Let’s stick together is Curran’s rallying cry

Sep 16 2009 by Nick Hilton, Liverpool Daily Post

Let’s stick together is Curran’s rallying cry

CRAIG CURRAN insists the players are feeling the pain of Tranmere’s poor start to the season as keenly as the supporters and says: “Let’s work together.”

The young striker was in the Rovers line-up that suffered a sixth defeat in seven League One outings at the hands of Walsall last weekend.

While some fans were chanting for the dismissal of manager John Barnes for a second home game in succession, Curran declared: “We all have to stick together in hard times.”

Curran added: “We are just as upset as the fans about what’s been happening. We can understand their frustration. I hope they understand we, as players, are feeling it too.”

The 19-year-old product of the Prenton Park youth development system believes Rovers deserved better than a 3-2 defeat for their spirited efforts against the Saddlers.

But he acknowledges the goals conceded on the counter-attack were symptomatic of the problems besetting the team over the last month.

He said: “I thought we worked our socks off against Walsall and we still ended up getting beaten. For most of the first half they did not look like hurting us at all.

“I thought we were going to batter Walsall at one point. But it never happened and that was such a disappointment for everyone. We really do need to start putting games to bed when we are on top.”

Curran believes the Tranmere players are responding to manager John Barnes’ attempts to rebuild confidence on the training ground.

While the performance against Walsall contained little of the pass and move football Rovers produced in patches of their early-season games, there was a more robust and spirited quality to their play than in more recent matches.

“We were closer to producing a good performance against Walsall,” Curran said. “Everyone was up for it and we wanted to push on. We felt the confidence was coming back. Stupid mistakes led to us conceding goals at important times. That’s got to stop.”

Curran, looking to establish himself as a first-team regular after back and stomach injuries seriously interrupted his progress last season, has started in seven of Tranmere’s nine league and cup games in the current campaign.

He can expect to face stiff competition for a striking position as early-season signings Michael Ricketts and Kithson Bain settle into the squad.

The experienced Ricketts, who had to play catch-up with his fitness during August, made a first senior start against Walsall.

Bain, a 27-year-old Grenada international who signed a season-long contract last week, made a 35-minute appearance as a substitute on Saturday, with Curran moving to the right flank.

The new arrival made a positive contribution, showing the pace and strength that caught Barnes’ eye in the Caribbean.

Barnes said: “There was a buzz of excitement when Kithson came on. He’s an inexperienced amateur player from Grenada so he is not the answer to all of our problems. But he can strengthen us. He is very quick and that is something we have been lacking.

“If we can create the opportunities to get the ball through to him, then that can work. But it is going to be a very stupid opposing team that lets us play long balls over the top for Kithson to run on goal.

“We still have to play through midfield.”