Moore is left frustrated by Rovers’ soft centre

Apr 21 2008 by Nick Hilton, Liverpool Daily Post

PLANNING for next season becomes job number one for manager Ronnie Moore this morning after Tranmere’s promotion ambitions finally unravelled over the weekend.

Moore has a number of contract issues to address for the 2008/09 campaign, including those of himself and assistant Peter Shirtliff.

Senior players who will be seeking new terms this summer are understood to include right-back Robbie Stockdale, midfielders Steve Jennings and John Mullin, utility man Shane Sherriff and winger Steve Davies.

Moore is two games away from completing the two-year agreement he signed when returning to Prenton Park in the summer of 2006 while Shirtliff joined on a one-year deal last summer.

Moore said: “Players are playing for contracts and Peter and myself are doing the same. We would like things sorted out. There are two games to go before we do know what’s happening.

“That will be sorted out one way or the other. I would like to finish with two wins and take seventh place if we can.”

Any lingering uncertainty about which division Tranmere will be playing in next season was removed by a 1-0 defeat at Huddersfield on Saturday.

Sixth placed Leeds, 2-0 winners at Millwall, moved eight points clear of Rovers, leaving only Brighton with a mathematical chance of catching the Yorkshire giants. Tranmere dropped to ninth place in the League One table on the back of a third successive defeat.

Moore said: “I would rather be waiting until the end of the play-offs in May to sort out what’s happening but it wasn’t to be so we have to look and plan ahead for next season. I will be doing that when I get in the office on Monday morning.”

Moore identified a thin away record and the lack of a “ruthless” streak in creating and finishing chances as reasons for Tranmere’s failure to secure play-off spot following a similar near miss a year ago.

“We have not won enough away games and we are probably 12 goals short of being in a play-off position,” Moore said.

“I’m frustrated because I know we are as good as anyone in this division. But we have a soft centre. We don’t have that ruthless streak in us and we have not had that for the majority of the season.”

Tranmere have won just five times in 22 games on the road, the lowest figure among the teams in the top half of the division.

The 10th away defeat, at the hands of mid-table Huddersfield, followed a familiar pattern as Rovers dominated possession in the first half but failed to profit and lost the points to a 61st minute goal by Andy Booth.

“We basically cut our own throats and that’s been the outcome of the last few games,” Moore said.

“Away from home we have played 4-4-2, 4-5-1 and 4-3-3. We had a go and tried to put Huddersfield’s back three under pressure but didn’t test their goalkeeper enough. That does not mean I’m having a go at the forwards. The movement of the wingers and the fullbacks and the quality of the ball into the box was disappointing.

“Our set plays were awful. You would not think we practise them. Our general play was anything but awful. We had the lion’s share of possession but it is what you do with it that matters.”

The manager had to leave Steve Davies (aductor strain) Calvin Zola (hamstring) and Jennison Myrie-Williams (knee) out of his selection options and included second-year scholar Terry Gornell among the substitutes at the Galpharm Stadium.