Micky Mellon reflects on Tranmere’s ‘Steep learning curve’ in League One & addresses Rovers’ final third concerns

Mellon knows time is running out to turn things around as he declares that his side need to start taking their chances

Micky Mellon reflects on Tranmere’s ‘Steep learning curve’ in League One & addresses Rovers’ final third concerns

The task in hand became clear on August 3, 2019.

Outclassed for the majority of the match, Tranmere fell to a 3-2 opening day defeat against Rochdale—a game that truly was a sign of things to come.

Two goals in stoppage time ensured this was a scoreline that flattered Rovers, who enjoyed only 39% possession that afternoon—their lowest percentage at Prenton Park this season (league only).

Speaking after this aforementioned match, Tranmere boss Micky Mellon said: “We’re not going to look for any excuses, we need to step-up. There are a lot of lessons that need to be learned.”

Six months down the line, though, just how many lessons has this Rovers side learned as the two sides prepare to meet again this weekend?

Assessing the Whites’ development since this opening day wake-up call, Mellon told the ECHO: “If you go back to that day, I said we ended up being outrun. We ended up not being able to match the asks of the game; we weren’t able to keep getting to the ball and we got overloaded in the middle of the pitch. When the opportunity came for people to help us in the middle of the pitch, they never helped us with the press and, in the end, we became too stretched. 

“We have improved since then, but still have to get much better. You only have to look at the GPS results, to see the levels of running you have to do compared to League Two and the number of sprints you have to be prepared to do. 

“They are the basic asks, and that’s what you will be asked again. You have to work hard with and without the ball, to a higher level than we were prepared to do in the early parts of the season. It has been a real steep learning curve for everybody, because there have been a lot of bigger asks.”

Improvements may well be on the horizon, though this season is at risk of being remembered for all the wrong reasons.

With James Norwood gone before a ball had even been kicked, a limited transfer budget to operate with and competing in an unfamiliar division for many players in the squad, life in League One was never going to be plain sailing.

But recent performances have given the Tranmere manager hope. He now believes his side are edging closer to an elusive three points.

“Things are definitely moving forward, but we just need to move it forward quicker,” stressed Mellon.

“You look at the eight games before Bristol Rovers, and they were all very good sides at the top. It was a real stiff challenge for us, but one we seemed to be getting closer to. The games against the likes of Ipswich, Coventry and Sunderland, we were matching them but came undone by a bit of basic defending or a piece of poor play. At the other end, we then didn’t take an opportunity that these teams do.”

Explaining how the Whites’ fortunes could soon change in an instant, he continued: “It could just be a goal we need. A goal can change things.

“Football is just about people doing their jobs. People talk about tactics all the time; tactics have a place in football but if every single manager saw a game go with how their tactics went, they wouldn’t lose. It’s about the groups of players going out and being able to deal with the environment, whether it’s windy or whatever else. We just have to do the basics really well, let’s keep it simple and not complicate it.”

Members of the Super White Army making the trip to Rochdale on Saturday could well witness the return of Peter Clarke in defence; a commanding figure who has been dearly missed in recent weeks.

Having said that, concerns of a dodgy defence have been overshadowed by a faltering frontline.

The goals have well and truly dried up, with Mellon recognising that new recruits such as James Vaughan and Andy Cook simply do not have the time to establish each other’s needs. Action is required now.

“Even in a 0-0 draw (with Bristol Rovers), we still see an awful lot of work that needs to be done in order to make us consistent. We still need to score goals. We’re playing with frontmen now and we need to look into that, which we have done. We won’t just let the results determine whether we played well or not,” said the Tranmere manager.

“The easy answer would be for me to say ‘Yes, the forwards need time together.’ But we haven’t really got time. People have got to work hard at creating those relationships, to score goals. 

“Everyone thinks if you play two players up front, you should automatically score loads of goals. There are not many teams that play with two strikers up front, but we’ve seen that as a way of giving ourselves a better chance of scoring goals and keeping clean sheets. We’ve had chances and maybe have not been clinical enough but, when the game finishes, you’ve just got to say we weren’t good enough to take those chances or good enough to create them.”