Moore hopes supporters can help keep Rovers top

Oct 12 2007 by Nick Hilton, Liverpool Daily Post

MANAGER Ronnie Moore sends Tranmere out on a mission to strengthen their hold on top spot with a win over Walsall at Prenton Park tonight.

And he urges thousands of Merseyside football fans without a Premier League game to go to this weekend to come and see the team that took Rovers to the summit of Coca-Cola League One.

Moore said: “This is a big game for us. The Friday night atmosphere at Prenton Park is special and it would be even better if we can get some extra fans in.

“We’ve had crowds of 6,500 and 7,500 for home games but I think we deserve more.

“There are no Premiership games on Merseyside over the weekend so Liverpool and Everton fans must be looking for something to do. So get yourselves down to Prenton Park. Come and shout us on.

“Hopefully we can win, go three points clear at the top – and put pressure on the teams below us when they play on Saturday.”

Moore is looking for an improvement in results at Prenton Park to match Tranmere’s impressive form on the road this season.

Rovers moved into pole position last weekend with a third win (out of six unbeaten away games) at Southend.

“The away form has been good and now we want to get the home form back to the way it was last season,” Moore said.

“We’ve been drawing games at Prenton Park instead of winning them but there is not a great deal wrong with the way we are playing.

“Our all around form is good. We’ve lost only one league game all season and that breeds confidence.”

While the manager acknowledges that two months into the campaign is too soon to start calling the odds, he is confident about Tranmere’s potential to stay the course in the promotion race.

He said: “We are a quarter way through this season and if we carry on producing the form of the first 10 games we are not going to be a million miles away.

“I don’t think I have seen a better side than us yet. At present we have consistency. We would like to be winning at home as often as we do away. That would open the gap for us.

“When you are top of the league you have to be good enough and brave enough to hold your nerve.”

Walsall, fresh from three successive wins, present a tactical poser for Moore.

The Sadlers, managed by former Liverpool defender Richard Money, use a system based around a five-man midfield, home and away, which is similar to the 4-5-1 formation Moore deployed to positive effect in Tranmere’s 2-1 win at Roots Hall.

“Walsall are going to play 4-5-1, make it difficult and we have to be patient,” Moore said.

“They are going to park men behind the ball but they have two wingers with exceptional pace and can counter attack very quickly. We have to be alert to that.”

It would be a major surprise if Moore chose to match Walsall with a 4-5-1 formation of his own.

Moore hinted yesterday that Tranmere are most likely to revert to their staple 4-4-2 set up, putting faith in their wingers to open up the opposition.

Tranmere must fall back on the experience of goalkeeping coach John Achterberg between the posts for a fifth time tonight, even though regular number one Danny Coyne has recovered from a calf injury.

Coyne is required by Wales for the World Cup qualifier in Cyprus tomorrow because John Toshack’s regular first choice, Wayne Hennessey, is injured and unable to travel.

Moore said: “We are disappointed Danny has gone with Wales. We were hoping it would not happen. He had a good chance of being fit to play for us against Walsall.”

Youth team goalkeeper Shane McWeeney will be asked to provide cover on the bench for Achterberg once again.

Leading marksman Chris Greenacre is a doubtful starter with the blisters and swelling to the foot that ruled him out last weekend. Calvin Zola, recovered from a hamstring strain, could be in line for a recall alongside Gareth Taylor in attack.