THE CONCRETE ROUNDABOUT (TCR)

THE CAZBAR BIG MATCH PREVIEW – TRANMERE ROVERS
The stench of that performance against our bogey team Doncaster Rovers still lingers and to rub salt into the wounds Doncaster were put away comfortably by Harrogate Town last Saturday, although the stats on that game probably tell a different tale.

On Saturday we travel up to Prenton Park, Birkenhead to face Tranmere, just a stone’s throw from the River Mersey, and a trip of about 170 miles.

Below are the stats of both teams, the full record plus the home record of Tranmere, and our away record.

Tranmere (16th) – P 27, W 10, D 3, L 14, GF 42, GA 40, Pts 33.
Dons (8th) – P 24, W 11, D 6, L 7, GF 39, GA 31, Pts 39.
Tranmere (A) ( 6th) – P 13, W 8, D 1, L 4, GF 28, GA 17, Pts 25.
Dons (H) (10th) - P 12, W 4, D 3, L 5, GF 19, GA 20, Pts 15.

Looking a bit closer at that Tranmere record, below are their home results in the league with the most recent game shown first.

Tranmere 4 Notts County 2
Tranmere 2 Swindon 1
Tranmere 2 Newport County 1
Tranmere 3 Gillingham 1
Tranmere 3 Forest Green 0
Tranmere 1 Doncaster 2
Tranmere 2 Grimsby 2
Tranmere 2 Bradford 1
Tranmere 2 Accrington 0
Tranmere 0 Wrexham 1
Tranmere 3 Salford 4
Tranmere 3 Harrogate 0
Tranmere 1 Barrow 2

Looking at those results it would appear that Rovers have got their act together at home winning their last 5 games and they would be much higher up the table if not for their poor away record that shows them ranked 22nd when on the road, losing 10 of the 14 games played.

The standout man for Rovers is Connor Jennings with 9 goals and 5 assists in the 29 games he has played in this season. In the summer Jennings returned to Tranmere from Hartlepool, that after playing for Rovers for 4 seasons (2016-20) over 171 games scoring 37 goals.

The Tranmere manager is a well-known figure in the game Nigel Adkins who took over last November after a spell as the interim manager following the sacking of Ian Dawes.

Adkins is a well-seasoned campaigner having managed Bangor City, Scunthorpe, Southampton, Reading, Sheffield Utd, Hull City, Charlton previously. In total he’s been at the sharp end for 584 games, with a record of W 245, D 135, L 204, giving him a Win Ratio of a very tidy 42%.

Historically we have the edge, the detail of which is below with all the Dons scorers.

2004/05 – Tranmere 2 Dons 0
2004/05 – Dons 2 Tranmere 1 (Edds 2)
2005/06 – Tranmere 1 Dons 2 (McLeod 2)
2005/06 – Dons 1 Tranmere 2 (McLeod)
2008/09 – Dons 1 Tranmere 0 (Gallen)
2008/09 – Tranmere 1 Dons 1 (Leven)
2009/10 – Tranmere 0 Dons 1 (Ibehre)
2009/10 – Dons 1 Tranmere 0 (Puncheon)
2010/11 – Tranmere 4 Dons 2 (Leven, S Baldock)
2010/11 – Dons 2 Tranmere 0 (Powell, Ibehre)
2011/12 – Tranmere 0 Dons 2 (Ibehre, S Williams)
2011/12 – Dons 3 Tranmere 0 (S Williams 2, Gleeson)
2012/13 – Tranmere 0 Dons 1 (Gleeson)
2012/13 – Dons 3 Tranmere 0 (Lewington, Gleeson, Potter)
2013/14 – Tranmere 3 Dons 2 (Powell, Banton)
2013/14 – Dons 0 Tranmere 1
2018/19 – Dons 1 Tranmere 1 (Aneke)
2018/19 – Tranmere 2 Dons 1 (Agard)
2019/20 – Dons 1 Tranmere 3 (Reeves)
2023/24 – Dons 1 Tranmere 0 (Eisa)

That’s a record of P 20, W 11, D 2, L 7, GF 28, GA 22.

We have of course played them once this season, and my memory is a bit vague, but I have a feeling we were a bit fortunate and far from convincing.

Right, I’ve done a bit of research…….Mo Eisa scored in the 7th minute with a header from a Gilbey freekick….yes you did read that correctly, a header. It was Gilbey’s 100th Dons start, and the win put us top after two games with maximum points.

For those that like a bit more detail the stats suggest it was pretty much how I thought, Tranmere had 16 shots which was double our tally, 11 corners to our 3, they hit the crossbar, and Mac made several decent stops and was booked late on trying to run down the clock, like I said, not that convincing.

At the weekend while we had our feet up watching Soccer Saturday Tranmere travelled to Barrow and lost 1-0 but it took the Bluebirds until the 80th minute despite 15 shots, and only the post saved them in the final minutes as Tranmere tried to snatch a late equaliser.

Despite a decent home record, the bookies have us as favourites, which I don’t really get, but what do I know.

Tranmere 7/4, Draw 11/4, MK Dons 17/11.

As for a prediction, I have no idea, and it’s probably good I don’t as every time I think we are nailed on, I do my dough. Tranmere have the 6th best home record in LG 2, 5 straight wins at home, and us going to Prenton Park after a humiliating loss to Doncaster….and we are favourites, work that out.

I’ll admit we looked jaded last time out, but the rest has probably done them good, and of course Kempy has returned, and we have signed Stephen Wearne from Gateshead, that’s some increase in our firepower inheriting 27 goals between them, but it may be a week or two until we see Wearne as he is currently injured….it’s the MK way.

On Tuesday we signed on loan from Barnsley right back Kyran Lofthouse now to be known as “Lofty”, and lofty he is at 6ft 3ins. I do though feel a bit bad for Gateshead as he was recalled from a loan spell with them only to be sent to us. I get Barnsley will be happy as Lofty will gain more experience playing in LG 2, but it does feel that MW is biting the hand that once fed him by plundering one or two that he once signed……I wonder if the fans still hold fond memories of him, anyway, I can see him coming straight in for this game.

That’s it, and safe travels if you are heading up to the Wirral.

WD

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Read the MELTDOWN after every game, no bullshit, just giving it straight

i hate to say this but i think we will lose this game buy a couple of goals defence wise we are suspect and tranmere are good going forward there fans create a hostile atmospere so i am going 3-1 or 2-0 to them hope i am wrong but i have a bad feeling about this match.

We are bolloxed with Kelly in goal even if he was 10 times better than against Brighton