Moore: Patience key to trip up Cobblers

Sep 28 2007 by Nick Hilton, Liverpool Daily Post

MANAGER Ronnie Moore asks players and supporters alike to appreciate the value of patience when Tranmere attempt to maintain their early-season momentum with a home win over Northampton tomorrow.

Moore warns that haste and anxiety could mean less speed in Rovers’ pursuit of top spot in the League One table.

He expects Northampton to deploy tactics designed to frustrate Tranmere’s attacking ambitions and hit them on the break.

And having briefed his players about the kind of challenge they face from the Cobblers, Moore hopes the message will get through to the fans as well.

Moore said: “Northampton have come up with unusual system at this level, a 3-5-2 formation which goes into 5-3-2 when they are defending. It is difficult to break down.

“We know we are going to have to be patient and we will have to ask the crowd to stick with us and be patient too.

“It’s not easy when you come up against teams who play that type of football.

“Patience is one of the least used words in football – because people don’t want to be patient. They want everything to be done immediately.”

Moore added: “If we get the ball down and pass it, get our wingers into the game, then we should be okay. But it might be one of those games when you grind out a result.

“It would be nice if we can score first and put the pressure on them to open up and come at us.”

Northampton’s tactics earned them and two draws and a defeat on the road so far. Stuart Gray’s mid-table team arrive fresh from an impressive 3-0 home win over Huddersfield last Saturday.

Second-placed Tranmere, unbeaten in six league games since an opening-day defeat to Leeds, have their sights set on taking maximum points from two home games in four days, with Crewe Alexandra due at Prenton Park next Tuesday evening.

Moore is determined to demonstrate that Tranmere can make their good start count by holding a place among the promotion front-runners for the duration of the campaign.

He expects some of the bigger names currently lying in mid-table to join the leading pack soon enough.

Moore said: “The table shows we are among the teams doing the business after seven games. The judgement is how we do over 46 games.

“Over those seven games we have been as good as anyone so far but you see the likes of Nottingham Forest and Doncaster Rovers in false positions. Luton have impressed me and Leeds would be top after their seven straight wins were it not for the 15-point penalty.

“But I like to think that we are not in a false position and come the end, we will be in one of the two automatic promotion spots or the play-offs.”

Rovers will give a late fitness test to goalkeeper Danny Coyne before the Northampton game.

The Wales international missed the 1-1 draw at Cheltenham last Saturday with a calf strain that has been under treatment from physio Les Parry through most of this week. Goalkeeping coach John Achterberg stands by to deputise once more.

Striker Calvin Zola, though making good progress from a hamstring injury, may have to wait a little longer for a first-team comeback.

The experienced Gareth Taylor is likely to partner four-goal leading marksman Chris Greenacre in attack with teenage front-man Craig Curran on the bench.

Moore said: “We will leave a decision on Danny right until the last minute.”

Tranmere hope the early-season success will bring out a healthy crowd tomorrow. The attendance at Tranmere’s last home game, against Luton, was more than 800 up on the gate for the previous league fixture at Prenton Park, against Brighton.

Rovers aim to boost the attendance for next Tuesday’s encounter with Crewe by reducing admission prices for young persons (17 to 22-year-olds) to just £5. The special offer is designed to attract students into Prenton Park.