Interview with an Opposition Fan

[ste1987]

Interview with an Opposition Fan

#P - Tranmere Rovers

 

Welcome to this week’s edition of Interview with an Opposition Fan. Each week, myself and Razza699 scour for opposition fans to answer the questions we put toward them in the build up to the subsequent fixture.

 

In our first game of the Christmas period, Latics play Tranmere at home on Boxing Day (hopefully...). As such, we found some Super Whites to answer a selection of our questions...

 

1) Earlier this season, John Barnes was sacked after a short spell in charge, with Les Parry holding the reigns at present. What are your opinions of Parry and what is his general style of play? Should Barnes have been given longer?

- Barnes had to go. Not only were we getting beaten every week, but we were getting comprehensively beaten. It wasn't just a case of a few missed chances and individual errors; it was rotten throughout. The tactics beggared belief at times. Parry has finally tightened the team up and turned us into a hard working, disciplined unit. The lads are starting to play really well and giving the supporters something to shout about at last.

- When Les first stepped in he stopped the rot in us conceding so many goals and we became a little harder to beat but we still weren't winning games although the passion was back in the side. We have now won our last 3 home games comfortably and are through to the third round of the FA Cup so there has been a massive improvement and everyone seems optimistic that we'll stay up now. As for Barnes he should have been sacked weeks before he was.

- Hard to beat, compact and organised. Barnes=NO!

- Les has immediately made the defence more formidable and it's shown. We haven't conceded half as many as we did when Barnes was in charge. Les has got the confidence back in the players and our strikers are now beginning to score. Personally, i don't think Barnes should have been given more time. He and McAteer complained about very little money, but 'no player was a bad player' in Barnes's eyes so no money should be easy to work with!

- Les has gone ‘back to basics’ since taking over, trying to get the simple things right before doing anything too fancy. He set about tightening up the country’s leakiest defence, conceding only once from open play in his first 3 games in charge. He also switched to a 4-3-3, which seems to have added support and cover up and down the pitch, where there were gaping holes under Barnes. Should Barnes have been given longer? Probably not. While we had brief spells of looking like a good team, we were found out very early by many teams and distinctly lacked a ‘Plan B’. He lost the fans after blaming 17-year-old stopper Joe Collister (wrongly) for a defeat and from then on set about blaming everyone but himself and moaning about the budget (the same budget he’d said he was happy with at the beginning). Under Barnes we looked doomed – at least now he’s gone we’re in with a fighting chance!

 

2) Have you made any signings to your squad this season so far? If so, how have they been?

- Plenty, though it's been a mixed bag. Some have been absolute duds, Ricketts (sure you'll know as well as we do just how hopelessly unfit he is), Seb Carole and Kithson Bain stick out. Marlon Broomes has been largely poor in defence. Paul McLaren was re-signed and has been very disapointing. Alan Mahon's signature was much coveted in the summer and the Rovers fans were delighted to see him back at Prenton Park. However he hasn't quite got started yet. Zoumana Bakayogo was unattached and has done a sterling job at left back, though who knows how long we can keep hold of him. Luke Daniels is a good young goalkeeper. Shay Logan is improving at right back as is John Welsh in midfield.

- We lost the core of our team last season and it's fair to say we have replaced them with lesser quality. Our better signings have been our keeper Luke Daniels, Shay Logan on loan from Man City, Zouma Bakayogo who's out of contract in January, John Welsh and youngsters Ash Taylor, Craig Curran and Terry Gornell are improving all the time. Many of us were delighted to see the return of Alan Mahon and Paul McLaren but both have been majorly disappointing. Barnes made some joke signings such as Ricketts, Bain and Carole too.

- Bain still unknown, Ricketts shows flashes of quality, but not enough, still seems to lack fitness and I don't think he wants it mentally. Bakayogo is promising, very pacy but I doubt we'll see him beyond New Year.

