Moore: We can rise above our current injury crisis

Jan 1 2008 by Nick Hilton, Liverpool Daily Post

TRANMERE head for Gresty Road this afternoon intent on showing that injury setbacks need not spoil the feel-good factor of a productive festive programme.

The target is a New Year’s Day victory over Crewe Alexandra (kick-off 3pm) that would take Rovers’ holiday haul to nine points and provide tangible compensation for the loss of winger Chris Shuker to a cruciate ligament injury.

While Shuker’s season was ended by clattering challenge in the fourth minute of the Boxing Day fixture against Carlisle, Tranmere’s promotion ambitions were given a timely lift by the 2-0 home victory over the Cumbrians and a less convincing 1-0 success against Cheltenham three days later.

The results lifted Rovers to within four points of an automatic promotion spot in a division is becoming more congested than ever at the top end.

Manager Ronnie Moore has plans laid and targets identified as he attempts to replace the most naturally talented player in his squad, having already lost teenage wide man Steve Davies to a similar injury in September.

But the wheeling and dealing of the January transfer window goes on the backburner today while Tranmere attempt to put three consecutive wins together for the first time this season at the expense of the struggling Railwaymen.

Moore had some positive news from the treatment room yesterday when Gareth Taylor reported that a knee swelling had vanished as mysteriously as it appeared after the game at Luton 10 days ago.

Moore said: “No one knows what caused the swelling on Gareth’s knee. He had X-rays and scans and they showed nothing. But it is gone now, Gareth is back in the selection frame and that helps us.”

The manager is confident minor knocks to goalkeeper Danny Coyne and striker Chris Greenacre will also clear up.

Crewe, with only one point to show from three holiday fixtures so far, seek to break a run of seven League One games without a victory.

Tranmere’s scouting reports suggest they were unfortunate to lose 2-0 at Millwall last Saturday after hitting the woodwork three times.

Moore said: “Crewe are a dangerous side because they have talented players. They like to pass and move the ball, as they always have – and if you let them play their football they can dominate a match. We have to get into their ribs, make sure we don’t allow them to play.”

Meanwhile, Moore suspects he may have to wait until after next weekend’s third-round FA Cup ties before making progress in his attempts to find a replacement for Shuker.

He said: “We have identified the players we want and made umpteen phone calls. Now we are waiting for the pieces of the jigsaw to fall into place.

“The FA Cup games are coming up this weekend and managers don’t all always want too many lone players to get involved in them. But it’s not just a question of waiting on the managers. We are waiting on the players as well.

“A lot of them are not willing to come out from Premier League and Championship clubs and play on loan for clubs like us. They are happy to sit on their backsides or in the reserves and take the money.”

Moore went on: “The two loan players we have at the moment (Andrew Taylor from Blackburn and Jennison in Myrie-Williams from Bristol City) are exceptions to the rule. They are good characters who want to play, learn and gain experience and I just hope we can find more like them.

“I would like to see managers insisting that young players should come out and get some experience on loan – but not all managers are prepared to do that.”

Moore admits replacing a talented specialist such a Shuker will be especially difficult. He said: “Shukes is a hard act to follow because he can be in a match-winner.

“No-one wants their experienced players to go out, but there are some exciting young talents around who are not getting a game with a larger clubs.”

Rovers had been planning for some time to inject new faces into the squad this month, balanced by the release of their own players to clubs elsewhere.

Moore said: “We have sent a circular to other clubs showing who is available. But losing Shuker is a blow we could not see coming. Having spoken to the chairman it may be that we can bring a player in without letting one go. But it is important we find someone who can take Shuker’s place.”