I hope its better to watch than it sounds listening to this commentary, its like a cure for chronic insomnia.
Some much needed entertainment from the Wirral…
you wouldn’t want to be listening to these 2 every week.
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Imagine being in the car on an away trip with them, definitely train home or find a B and B.
Sounds as though Hardy and Sincs have done better than those that started.
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It is Stewie Griffin …
0-0 full time.
Good result IMO.
Wait to hear about performances from those that were there.
For me I think Roberts will start next week.
Superb result against a team from a division higher and who are very much on the up whereas we’ve just come down. Well done Clarke and the players.
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Big positive for me is keeping a clean sheet, especially after what happened mid-week. As things stand I fully expect another 0-0 next week!! I don’t think it will happen, but I would start Hardy in front of Kinsella next week, looks/sounds like a proper footballer. Just hope Adebayo’s not injured and we get another striker in. Definitely would have taken a punt on Stevens from Peterborough.
I think he’ll start with the three old fellas at the back, the midfield three we’ve seen, plus Norman and CCM.
Its going to be a long season, and one where I think we’re going to have to be unaturaly patient.
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Good result in a proper friendly.
Draw was fair which is very encouraging. Sinclair looks a very good signing.
Defence in all its various shapes and sizes looked tight, organised and disciplined. Tranmere only really created a chance and a half. So did we but second half with Sinclair driving us, we looked the more likely. And we should have had a pen.
Bates, Guthrie, Kinsella and Sinclair give us good options in the middle of the park but we only seemed to trust ourselves to play through them after Ferrier went off and the long option taken out.
Talking of Ferrier he did ok. Looked more up for it than he did against the villa.
All told. A promising day.
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Just got back, and thought that wasn’t bad. It was after all just a friendly.
We now have a defence that is organised and had determination to put up a solid wall. Needs tweaking as not sure which is our strongest option. Midfield is creative with the right shape, but felt going forward we’re relying on mistakes and don’t seem to have the right forward line dealing with long balls today. We do need a striker who will take advantage of obvious chances.
Gordon is not a finisher, though gives 100% needs some Mr Stewart guiding. Ferrier needs to be controlled but his head ain’t at WFC. Desperate to prove something!!
Sinclair/Guthrie are the best of the bunch, the rest are young and raw. Patience and this team if DC we trust are not far off from being really good; experience counts and Kinsella , Bates and Mollett will shine. Roberts in goal looks suspect. He lacks confidence, but a few wins straight from the off will address those issues hopefully as there’s nothing in reserve. We do need a striker. Investment will pay dividends.
Adebayo, is key, all pretend Villa fans have said he’s really good and ‘bossed’ their defence.
So next week I’ll take a 1-1draw based on not knowing our tactical nouse and our strongest team.
What ever happens it’s time to get behind the team and manager and back room staff at 3.00 pm.
Could always watch Stevenage thrash Soulford fc at lunchtime !!!
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I didn’t go but in the face of it a good result away at a side now in a higher league than us. Much needed confidence for defence and goalkeeper.
A 0-0 draw should be banned in pre season.
Anyway first look today at number 10 playing right back, number 2 being a striker, thinking number 8 was Guthrie until I realised a CB was wearing it etc and confirms my suspicions.
Would be surprised if there’s too many on here bemoaning effort this season, plenty of that today with midfield lot getting around the pitch no problem and even Ferrier upfront was putting in some decent effort, holding the ball up and winning some free kicks in decent areas.
What the team dosen’t have is much creative nous at all. Of course conditions were difficult but so many times team were on the front foot but then saw many white shirts infront and just turned back and kept safe possession.
What caught my eye second half was James Hardy. Now here is a lad who can take up passes in tight areas and quickly turn. He’s got good feet and can look up and pass quickly. Maybe the feeling is he’s too raw atm to start in league football but frankly he’s the only forward thinker in the final third. I’d start him at Northampton otherwise it’s just going to be 3 centrally who’ll stay infront of back 5 and really break into box, same problem as last season.
He actually reminds me a bit of Baxendale (the good version when he first broke through in 2013).
Upfront is nothing new. Gordon worked hard but that finish from one clear chance he mishit wide sums up why even at this level he’ll probably just about reach double figures.
I’d probably sum up and say it’s a well drilled solid side in the making. However generally you set up your teams that way when you have a couple of good strikers on the books. That is missing so unless one comes in next week think there’s going to be lots of frustrating draws in first few months. Walsall will always be in games but think they’ll be a strong to score in the strong periods of the matches. The set piece taking was pretty poor today btw which was a disappointment when you’re playing 3 CBs although Tranmere did have a man mountain at the back.
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BTW was looking forward to seeing Alfie Bates play. After ten minutes I realised he had 20 on his back.
