Ronnie Moore to sink teeth into meaty November

Nov 1 2007 by Chris Beesley, Liverpool Daily Post

TRANMERE manager Ronnie Moore is looking forward to a crucial month which he believes could shape his team’s season.

Rovers kick-off their November fixtures on Saturday with a trip to the bookmakers’ pre-season favourites for promotion Nottingham Forest.

Moore’s former club Oldham then visit Prenton Park on Tuesday ahead of a visit to League Two Chesterfield in the FA Cup first round the following weekend.

The month is then rounded off with an away game at Doncaster’s plush new Keepmoat Stadium before a home match against big-spending Swansea City.

If Tranmere can emerge from these high-profile fixtures relatively intact then Moore believes it will go a long way to building confidence that they can finally challenge for a return to English football’s second tier next season.

He said: “The November month will be a big tester for where we are going to be.

“If we’re still up there at the end of the month or are in an even better position, that will say an awful lot about how the season is going to pan out for us.

“You look at Doncaster and you look at Forest, Swansea, Oldham and a big FA Cup tie in there, you’ve got five meaty games.

“If we come out of them in the position we’re in now it will show everyone that we’ve got a chance this season.”

Along with another fallen giant Leeds United, who started the season with a 15-point deduction, two-time European Cup winners Forest are one of the glamour sides in League One and were well-fancied for promotion before the campaign.

Moore said: “The loss at Luton was only Forest’s second defeat on Saturday, it shows what a good side they are.

“It’s only a matter of time before they come out of this league.

“They’ve had the resources to do it and you look at Colin (Calderwood), he’s been under a little bit of pressure down there but he’s winning the fans over.

“They were unlucky last year, they should have gone through in that play-off. To be in the position they were and to lose the home game will have been disappointing but they’ve come back from that.

“We can compete with anybody at this level. There’s not any side who I wouldn’t fancy taking my side to play.

“I have faith in the lads that they can go and compete with anyone at this level.”

Meanwhile, Moore is hoping that Rovers fans will soon start to see the best of loan signing Kevin Cooper.

The 32-year-old, who has initially joined for a month from Championship club Cardiff City, made his debut in the 3-0 win over Huddersfield, lasting 80 minutes in what was his first appearance of the season.

The experienced campaigner, who has also turned out for hometown club Derby County, Stockport, Wimbledon, Wolves, Sunderland, Norwich, Yeovil and Walsall, has been drafted in as a replacement on the left wing for Steve Davies whose season was curtailed by a cruciate ligament injury.

Moore said: “There’s better to come from what we saw on Friday from Coops.

“He needed a game as he hasn’t played for a while in League football although he’s played a lot of reserve team football which like I said is a doddle.

“So we’re getting the cobwebs off him and there’s a lot to come from him as he’s got a lot of ability.

“He’s got that first game under his belt and is training with us now.”