Match Day National League Fixtures 30th December 2017

[B2TF]

Played three of the current top four away in the last set of games and picked up four points. Played most of the current top ten away. We played yesterday with four full backs due to injury so playing for a point at Dover was a solid and well executed plan.

The morons shouting for Heath to go have shut up again (for now) this season which is a welcome silence too.

I'm not one of those that seems to think we are odds on favourites to beat Macc on NYD, Clarke will be a big miss on current form and i fear his abscence will open the door for Oliver to return. I would say that on home soil we've got a better than 50/50 chance. If only we could get Kosylo back to give them something to think about on the other side but suspect it will be a game too soon.

Don't worry they'll be back. For a few, Heath seems to have reached his use by date in record time and no amount of success will convince them, they'll always be waiting for him to stumble before stepping out of the shadows to put the boot in. We've seen it all before, over and over with every manager we've ever had. Hotte for Clark on New Years Day? Kosylo must be back any day now too.

 

[John Still]

Dagnum slightly the better side today, but for all the possession, didn't create much.

I'l take the draw.

Story of our previous three games very dominant in possession but not much to show from it. 3 home games in a week now so we really do need to show up and get back in the goals. Think we will lose against Orient like we always do.

Now outside the play offs which for me is disappointing as it is such a poor division.

 

[GuiseleySteve]

They did that at our place yesterday guiseleys 8 foot high player fell like a 2 year old when touched then sprang up like hed been touched by jesus once play was stopped.

He was so injured that he contested the drop ball that resulted from the break of play. ( lucky norburn plays for us now) .

Surely he should have been ordered to leave the field?

He did get a sly elbow off Saint Norwood to be fair

 

[r1ch1e]

Story of our previous three games very dominant in possession but not much to show from it. 3 home games in a week now so we really do need to show up and get back in the goals. Think we will lose against Orient like we always do.

Now outside the play offs which for me is disappointing as it is such a poor division.

Agree with the Ebbsfleet poster, we were the better team, but probably not by enough to warrant the win. Bloomfield looked good when he came on, hoping he gets a start on Monday

 

[RLC]

I think we are a better team now than we were at any stage last season, which is largely down to our midfield. Banks, Norburn and Jennings are all good footballers and all very forward thinking, whereas in the last couple of seasons we have always had somebody more pedestrian like Maynard or Steve Jennings in there. Some of the link-up play between those three is brilliant to watch.

Whether we can sustain these performances for another four months I don't know, but keeping hold of Banks will be key. Apparently he wants to stay here until the end of the season, so here's hoping.

 

[GuiseleySteve]

I think we are a better team now than we were at any stage last season, which is largely down to our midfield. Banks, Norburn and Jennings are all good footballers and all very forward thinking, whereas in the last couple of seasons we have always had somebody more pedestrian like Maynard or Steve Jennings in there. Some of the link-up play between those three is brilliant to watch.

Whether we can sustain these performances for another four months I don't know, but keeping hold of Banks will be key. Apparently he wants to stay here until the end of the season, so here's hoping.

Massively improved on the start of this season too, no comparison to the team that visited Nethermoor earlier and probably not a massive change in personnel. For twenty minutes in the second half yesterday it was like a tsunami complete with aftershocks with wave after wa e of slick passing and quick movement.

 

[GodsGift]

It was only a matter of time until Tranmere sorted themselves out, and despite last season's mini-rivalry I'm glad to see it happen. I'd much rather have you lot in L2 than FGR any day of the week, but I suppose that goes without saying. Good to see Macc doing so well too, I hope they can keep it up.

 

[Pablosammy]

As a Tranmere fan who has only ever seen slow decline, the praise makes me uncomfortable. Nevertheless, it's nice to be watching good football again. Even when we were pushing Lincoln towards the end of last season, it rarely felt convincing (Solihull aside!).

Watch us lose 5 in a row now... that's the normal Tranmere way. The warm, cosy comfort blanket of misery, none of this 'expectation' lark.

 

[The_Boss]

Watch us lose 5 in a row now... that's the normal Tranmere way. The warm, cosy comfort blanket of misery, none of this 'expectation' lark.

If you wouldn't mind doing that'd be lovely.

 

[GTFCfish]

As a Tranmere fan who has only ever seen slow decline, the praise makes me uncomfortable. Nevertheless, it's nice to be watching good football again. Even when we were pushing Lincoln towards the end of last season, it rarely felt convincing (Solihull aside!).

