The Forever Tranmere Rovers FC Thread - CP's Official Little Club

[Locke]

Sweet deal, its all coming together for Rovers!

[GirlySports]

Striker Enoch Showunmi signs for Tranmere Rovers

Tranmere have completed the signing of Nigeria striker Enoch Showunmi on a two-year deal.
Showunmi, 28, spent the second half of last season in the Scottish Premier League with Falkirk and has also played for Luton, Bristol City and Leeds.
Rovers manager Les Parry said: "I'm really pleased to be able to bring Enoch to the club.
"He's a powerful striker who will bring something different to the players we've already got at the club."
Parry added: "He's excellent at bringing teammates into play and comfortable on the ball, and he will be a great addition to our squad."
Showunmi is the fourth new arrival at Prenton Park this summer following the signings of Joss Labadie, Tim Cathalina and Gunnar Nielsen.

We've got players from everywhere!

[Locke]

Tranmere lose 2-1 at Chester thus eliminating their unbeaten streak in the pre-season.

While losing sucks, I also believe that winning all the pre-season games is a recipe for disaster by breeding over-confidence.

Also:

Substitute trialist Steve Connor and Ryan Fraughan combined well on the left on 38 minutes with the former crossing for Max Power to head in to the applause of the travelling 553 fans. Showunmi sent a free kick over the bar and Connor brought a save out of the Chester keeper before heading on to the roof of the net early in the second half.

http://www.tranmererovers.co.uk/page...103834,00.html

Who is Max Power?

[GirlySports]

Might be from their youth system, only 17 I think.

Edit: aha! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tranmer..._of_Excellence

[Locke]

There is a dude named Max Power on the Tranmere youth squad. Get that lad called up to the big club!! Hes a goal scoring machine!

[Antithesis]

How could they lose with a guy named Max Power on their side?

[GirlySports]

I'm starting to really like this team. Just by fluke I guess but the players on the team look really fun.

A Faroe Islands keeper!
A Netherlands Antilles Right Back
Jamaican old guy

and Max Power!

[Antithesis]

I wish I knew more about soccer - I mean, I know enough, but I'd feel like a complete fraud in this club.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by Antithesis

I wish I knew more about soccer - I mean, I know enough, but I'd feel like a complete fraud in this club.

We're here to learn together.

[Montana Moe]

Originally Posted by Antithesis

I wish I knew more about soccer - I mean, I know enough, but I'd feel like a complete fraud in this club.

This is my first year following as well. I've always been a World Cup fan, and would follow EPL highlights on Sportscenter. I'm all in this year, following Arsenal and this Tranmere squad had been a blast so far.

Learning about transfers, loans, etc. as well as figuring out who plays who in how many divisions takes a bit of getting used to.

[Jagger]

Originally Posted by Montana Moe

This is my first year following as well. I've always been a World Cup fan, and would follow EPL highlights on Sportscenter. I'm all in this year, following Arsenal and this Tranmere squad had been a blast so far.

Learning about transfers, loans, etc. as well as figuring out whoi plays who in how many divisions takes a bit of getting used to.

Believe me, as someone who has followed Tranmere Rovers for over 35 years that it's an addictive experience.

They're the perfect small club to follow. They are always interesting, they pull off shock results against bigger clubs, they could easily flirt with promotion or relegation in any given season.

It's never boring.

As the die hards at Prenton Park say: "Every ball's a white ball!"

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by Montana Moe

This is my first year following as well. I've always been a World Cup fan, and would follow EPL highlights on Sportscenter. I'm all in this year, following Arsenal and this Tranmere squad had been a blast so far.

Learning about transfers, loans, etc. as well as figuring out who plays who in how many divisions takes a bit of getting used to.

yeah it's confusing but here's what Tranmere plays in.

A. The 24 team League One, play each team home and away making 46 matches. Top 2 gets promoted, 3rd to 6th playoff for an additional promotion spot, bottom 4 teams get relegated. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010%E2...all_League_One

This is by far the main priority of the club, get promoted!

B. Carling Cup. Knockout competition between the 92 teams of the top 4 divisions. Tranmere's first round match is Aug 10 away to Walsall. Premier League teams enter later on. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010%E2...all_League_Cup


C. FA Cup: Knockout competition open to everyone from Division 10 up I think, the very first round starts on Aug 14 with really little clubs (402 of them, that's insane!). League One teams enter in the "First Round" on November 6. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010%E2%80%9311_FA_Cup

D. Johnstone's Paint Trophy: Knockout competition between the 48 teams of Leagues One and Two. First round is on August 30 but we don't know who Tranmere plays yet. http://www.football-league.co.uk/pag...,10794,00.html

So as you can see, a little soccer team can have a very busy schedule!

[NBC]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

This is by far the main priority of the club, get promoted!

I'd disagree with this. For a club in Tranmere's position, the main priority this season will be staying up in League One. There are only a handful of teams in League One that have automatic promotion or the playoffs as a realistic target. For the vast majority of them, staying up and a mid-table position is a successful season.

