning and drawing more than you lose.
People need perspective and realise 10 points from 4 games was impressive and a couple of consecutive defeats don't prove a failed season to come, but Brabin should know what needs to happen and get the players sorting themselves out.
I actually like that some of the players do videos talking about the matches, because maybe if an interviewer calls a few of them out when they're not doing it in a game, it might make them more mindful of their performances.
Then I ate his Liver.......... with some baked beans and a can of coke.
Quote:these peasants are just moronic idiots that all belong in an inhumane social underclass.Hoots MonQuote:Blue&white2015
So what were the so called fans upto in the town today?
Some of our 'fans'
A post from elsewhere:-
Probably get shot down, but couldn't give a @#$%&. The numbers were good today but the actual support and behaviour was embarrassing.
7 minutes they waited until the personal abuse started. Yes Stockton is not very good, but do you think he'll get better after abusing him 7 minutes in to the match???
Abusing the players from when Altrincham scored.
Throwing cans, lighters and coins at their keeper.
Saying you'll finger the keeper's nan.
Threatening to flatten a 60 odd year old because he told you to grow up.
Embarrassing.
Add to that jumping up and down on top of peoples cars before the game-most of them appeared to be owned by OUR fans.
Abusing our players[particularly Mangan] who had the guts and decency to applaud their ''support'' after the game
Getting every Tranmere fan banned after the game at a Hale pub because the landlady there was so disgusted at the behaviour before the game.
Need we go on?
Some of our 'fans'
A post from elsewhere:-
Probably get shot down, but couldn't give a @#$%&. The numbers were good today but the actual support and behaviour was embarrassing.
7 minutes they waited until the personal abuse started. Yes Stockton is not very good, but do you think he'll get better after abusing him 7 minutes in to the match???
Abusing the players from when Altrincham scored.
Throwing cans, lighters and coins at their keeper.
Saying you'll finger the keeper's nan.
Threatening to flatten a 60 odd year old because he told you to grow up.
Embarrassing.
Add to that jumping up and down on top of peoples cars before the game-most of them appeared to be owned by OUR fans.
Abusing our players[particularly Mangan] who had the guts and decency to applaud their ''support'' after the game
Getting every Tranmere fan banned after the game at a Hale pub because the landlady there was so disgusted at the behaviour before the game.
Need we go on?[/quot
these are total idiots
I understand disappointment particularly when performances are declining rather than improving but the team is very much a work in progess and it will take time. My own view is that we were never going to bounce back in one go because top to bottom reconstruction takes time.
Some of the current problems are down to misfortune. Norwood looked like a pivotal signing but injury has reduced his impact.He can still come good. Holness was for me quite awful last year and I have never accepted the assumption that awful in Div 2 becomes acceptable in the conference. On the other hand the manager may well have wanted to look at him in a competitive situation.
Earlier this summer I posted that most signings made on the back of pre season trials turn out to be disappointing. Mekki and Margetts may fall into this category but plenty of supporters were calling for their signing and so it is hard to criticise the management for taking a punt as such signings are always about playing the percentages and neither is on a long contract.
Football is littered with managers that made an indifferent start and went on to do well. Equally many clubs have a stumbling period even in a good season. It is far too premature to write off either the manager or team.
Every supporter is entitled to a view about the quality of the team. What I can never understand are the supporters (at least in name) at matches who revel in being loud in their criticism but who rarely shows any positive vocal support.There is a minority in football who take their pleasure in putting players and manager down. One can only assume that in their own work that they are paragons of virtue and universally admired
Quote:Hoots MonQuote:Blue&white2015
So what were the so called fans upto in the town today?
Some of our 'fans'
A post from elsewhere:-
Probably get shot down, but couldn't give a @#$%&. The numbers were good today but the actual support and behaviour was embarrassing.
7 minutes they waited until the personal abuse started. Yes Stockton is not very good, but do you think he'll get better after abusing him 7 minutes in to the match???
Abusing the players from when Altrincham scored.
Throwing cans, lighters and coins at their keeper.
Saying you'll finger the keeper's nan.
Threatening to flatten a 60 odd year old because he told you to grow up.
Embarrassing.
Add to that jumping up and down on top of peoples cars before the game-most of them appeared to be owned by OUR fans.
Abusing our players[particularly Mangan] who had the guts and decency to applaud their ''support'' after the game
Getting every Tranmere fan banned after the game at a Hale pub because the landlady there was so disgusted at the behaviour before the game.
Need we go on?
Hoots Mon
i never went to the game, but im shocked and in disbelief by what went on...absolutely shocking.....