Watch us lose 5 in a row now... that's the normal Tranmere way. The warm, cosy comfort blanket of misery, none of this 'expectation' lark.

Sorry mucker but both Lincoln and ourselves had to suffer 6 seasons of this shit and this is what your 3rd season? The footballing Gods have decided that you need another 3 seasons before escaping it, enjoy.........

 

[Tranmerewhite]

Sorry mucker but both Lincoln and ourselves had to suffer 6 seasons of this shit and this is what your 3rd season? The footballing Gods have decided that you need another 3 seasons before escaping it, enjoy.........

That would be the death of our club.

We have an outstanding academy that is no longer funded by the football league. In a training facility that wouldn’t be out of place in the championship and underwritten by our chairman for this and next season. After that it will be likely closed, a symptom of how the FA is allowing the premier league to monopolise youth talent on the cheap.

 

[Blue Lion]

Sorry mucker but both Lincoln and ourselves had to suffer 6 seasons of this shit and this is what your 3rd season? The footballing Gods have decided that you need another 3 seasons before escaping it, enjoy.........

I like the sound of this six season rule. Sorry Tranmere, the title's ours

 

[Boz]

Bristol Rovers and Cheltenham didn’t do six years...

No idea whether Rovers will go up or not, but at least we’re back in contention. Think our prospects depend on keeping Banks and having someone to play wide right, be it a returning Mottley-Henry, a recovered Ben Tollitt, or another, along with avoiding last season’s glut of injuries.

 

[E10rifle]

Bristol Rovers and Cheltenham didn’t do six years...

Cheltenham are really a non league club though, to be fair. See also: Crawley, Stevenage, FGR, Barnet and three or four more in League Two. I’m not going to be happy until we’re in League One, so that’s about a decade of being miserable coming up.

 

[Mark kavanagh]

Bristol Rovers and Cheltenham didn’t do six years...

No idea whether Rovers will go up or not, but at least we’re back in contention. Think our prospects depend on keeping Banks and having someone to play wide right, be it a returning Mottley-Henry, a recovered Ben Tollitt, or another, along with avoiding last season’s glut of injuries.

According to jackson tollitt doctor has not yet signed off any form of strenthening or running. We will not see him until march

 

[Boz]

According to jackson tollitt doctor has not yet signed off any form of strenthening or running. We will not see him until march

That is bad news as the upturn in our season coincided with the introduction of width in the shape of Mottley-Henry. The other two options still apply

 

[1884 Belmont]

We won comfortably in the end but I'd caution all Rovers fans from going overboard just yet. The first half yesterday highlighted how much we could miss the width provided by Mottley-Henry and, aside from the 'offside' goal, we created very little in the opening 45 minutes.

I don't buy into the revisionist history provided by some (including Mellon) that all that is different now to the first part of the season is taking chances. At the start, we didn't create very much, played at a slow tempo and barely moved. Now, we pass and move much more effectively, play with width and create numerous chances - we've scored 18 in 5 at home but it could have been 25-30 at least.

However, Larnell Cole, as talented as he is, offers nothing out wide and it definitely affected the shape yesterday. We need to solve the width problem and the away form. Win some games in January and I'll get a little more excited, but plenty of reasons to keep feet on the ground for just now.

 

[Joe.]

Story of our previous three games very dominant in possession but not much to show from it. 3 home games in a week now so we really do need to show up and get back in the goals. Think we will lose against Orient like we always do.

Now outside the play offs which for me is disappointing as it is such a poor division.

I very rarely felt like you were going to score to be honest. What's the reason for Whitely and Ferrier being on the bench? Two of the best attacking outlets for you aren't they?

We defended well and were unfortunate with the deflection, but can't sniff at two draws against you guys.

Think we'll lose at Bromley tomorrow but fancy us to beat Chester and Boreham Wood at home either side of the FA Trophy game against Warrington.

 

[doveranddover]

Thought Tollitt had come back?
expect he'll be fit to crucify us again at Crabble on Friday 30th March

 

[SomeMightShay]

That would be the death of our club.

We have an outstanding academy that is no longer funded by the football league. In a training facility that wouldn’t be out of place in the championship and underwritten by our chairman for this and next season. After that it will be likely closed, a symptom of how the FA is allowing the premier league to monopolise youth talent on the cheap.