- We've made quite a few. Barnes signed some wasters such as Ricketts(all know about him to Oldham don't you), Kitson Bain, failed to make an impact in his few games despite Barnes saying he'd set the league alight, now gone to Kettering. Paul McLaren, second spell at the club, not done much. Seb Carole, playe dunder Barnes but since hasn't made an appearance under Les. Marlon Broomes starting to find his feet after a shaky start. Daniels, Logan, Welsh and Bakayogo have been the best signing, all making some top notch performances.

- ‘Keeper Luke Daniels has been outstanding – even during Barnes’ reign – and will be one of the keys to us staying up. John Welsh is slowly finding his feet and turning into a key player, while left-back Zoumana Bakayogo has become something of a cult hero during his brief spell with us.

 

3) Last season, you finished 7th in League One. After a dodgy start, do you think you will survive the drop?

- The hope exists now. Under Barnes we'd all but given up. However we're showing signs that we're capable of survival now. The resilient 3-3 draw at Huddersfield and convincing home wins over Southend, Brentford and Bristol Rovers were all great results. I think if we can keep this team together and perhaps do a bit of wheeling and dealing in January we'll have a decent chance of staying in League One.

- Les says if we can continue to win our home games and pick up bits away from home we'll fine. I'm fairly confident we can.

- If we do, then our home form would be most likely behind it, though we still have some of the bigger sides to visit.

- I think we will, yes.

- I think we will. We look like picking up points where we didn’t before and there are probably 4 worse teams than us at the moment, however we have to start turning good performances into points! If we do that, we will be fine.

 

4) Are there any teams in particular you are looking forward to playing?

- The double header against your good selves should be interesting. The last day of the season at Stockport could be a massive day as well. I'd like to think we'd be safe by then but chances are it's going to go right to the wire.

- I'm looking forward to this game massively but other than that unless we get Man Utd, Chelsea or Arsenal in the FA Cup not particularly.

- Oldham obviously, but the sides towards the bottom end, and maybe Hudders at home.

- Not really, I look forward to playing any team.

- Apart from Oldham, obviously, after an intriguing game at the Galpharm and the return of our former captain, I’m looking forward to the visit of Huddersfield. We also have Wolves in the third round of the cup which will be interesting.

 

5) What tactics are you likely to employ and have played with this season?

- We operate with a combative 4-3-3. It's worked well recently, and is as useful defending as it is going forward. Under MC Barnes we played with a hopeless 4-4-2. The centre mids played on top of the centre backs and the wingers played in central midfield. Horrible.

- Les seems to always go for the 4-3-3. I imagine it will be the same again.

- Under Barnes, play around the back, then bomb forward like loons. Under Parry, we're more back to basics, 4-3-3, composed but no nonsense, no frills.

- 4-3-3, been like that under Les, Barnes played a formation only he could describe.

- Under Les has seen a 4-3-3 deployed, with the strikers pressurising the opposition defence, but also dropping back to support the midfield. Les has also made good use of our full-backs, so expect to see Bakayogo and Logan bombing down the wings and whipping balls in.

 

6) Tranmere have earned 20 points so far this season, finding themselves in 22nd place. What are Tranmere’s strengths and weakness both on and off the pitch?

- Strengths I'd say are the togetherness and team spirit that Parry and his coaching team have developed. The lads are playing for the shirt at the moment which is a joy to see. Quality wise it's not always there but they're working incredibly hard which is all us paying fans can ask. Our weaknesses are borne out of financial difficulties. The club is really down to the bare bones and we're almost as skint as we've ever been. There were job cuts across the club in the summer. This coupled with the costly error appointing Digger and Trigger means that the squad is paper thin and there's little hope of bringing in any new bodies unless current squad members are shipped out. I somehow can't see anyone coming in for Michael Ricketts anytime soon though.

- Barnes failed to get the best out of any of his players. Now we are beginning to see the strengths in our team but at the same time which of our players are just genuinely poor. I'd say we have a decent first 11 but very little depth.

- We're harder to beat now as under Barnes, we left ourselves too open to any attacks due to his style of play. The 4-3-3 also helped bring some stability and familiarity to the side.

