January - what do we need from the past
By Harry Hagyard
January 2 2023
Imagine you had a time machine. Is there a player from the past you would add to the current team? A goalie, a defender a midfielder and a striker? Not an easy question to answer and it's not like we're in a position to, or even need to, fill all those positions. Our defence is arguably strong enough at the moment. Still, play the game.
Ross Doohan is a reasonably good keeper. Not the best in Tranmere's history but he is quite young still. Rumour has it he may be back off to Scotland soon. I am reasonably confident that Mat Hewelt could provide adequate cover, he seems like a player who would easily fit. However, if I had to pick a keeper from the past, one that might actually make a difference at this level. I would go for Eric Nixon, who played in all four divisions in one season. The former Man City stopper would easily fit in with the current squad. A no brainier.
in defence it gets harder. Our first choice back four are pretty solid. Davies and Turnbull have built a strong central partnership. Dacres-Cogley and Ethan Bristow also do reasonably well, with Ethan having developed well over the first half of the season. I would be tempted to bring in a John McGreal type defender. However, this team lacks character at the back. Therefore there has to be one player at the top of my list. We need the drive and majesty of Dave Higgins.
Midfiled is where the current squad start to have some challenges. It's not that players are bad, it's just that they rarely seem to be good at the same time as each other. Hawkes has been a model of inconsistency. Morris, from my perspective, is still struggling post injury. Merrie is developing, and has made some great contributions, but he isn't quite there and O'Connor drifts out of games too often. We have had some great players in the middle of the park. It's tempting to think that a Johnny Morrisey or Pat Nevin are the answer, but I think not. I would go for Kenny Irons. Great work rate and he might deliver the stability we need in the middle of the park.
Finally, the forwards. Let's be honest, strikers are only as good as the service they get and all our front men have been feeding off scraps. They haven't been able to show us what they are really made of. The exception is Hemmings. He has had plenty of chances and misses them far too often. I know that people have criticised Nevitt, he is raw, but his work rate is good. As for Joel Mumbongo? There isn't enough evidence to suggest that he will be anything more than a player with a walk on role. Now, there are some obvious additions from the past. However, I don't think we need Ian Muir or John Aldridge. Ian Hume would be a good addition but I am going to go for someone with a bit more physical presence. Wayne Allison. Chief would add something that is missing up front, not least of which is leadership, but also power in the air.
Thing is, none of this lot are available. Higgy, for example, is recovering from a hip replacement operation, having been kicked and bruised too many times for the cause. Wayne is now 54, so he's going to be a bit slow. Kenny Irons kept on playing until relatively recently, but has now hung up his boots for good. We can but dream, and hope that by February 1st we have additions to the squad that move us forward.
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Eric Nixon
Danny Coyne
Dave Higgy
Steve Vickers
Ian Nolan
Goody
Kenny Irons
Neil McNab
Jase Koumas
Ian Muir
Aldo
Jim Steel
Norwood
Cook
Quote:Bored rover
Doohan hasnt progressed Id play Hewslet
Considering Tranmere don't have someone called that, I think picking an imaginary keeper would be worse than using a real one
.Then I ate his Liver.......... with some baked beans and a can of coke.
Quote:Matt34Quote:Bored rover
Doohan hasnt progressed Id play Hewslet
Considering Tranmere don't have someone called that, I think picking an imaginary keeper would be worse than using a real one