We don't have an academy funded by the football league and i would guess not many (if any) others do. Maybe some of the parachute payments or the 5000 fans through the gate could go towards paying for it.?
Another 3 years in the conference would not be the death of your club it would be a scaled down version which would have to cut its cloth accordingly. Eventually you would get out and return to the football league leaner and healthier. I stand by the fact that you'll go up this season but statements like those above (and the fact that Cook pulls on your shirt) would make me chuckle if the wheels fell off.

 

[SomeMightShay]

I like the sound of this six season rule. Sorry Tranmere, the title's ours

Us, Solihull, Fyld£ and Torquay coming up. Top spot should remain yours for a few more weeks yet.

 

[1884 Belmont]

Thought Tollitt had come back?
expect he'll be fit to crucify us again at Crabble on Friday 30th March

Tollitt came back and received a completely different impact injury on his other leg, which he is still recovering from. He's played 40 minutes in about a year of football - it's highly unfair to pin our hopes on his return. Hopefully back and fully fit for the last 10 games (brilliant if it's before that, just can't see it).

 

[Pablosammy]

Tollitt came back and received a completely different impact injury on his other leg, which he is still recovering from. He's played 40 minutes in about a year of football - it's highly unfair to pin our hopes on his return. Hopefully back and fully fit for the last 10 games (brilliant if it's before that, just can't see it).

He's not the messiah...

 

[Tranmerewhite]

He's not the messiah...

The 40 minutes he did play were youtube worthy though..

 

[RLC]

We don't have an academy funded by the football league and i would guess not many (if any) others do. Maybe some of the parachute payments or the 5000 fans through the gate could go towards paying for it.?

I think the difference is that our academy, like Crewe's, has produced many players that have gone on to play in the top two divisions in the last twenty years. After Crewe, it has probably been the second most productive in the lower divisions for producing young talent. So for the League to completely pull the plug on the funding when you are relegated seems ridiculous at a time when young English players barely get a chance at the bigger clubs.

I think the running cost is about £500,000 a year, which is well beyond our means. Ironically, the costs are so high partly because of all the hurdles put in place by the Premier League as part of their 'elite performance' rubbish, which is really just an excuse for crowding the lower division clubs out.

 

[Luke Imp]

Apparently was their 70 year old Kitman giving it the big un, spraying water bottles over fans and then stuck his chin out and dared a Macc old boy to stick one on him - so he did!!

And Nicky Bailey apparently called a young mascot a c***!

Oh and Collins offering the fans outside for a fight!

Funny that, we had similar yesterday against FGR!

 

[SomeMightShay]

I think the difference is that our academy, like Crewe's, has produced many players that have gone on to play in the top two divisions in the last twenty years. After Crewe, it has probably been the second most productive in the lower divisions for producing young talent. So for the League to completely pull the plug on the funding when you are relegated seems ridiculous at a time when young English players barely get a chance at the bigger clubs.

I think the running cost is about £500,000 a year, which is well beyond our means. Ironically, the costs are so high partly because of all the hurdles put in place by the Premier League as part of their 'elite performance' rubbish, which is really just an excuse for crowding the lower division clubs out.

But do you see my point? If that academy remained league funded whilst in the National League and it produced a player sold on for 500k-£1m, that it gives you a solid advantage over other clubs? I would be fine with the idea that the FL paid for non league acadamies as long as everyone had the same benefit. Also that majority of the profit was put back into a FL cash pool to increase the infrastructure of grass roots.

 

[SomeMightShay]

Funny that, we had similar yesterday against FGR!

Thought the story going around was that Lincoln Yoof had attacked the FGR coach/players leaving the ground?

 

[GTFCfish]

Funny that, we had similar yesterday against FGR!

FGR you say? Doesn't sound like them I thought they were all top lads.........

 

[RLC]

But do you see my point? If that academy remained league funded whilst in the National League and it produced a player sold on for 500k-£1m, that it gives you a solid advantage over other clubs? I would be fine with the idea that the FL paid for non league acadamies as long as everyone had the same benefit. Also that majority of the profit was put back into a FL cash pool to increase the infrastructure of grass roots.

I get that, but it is still a major problem for the club if we don't go up in the next couple of years. If youth development is one of your core activities you can't just close and reopen your academy with every promotion and relegation. If we were down here the same length of time as Wrexham, we would probably scrap youth development altogether, which would be a massive change in the way the club operates.

The real problem is the obstacles the EPL have put in the way of the lower division clubs. The costs of running a youth system with Centre of Excellence or Academy status are massive under the new system and there is no guarantee you will be properly compensated if an EPL club poaches one of your youngsters.