Tranmere v Swindon pre match chat and match day thread

[TheDukeOfBanbury]

My view on where we are… January shafted us. We had a great opportunity for an unexpected chance at promotion come the turn of the new year. We then lost our most attacking outlet (KKH) and our 2nd top goalscorer, as well as our best player (Payne) being injured. People say we’re now underperforming but who in the current squad is actually L1 standard? I’d say probably JJ and Payne. People could argue Williams but I haven’t actually been massively impressed with him, blows quite hot and cold. We have a back 5 who’ve hardly played a professional game between them and haven’t got a recognised experienced striker, for me that’s a squad that’s not good enough to get promoted. I wouldn’t mind for the rest of the season giving minutes to Aguir, Dabre and Parsons as for me the squad is now miles off top 3 and not good enough for top 7.

Agree - mid season rebuild.
Got relatively lucky first half of the season with not many injuries.

Now exploiting lack of depth and lack of game time.

One eye for me now on the pre season where I am expecting a different approach from the Board - no excuses.

[Quagmire]

Hopefully short term.

Duke you go home and away most weeks, and I respect your opinion but I do not for the life of me see how you can rate Conroy so highly. He’s been poor for weeks, can barely move due to his injuries and makes a mistake a game.
Who would you drop from the back 3 to fit him in?

[Crackity Jones]

Agree with the points raised by DoB and JoeMezz.

What was a strength early on in the season, our central midfield of Payne, Reed and the Gladwin/Williams job share backed up by Lyden, East and Grant is now a massive weakness through injury (Payne/Lyden and now Williams), stupidity (Reed sending off and the decision to sell Grant) and seeming loss of confidence in East. Consequently, the defence have nowhere to play the ball because there is nothing in front of them.

The season is going to peter out as far as I am concerned. Until we get at least Payne and Reed back, plan A isn't going to work. Even with them back I am not convinced we have the personnel to change it much anyway so there won't be a plan B or C, just tweaks.  One thing Garner can do is stamp out the pathetic diving  and dissent.

[Peter Venkman]

One thing Garner can do is stamp out the pathetic diving  and dissent.

This annoys the fuck out of me, Williams, McKirdy, JML and previously KKH and Payne all seem to dive to the ground under the slightest challenge, often in a great position too.

The dissent needs stamping out too as it will cost us players as the season progresses and bookings build up.

[JoeMezz]

Agree - mid season rebuild.
Got relatively lucky first half of the season with not many injuries.

Now exploiting lack of depth and lack of game time.

One eye for me now on the pre season where I am expecting a different approach from the Board - no excuses.

Will we still be debt free in the summer? I know the embargo will be lifted but I presume we’ll still be trying to pay off debt…

[Robinz]

Clem Morfuni must  realise and understand the Honeymoon period is all but over.
That said he must be able to see the loyal support the club can expect from STFC winning more than losing
Now Clem, don't do a Power. Continue the good work shown to date. Try and get some genuine Investors if you don't have the funds yourself and just possibly its not to late to right this season off just yet
Over to you Clem

[Shrivvy Road]

I really want Garner to succeed, when we get it right we are very good but teams have now sussed us out and we do not look like we have the answer at all.

The experienced players are really letting us down at the moment tbh and need to start setting a better example as well. The players we have available to us means we can't play the system we keep insisting on playing so he has to change the style or at least formation. Why we play 2 wing wacks with hunt is a real mind fuck for me it just defeats the object.

Probably get pelters for this but we absolutely bottled last night from the 1st minute when they hit a few players and Williams could not get off the pitch quick enough.

Finally imagine Ryan East sat on the bench knowing our midfield is depleted like that and not getting a start and then seeing Mitchel lawson and the other lad coming on for him instead. Really strange subs  

[Pookemon]

Duke you go home and away most weeks, and I respect your opinion but I do not for the life of me see how you can rate Conroy so highly. He’s been poor for weeks, can barely move due to his injuries and makes a mistake a game.
Who would you drop from the back 3 to fit him in?

On yesterday's showing none of them have exactly cemented their place.   Conroy needs to get fully fit, but I think the whole back line is suffering with a lack of confidence and experience.   The mistakes yesterday were just as bad as any others made this season, so doesn't matter who we play, the soft goals will continue until we change the high risk approach that we currently employ.

[DiV]

I really want Garner to succeed, when we get it right we are very good but teams have now sussed us out and we do not look like we have the answer at all.

