Tranmere look for second win of season

Tranmere Rovers are looking for their second league win of the season against Charlton tomorrow. This very full preview from a Tranmere site predicts a 2-0 win for the home side: Tranmere

The argument put forward is that Tranmere players may not be as of high a quality as some of the Charlton players, but their work rate will lead them to victory. I would be inclined to put it the other way round: there is plenty of endeavour from the Addicks, but often a lack of skill. Of course, we have to rememmber that they are third division of players and hoofing the ball out of defence is one of the chaarcteristics of the lower divisions.

The Tranmere preview picks Gary Doherty as the man to watch and he will certainly be a key player in a defence lacking Christian Dailly. There is also no sign of a replacement keeper for the injured Elliot, but even if someone does arrive in a cab at Prenton Park, he will not have a good understanding with the defence.

With hindsight one could argue that we should have gone for a second keeper with a Football League pedigree, but is the No.2 position at Charlton that attractive, particularly as we could not pay very much? One might, I suppose, get a veteran nearing the end of his career.

The other concern is the link up play between midfield and our strikers. Whether Abbott and Benson can do the business remains to be seen and there may at least be a case for inroducing Sodje earlier in the game.

Before the Elliot injury I would have gone for a 2-2 draw, but the Tranmere prediction could now be correct.