Moore happy with some healthy competition

Jan 30 2009 by Nick Hilton, Liverpool Daily Post

IT IS a measure of how well Tranmere are adapting to a new playing pattern that two of the mainstays of the side may struggle to make the starting XI this weekend.

Striker Bas Savage and skipper Antony Kay have been among the first names on the team sheet through most of the season.

But Savage is expected to start the League One encounter at Crewe Alexandra on the bench as manager Ronnie Moore keeps faith with the innovative attacking combination of Ian Moore and Chris Shuker.

Meanwhile Kay cannot be sure of reclaiming the midfield slot – even if he passes a late fitness test – because Gareth Edds delivered two positive performances and two goals in his absence.

Manager Moore says he intends to keep faith with the tactical system built around the forward partnership of Ian Moore and Shuker, which delivered two home wins in four days over Carlisle United and Stockport County.

Moore said: “There is pressure on Bas and there is pressure on Antony Kay, which is healthy. It is what I want.

“Bas really has not had that much pressure on him because so many of our strikers were unavailable. Chris Greenacre, Craig Curran and Terry Gornell have all been injured and Ian Moore was playing on the right wing.

“But now we are not a million miles from getting Greenacre and Curran back, Terry Gornell is training again and Ian Moore is playing up front.

“The pressure is good. If players can’t cope with pressure they should not be professional footballers.”

Kay had to relinquish his central midfield role halfway through the win over Carlisle last Saturday because of a back muscle strain.

Moore said: “Anthony has the same pressure as Bas. He gave his all when he played the first half of the Carlisle game and there are plenty of people who would not have tried to start. But he had to come off after 45 minutes because of the injury and Edds came in to do well in the next game and a half, scoring the two goals.

“He would be disappointed if he was left out. That is a decision I have to make this a nice kind of headache to have.”

Moore added: “Antony Kay is still sore in the side and it will be a late decision on whether he is fit to play. Everyone wants to play when the team is winning. The little knocks and strains melt away.”

Versatile Australian Edds waited 22 games before scoring his first League One goal for Tranmere, against Carlisle, then followed up with another against Stockport three days later.

Moore said: “Gareth was scoring goals for fun during the pre-season programme. The chances were still coming his way in league games but he did not take them. If you keep getting into the right positions, sooner or later the ball is going to go in. Gareth had the conference to keep going and he does do well in timing his runs into the box. I am pleased it has started to work out for him.”

While Edds was breaking his Rovers scoring-duck over the last week, Ian Moore notched three strikes to establish himself as the team’s leading marksman.

The 32-year-old’s pace and know-how made him an effective foil to the tricks and invention of Shuker, enabling Tranmere to build attacks around passing and movement.

The manager said: “Ian is a striker first and foremost and he has always scored goals. It is more difficult to get them when you’re playing on the right wing and that was down to me. I put Ian out there because he is disciplined and could play the orthodox winger’s role with a bit more defensive awareness.

“Now he has the freedom to be an out and out striker he will be staying there. He has pace and when he gets opportunities, he does not miss that often.”

The next test will be of the system’s ability to deliver the away wins that are required to strengthen Tranmere’s promotion challenge.

Rovers head to Gresty Road with only two points to show from their last six League One games on the road.

However, Moore says he will be cofident of the outcome if Tranmere can repeat the form they showed in a 1-0 defeat at Millwall, where the new playing pattern was first tried to weeks ago.

Moore said: “The big thing is to go and reproduce the level of performance we achieved at Millwall. We played well that day and deserved to come home with the result. If we can put some consistency into our performances, I am sure the away wins will come.”