Tactics not to blame insists Ron

Aug 13 2008 by Our Correspondent, Birkenhead News

TRANMERE boss Ronnie Moore identified poor defending rather than tactical shortcomings behind his side’s opening day flop at Swindon.

Centre-backs Ben Chorley and Antony Kay , as well as right-back Godwin Antwi, bore the brunt of the manager’s frank public assessment after Rovers kicked off the League One campaign with a 3-1 defeat at the County Ground.

Moore argued that Tranmere’s 4-3-3 system, which worked encouragingly well in pre-season games, could not be blamed as goals by strikers Billy Paynter, Simon Cox and midfielder Jon-Paul McGovern put the home side 3-0 up within 51 minutes.

He said: “It does not matter what system you play if you defend as we did. The disappointing thing for me was that three of the back four had absolute nightmares.

“We were totally dominated down the middle by Swindon’s two strikers. The 4-3-3 had nothing to do with the goals we conceded.”

Moore also revealed that he “felt sorry” for left-back Andy Taylor and goalkeeper John Achterberg.

According to the Prenton Park manager, the 37-year-old Dutchman, making his 300th start in a Rovers shirt, was “dropped in it on too many occasions by too many back passes putting him under pressure”.

Moore added: “It was frustrating when you consider how the pre-season went, how we passed the ball from the back and got our midfield players into the game.

“We conceded a goal early on from a free header and then a second from a long clearance down the middle. That left us 2-0 down without Swindon having to do very much.

“The two centre-backs know they are better than that – but unfortunately for us they chose to have an off-day.

“It looked like a typical Tranmere away defeat from last season and we can’t have that. The away form cost us promotion last season and we have got to get better.”