The number 2 priority would almost definitely be the JPT trophy. It is a competition that is wide-open and the final is at Wembley. Make no mistake, the JPT competition is very important to these clubs as the closest most of the players (and staff) will ever get to Wembley will be as spectators of other clubs.

The 3rd priority would probably be a bit of a run in the FA Cup. If you could get to the 4th round, you might be lucky to get an away match against a big Premiership club. Havant and Waterlooville got that a few seasons ago and were up 2x on Liverpool at Anfield. Anyone remember that? Last season the Albion drew Villa away and traveled with 20 000 fans. They lost 2-1 but it was a fantastic result even in defeat.

After last season's debacle, Tranmere will just want to stay up by season's end, and according to some bookies, Rovers are 11/4 to go down, 20/1 for promotion and 66/1 for a top 2 finish.

[rich76]

Originally Posted by NBC

I'd disagree with this. For a club in Tranmere's position, the main priority this season will be staying up in League One. There are only a handful of teams in League One that have automatic promotion or the playoffs as a realistic target. For the vast majority of them, staying up and a mid-table position is a successful season.

This ^

For a club in Tranmere's (and also AFC Bournemouth's) position, this is exactly the way you need to be thinking going into the season.

Number 1 priority - avoid relegation.

There is also the angle that securing promotion before the club is ready for it can potentially be more damaging in the long run.

[GirlySports]

Ah I see. I should change that to main priority is doing well in the league.
Eventually the team has to have a goal of promotion. The lower leagues can be more wide open as Tranmere was 7th the year before and barely escaped relegation last year.
Or teams have known to be promoted two years in a row!

[NBC]

The double promotion can be the kiss of death for many clubs. The Albion went up from League 2 (old 4th div), promotion from League 1 to the Championship in consecutive years ('00-01 & '01-02) only to endure many more tumultuous campaigns due to overspending and having to pay Championship wages to League 1/2 players.

Promotion is the ultimate goal of Football League sides but they need to be in a position (financially) to be able to maintain a successful stint in the higher divisions. Not that long ago Man City were in League 1, Leeds and Soton in the Premiership. Hell 10 years ago Bradford City were in the top flight and after 3 relegations in 7 seasons, plus 2 trips into administration, they find themselves firmly entrenched in League 2.

[GirlySports]

I heard a strategy employed by Stoke City that a team should only spend half of it's new money when promoted. That way if things go wrong like injuries or bad results then when relegated the team doesn't fall apart when players who are under non-relegation contracts.

I was listening to a show and at the time Stoke got 30 million dollars for it's first promotion to the EPL (3? years ago). They get a 15 million payment in august and the other 15 in December.

The owner while interviewed said he only planned to spend 10 million or it and try to survive in the EPL. If relegated he would then burn the other 20 million to retain players, get new players and get back up. But they never got relegated so now they're loaded!

[Antithesis]

Well, if this is the "Noob OK" thread, then I am wondering if someone could clarify my understanding of the transfer process. How does that work?

[NBC]

Originally Posted by Antithesis

Well, if this is the "Noob OK" thread, then I am wondering if someone could clarify my understanding of the transfer process. How does that work?

From the end of the season until 31 August and again for a short period in January, clubs can buy or sell players to other clubs for a fee. Think of it as a sort of trading deadline, but unlike in hockey, you traditionally 'trade' (buy or sell) players for cash.

If a player is out of contract at the end of a season he can move anywhere he wants to and his previous club will not get any compensation. The most recent big transfer of this type was Joe Cole leaving Chelsea for Liverpool. If a player is under contract and is to be sold, the selling team usually has a price in mind of what they think the player is worth and it is up to the buying club to come up with the cash. The player then has to agree to personal terms (wages) and pass a medical.

Clubs have until late August to set their squads for the upcoming season and after that can only bring in or sell players during the January transfer window.

Hope that helps.

[NBC]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

I heard a strategy employed by Stoke City that a team should only spend half of it's new money when promoted. That way if things go wrong like injuries or bad results then when relegated the team doesn't fall apart when players who are under non-relegation contracts.

I was listening to a show and at the time Stoke got 30 million dollars for it's first promotion to the EPL (3? years ago). They get a 15 million payment in august and the other 15 in December.

The owner while interviewed said he only planned to spend 10 million or it and try to survive in the EPL. If relegated he would then burn the other 20 million to retain players, get new players and get back up. But they never got relegated so now they're loaded!

Yeah, clubs like that need a solid business plan for survival in the EPL. Portsmouth, Hull and the like got into massive problems by overspending to stay up. Even at the time no one could quite understand how Uncle Harry could afford to bring in Crouch, James, Defoe, Campbell, etc when he was in charge there. Those guys commanded substantial wages and Portsmouth had to pay them. While they got an FA Cup out of it, they still went into administration and may not recover from it.

Stoke will be smart to try and survive for a year or two then make some significant changes when they can afford to do so.