- Our defence has been pretty formidable of late. Our midfield is starting to find its feet, and our strikers are starting to score. I feel we lack height on the pitch but for a small team we're quite a strong bunch.

- Strengths: Team spirit – restored under Les; Work ethic – most players are giving 100% and the hard work is beginning to pay off. Weaknesses: The back line – much improved, but still looks shaky at times as Broomes is still questioned and Logan often caught out of position; Taking chances – while our forwards are playing well, we’re still not scoring as many as we should be.

 

7) Who is Tranmere’s key player who we should look out for ahead of Saturday’s fixture and for the rest of the season?

- Toughy, but I'd probably go for young striker Terry Gornell. It's refreshing to see a young striker with so much intelligence and guile. He's not the biggest but he leads the line very well and is always sniffing for goals. The new Chris Greenacre I dare say.

- Zouma Bakayogo is probably our best player at the moment. A left back who was a free agent at the start of the season who not many of us knew anything about but he's come in and been MOTM on many occasions since making his debut in October. He's out on contract in January sadly though and Les has admitted himself we may struggle to keep hold of him. Young Craig Curran is finding his feet after a slow start to the season too.

- No one player really stands out, as different players have come to the fore in different games, it's been very much a team effort. Ash Taylor has come through the Youth side and has made an impact in the first team, Welsh has finally started to come good, and Edds has been Mr Reliable for us. The defence is starting to get back to some normality with Logan, Broomes, Goodison and Bakayogo.

- Zoumana Bakayogo and John Welsh.

- Gareth Edds. He has shown what a run in the side can do as he has built on last season to become our key man. He is good at getting back and covering, but also going forward and helping to create chances – as well as chipping in with the odd goal. The combination of Terry Gornell and Craig Curran will also be crucial. They are getting a run in the team together and looking more and more of a threat as time goes on.

 

8) Who do you think will win League One this season? Any outsiders or surprises?

- Dirty Leeds of course. Charlton second and Hudders to sneak in through the play-offs.

- Leeds will walk the league without a doubt and I can see either Bristol Rovers or Swindon making the play offs.

- No surprises really, it's Leeds' to lose now, if anyone wins then I can't see past Charlton and Norwich.

- Leeds for me, just think they’re a class apart from most team in this division.

- It’s hard to see past Leeds as winners. Simon Grayson has got them playing well and as a team rather than 11 individuals. I tipped Huddersfield at the start of the season, but I think Norwich may pip them to the second automatic place.

 

9) How do you think Oldham will do this season?

- Got to say I'm surprised to you're so low down with what looks a competitive team on paper. I think you'll pick up a bit when the injured players return, maybe getting twelfth if you're lucky.

- I took note of the players you signed in the summer and thought you had a very good squad and more than enough depth for a playoff push so I'm surprised you've struggled to be honest. Do you just have the wrong manager? I'd say probably the same as us and you have more than a decent enough side to avoid the drop.

- Mid table, basically where you are now, no higher than 15th.

- Bottom 6.

- I think mid-table obscurity beckons this season. I rate Dave Penney, but by the looks of things it hasn’t quite gelled yet. I don’t think you’re in any danger of going down though.

 

10) And finally, what score do you think the game will be on Saturday?

- 1-2 the Rovers. We're due an away win in the league and I think the lads will be fired up for this one.

- If it's on, 2-1 Tranmere.

- Living in Oldham, the score will be P-P.

- 1-1.

- I think it will be a close game, decided by the odd-goal, so being optimistic I’ll go for a 2-1 Rovers win.

 

 

Many thanks to those Tranmere fans who answered our questions. It seems the majority think they will get out of their present league position with the consensus being they will scrape a narrow win against us on Saturday. But can latics make it 7 points out of their last 3 games?...

[opinions4u]

Michael Ricketts.

 

What a waste of what should be a decent player.

[StonedRoses]

Michael Ricketts.

 

What a waste of what should be a decent player.

 

What a waste of a person, you where meant to say.