Think he’s not quite ready to start yet. Fair few times he was in possession and lost it when pressed. Of course this is against league one team with plenty of good experienced in midfield area with Perkins and one K. Morris. Impact sub in first few months.
Think Tranmere are still trying to adapt to losing James Norwood. Think them bringing on Ishmail Miller with 15 left as their back up striker is a bit worrying for them, scored two goals at Oldham last season and I’d be disappointed if Walsall had signed him! Amazed they didn’t go back in for Cook.
It’s a nice set up there. Shelter for a fan park/bar behind the main stand/ decent sized club shop and a statue for Johnny King and also rememberance underneath of fans they’ve lost.
I wish them well back in league. Yet again club who off the pitch are comfortably at least one league above the Walsall set up.
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Hardy should start at home
As others have said, the overall impression of today was how much more organised we look as a defensive unit. The flip side is that we don’t look dangerous enough going forward - only 3 maybe 4 proper chances created today (loads of good possession and got into decent positions, but not enough of it in and around the box).
The conditions helped neither side today, and the standing water that was mainly down the sides means I’m still unsure whether we’ll be better going with out and out wingers and fullbacks, or wingbacks, or even a mobile front 3 that can take it in turns to go wide. From what we’ve heard about Clarke, we will probably get all combinations at some time - maybe even all within the same game.
I don’t think Roberts did anything today for anyone to have a go at him (maybe a couple of kicks out that could have been better placed - but not in the same league as Clayton Ince!), which is also a sign of how much better protected he was by the defence compared to last year. I think some of his detractors like to focus on the one shot he’d miss in a game and ignore the 9 he saved - and that if you let the other team have 20 plus chances you are going to concede even with the world’s best keeper, which in turn is going to knock your confidence when it happens game after game. If he only has to face 3 or 4 shots he will get more clean sheets which is going to give him back that confidence and mean his stopping rate will get better still.
We have multiple options for every position in a back 3/4/5, and I guess they will all be used rather than develop into a preferred line up (many are pretty similar so not going to matter too much who actually plays). It’s going to be the system/formation(s) that are key rather than the combination of individuals delivering them. Having said that, Clarke is likely to be a frequent starter, and CCM will surely be given chance to break through.
Ditto central midfield except that the only creative option I can see that might be able to unlock a defence is Hardy. Yes Guthrie can pick a long ball every bit as good as Dobson at his best, but that tactic depends on a mobile front line to get onto them. The others are solid, break up play well, and can link up a few passes, but don’t generally produce that killer ball or drive into the box that we need to create chances (see above).
Special mention for Sinclair - he’s an amazing work horse (like Chambo when he still had the legs). Lives up to the box-to-box tag and will probably also be a frequent starter. The other 1/2/3 in the middle will depend on what specific formation we’re playing at the time - but Guthrie and Liddle on together will be rare unless we’re trying to close out the last few minutes of a game and are shutting up shop.
From what I’ve seen in pre-season, Adebayo is our best option on the front line. Gordon puts the effort in but he’s too easy to defend against and his finishing is not good enough (although again that is a confidence thing - once he gets a couple he’ll stop trying so hard and it will come more easily). I may be one of the few who hasn’t got downer on Ferrier and think he does put the effort in, but he has to be more of a team player and come up with the goods more often than get did last season. Disappointingly Candlin is 4th choice at best - more likely that Hardy or McDonald will be called on to play as a number 10 off one of the 3. If we do sign another striker then Candlin has to be shipped out on a decent loan or he might as well throw away his boots.
The interesting thing will be to see which of the many leaders DC picks to be his captain. Clarke may be favourite, but Sadler, Liddle, Guthrie and Sinclair also have what it takes.
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Thanks @AndyWTaylor 
You’re right about the set up. I was saying to @bangsection how jealous I am of clubs like Tranmere who have managed to stay in their spiritual home and maintain the character of the ground whilst also modernising.
Four very individual stands at Prenton Park too which I always like (unlike say Preston who are still at Deepdale but have built three stands out of the same Lego box).
Surprised how few Tranmere fans turned up given their recent success. Guess we’re not a big draw in pre-season on a rotten day!
I was also surprised about the police presence. Just don’t understand why it needed policing at all let alone by 12-15 of Merseyside and West Midlands finest.
They’ve already played their Villa version friendly in getting thrashed by Liverpool two weeks back and also had Stoke at home last Saturday. Oh and they’re also at home in the proper stuff next week to Rochdale.
So 4 home games within two and a bit weeks and foul Wirral weather and this is probably the most likely game to miss out…
Because believe it or not we are classed as one of the worst rated hooligans in the country, rated on how many fans we get in relation to arrests ?
The one bit of “character” they haven’t retained is the quagmires they used to have in the corners. Large patches of mud without a blade of grass - they used to cover them with green sand. 
Oh, and they no longer play all their home games on a Friday night to avoid clashing with Liverpool or Everton.
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