The experienced players are really letting us down at the moment tbh and need to start setting a better example as well. The players we have available to us means we can't play the system we keep insisting on playing so he has to change the style or at least formation. Why we play 2 wing wacks with hunt is a real mind fuck for me it just defeats the object.

Probably get pelters for this but we absolutely bottled last night from the 1st minute when they hit a few players and Williams could not get off the pitch quick enough.

Finally imagine Ryan East sat on the bench knowing our midfield is depleted like that and not getting a start and then seeing Mitchel lawson and the other lad coming on for him instead. Really strange subs 

Yeah I think the general consensus is less ‘Garner Out’ and more ‘Garner please improve’

The club wanted to go in a certain direction and Garner is good for that. We just need to put more focus on winning than style.

As I’ve said before the whole world of STFC isn’t going to cave it if we play ugly for 15 minutes to see a game out. Club aren’t going to refused to loan us players because we play ugly for 15 minutes to win.

[TheDukeOfBanbury]

Duke you go home and away most weeks, and I respect your opinion but I do not for the life of me see how you can rate Conroy so highly. He’s been poor for weeks, can barely move due to his injuries and makes a mistake a game.
Who would you drop from the back 3 to fit him in?

Tough call but would have him at the Centre of defence. Best passer of the ball at the back.
O’Brien and Cooper either side, but would it be fair dropping AK probably not.
Cooper looked a little of the pace last last, but again no real issues.
Made me smile mind, got punished last night, dreadful error if that would have been Conroy I think you would agree there would have been a monumental meltdown.

Still don’t believe our biggest issue though is our defence, some may disagree.
Our midfield and front line for me. No depth and massive voids lacking and we haven’t recruited to fill.

[TheDukeOfBanbury]

This annoys the fuck out of me, Williams, McKirdy, JML and previously KKH and Payne all seem to dive to the ground under the slightest challenge, often in a great position too.

The dissent needs stamping out too as it will cost us players as the season progresses and bookings build up.

Is it not linked to some frustration coming form the touchline?

[Nemo]

Made me smile mind, got punished last night, dreadful error if that would have been Conroy I think you would agree there would have been a monumental meltdown.

You're not wrong here at all, but I don't think it's particularly unreasonable to have different expectations from the 26 year-old club captain who has been at the club for five years (admittedly with long term injuries) and played 100 games to a 22 year-old loanee playing his second game for the club.

Perhaps it isn't fair, but on paper Conroy should be in the top three players at the club (with Payne + Williams), and crucial to the way we play. He's not been half as bad as people make out, but he also wouldn't be in the conversation for player of the season at the moment. I think a lot of the frustration comes from feeling that he could and should be better than he's shown this season.

[Arriba]

We badly lack width and don't score from crosses/set prices enough. I won't single players out but our right side offers next to nothing going forwards in recent games. Left side marginally better. I think at league 2 level you do need to force errors by getting the ball into danger areas. You can't pass your way through all the time. The lack of options for the defenders who have the ball and are looking to give it is so obvious. They're looking to give it and there's little on.

[4D]

Scunny won their match last night, against Walsall, with only 10 men from the 53rd minute, with A Grant making the most tackles on the pitch 

[Bob's Orange]

Things haven't felt quite right on the pitch for some time now. There are obvious factors that haven't helped, losing KKH and Simpson have been absolutely critical in my eyes. KKH wasn't amazing, or even that consistent but his pace and trickery on the right gave defenders something to think about. Rob Hunt is a capable Right back, but he's never going to burst past players and so is really easy to defend against as he's going to have to cut back and play the ball backwards. McKirdy and Simpson had formed a superb partnership and having to replace Simpson with what looks like a not particularly fit Davison has totally hampered things. McKirdy now is a shadow of the player he was.

The centre backs we have now are all composed ball playing defenders but unfortunately given the whole side is hugely lacking in confidence, are making mistakes game after game. Cooper was culpable on Saturday for Exeter's second goal and his mistake after 5 minutes last night was criminal also. We had been lucky with injuries first half of the season but that luck appears to have run out with Conroy, Lyden, Payne and now Williams injured. (and Reed's senseless suspension) We don't have a very big squad at all so these injuries have affected us hugely. Jack Payne for me has been massively missed.

The next 3 games are huge for Garner. We got absolutely schooled last night by a team that just got the basics right. The way we play is much more complex and when we get it wrong, it looks awful. I think if we don't pick up at least 7 points from the next 3 Garner is going to be in trouble. That said, Clem sees this as a long term project and unless he loses every game from now I don't think he'll be doing any sacking soon.