Moore: Bolton clash is a yardstick to season ahead

Jul 28 2007 by Nick Hilton, Liverpool Daily Post

TRANMERE ROVERS manager Ronnie Moore expects this afternoon’s encounter with Bolton Wanderers to provide a first clear picture of how his pre-season preparations are progressing.

The Premiership giants visit Prenton Park with both clubs just a fortnight away from the start of the respective league programmes.

And both were stung by midweek defeats and disappointing performances.

While Tranmere were losing for the first time in five summer friendlies at Southport by a single goal, Bolton were beaten 3-0 by Scottish Premier League side Hibernian.

Wanderers manager Sammy Lee, the former Liverpool midfielder, is expecting a much improved performance from his stars at Prenton Park.

Lee said: “I don’t like losing any game. Without hard work and commitment you’re not going to get anywhere. It is about getting ready for August 11 and we know what we have to do.”

Lee’s No 2 Gary Speed added: “There were no excuses for the way we played at Hibs. Every member of the squad knows we can do better and that must start at Tranmere.”

Bolton are likely to include new boy Christian Wilhelmsson.

The £2million-rated Swede should be cleared to play at Prenton Park in spite of complications with his move from Nantes.

Wilhelmsson spent much of last season on loan to Roma, having failed to make an impact in French football.

Bolton could also have Nicolas Anelka in the side. Lee is keen to keep the Frenchman at the Reebok although the player is a summer transfer target for a number of clubs.

Tranmere’s line-up should give supporters a clue to the side Moore has in mind for the opening League One game against Leeds on Saturday August 11.

However, Moore says centre-back Ben Chorley and midfielder John Mullin have to play catch-up in terms of fitness after missing pre-season games through injury.

Mullin saw his first action of the summer at Haig Avenue while Chorley also played at Southport after missing two games with a knock.

Experienced striker Gareth Taylor missed this week’s two midweek games after suffering a calf injury on Monday, Moore said, but should be fit for action today.

Moore added: “Bolton is the big one for us now. It is the yardstick to measure ourselves by when we look at the quality of the players we are going to see Prenton Park.

“After the Bolton game and the one against Stoke City the following Friday, I will have a good idea about what I want to do for the start of the season.

“It will be a very good contest and I hope people will come and watch it.”

Bolton’s visit is game six of Tranmere’s pre-season programme. They opened with four victories over Cammell Laird, Heswall, Marine, and Morecambe, scoring 15 goals along the way, before an experimental side including a handful of youngsters was beaten by a single goal at the home of UniBond leaguers Southport.

Tranmere have a fixture with Conference club Altrincham on Monday, play host to Stoke at Prenton Park next Friday and complete the warm-up scheduled with a visit to Vauxhall Motors a week today.

No encounter between Rovers and Bolton could have been termed a friendly in the early years of the new decade.

They were the days when the relationship between the clubs’ respective managers John Aldridge and Sam Allardyce often generated spats of animosity.

The two men clashed over Tranmere’s use of long-throw specialist Dave Challinor in a series matches between the teams.

There were arguments about ballboys, towels and the placement of pitch perimeter advertising hoardings. In one game Allardyce insisted his players would not use the dressing-room facilities at Prenton Park and had them change on the team bus.

But Moore insists: “Those arguments are in the past. We both have different managers now and there is no bad feeling between the two clubs. I know Sammy Lee well and will give him a warm welcome. We want to give each other a good game – and I hope we can turn Bolton over.”

While Moore is Tranmere’s fourth manger since Aldridge departed Prenton Park in 2001, Lee stepped up from number two at Bolton when Allardyce unexpectedly resigned towards the end of last season.

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