Tranmere Boss Ronnie Moore On Tomorrow

Last updated : 23 January 2009 By Thetashkentterror

Ronnie Moore
Rovers manager Ronnie Moore spoke to BBC Radio Merseyside about his side's home game against Carlisle at Prenton Park tomorrow, Moore also singing the praises of Tranmere's Stoke-loanee Ryan Shotton :


" It is close at the top of the table, it is very, very tight. This weekend I think that the top six are all playing each other so they can't all win that, so it is vital that we get the victory here. There is nothing in it though, there is still lots to play for, we have got the game in hand as well, there is actually Peterborough and Colchester that we need to fit in there. So we are still very positive and it is all to play for really.

" Our home form is really good, I think that we are about the third best in our division so we are looking forward to Saturday, there is no doubt about that. We have got a very tough game on Saturday, Carlisle have just come into a little bit of form. They won at Leeds 2-0 and then they came back from two down on Saturday against MK (Dons) and won that one, so they are a good side if they can do that.

" So we take nothing for granted but we don't fear anybody, especially at home. We played up there this year and we played well against them last year but it counts for nothing. It will be all about on the day, they are full of confidence and there is nothing wrong with our confidence. There was nothing wrong with the football we played at Millwall last Saturday, we just need to start scoring more goals.

" (Bas) Savage is missing so it doesn't help us that we haven't got the big presence up there, but it means that we have to adapt the game a bit differently. We have got people with good close control and a bit of pace, so we have got a bit of variation. So hopefully Bas won't be missed that much. I'm just hoping Terry Gornell comes through. That will give us the option of playing Terry or Chris Shuker up front, alongside Ian Moore. "



" I think that they had won their first six in the league and then they were just going through a difficult period when we played them, but it is always hard to get a result at Carlisle. We have done that two seasons running though and hopefully we can make it the six points off them again this season. It won't be easy though, it will be a hard-fought game, there is no doubt about that.

" Our form is good and hopefully we could do with getting a few more through the turnstiles. We keep beating the drum about it. This is the time now where we do really need the support and I know that it is tough, the financial climate out there dictates what games people are going to pick. This is going to be a tough game though so we need some vocal support.

" He (Ryan Shotton) is just a brilliant athlete isn't he when you consider that he hadn't played last weekend since the Scunthorpe game. To go and produce the form that he produced, he is a gifted player and we are very relieved and pleased that we have got him back at the club.

" He does give us options as well, he is not just a right-back. Ryan has played upfront, he has played wide right, he has played centre-midfield, he has played centre-half, so when we are in a little bit of a crisis like we are at the moment, there are one or two other little holes that he can fill for us.

" It is great that we were the number one club for him because there were one or two clubs interested because of what had gone on with Stoke dawdling over the new contract that he was going to sign. It alerted one or two other clubs but Ryan has always wanted to come back here, he has done well for us and we have done well for him. "




As Moore has partly alluded Tranmere could be without four strikers for tomorrow's game. Bas Savage sitting out a one-match suspension for picking up five bookings this season, Chris Greenacre absent with ligament damage in his foot and Craig Curran out with a back problem.

Terry Gornell being the only possible fit player as he tries to recover quickly from a knock picked up in training on Tuesday. If Gornell is absent though then pacey winger Chris Shuker will have to play upfront alongside manager's son Ian Moore.

The referee for tomorrow's match is Graham Salisbury from Preston, and he will be assisted down the lines by Ryan Johnson from Bolton and Paul Norris from Timperley in North Cheshire. Meanwhile the fourth official is Darren Bond from Wigan.