Tranmere Rovers caretaker manager Les Parry looks to phase two of team’s recovery

Oct 27 2009 by Nick Hilton, Liverpool Daily Post

CARETAKER manager Les Parry aims to take Tranmere’s on-the-field recovery and rehabilitation programme into a second phase – if he is allowed the time.

The long-serving physio inherited a patient in less than healthy condition when he accepted temporary charge of team affairs at Prenton Park following the sacking of John Barnes on October 9.

As Parry begins his third week in the job, he is satisfied the chronic defensive deficiencies in the side are responding to treatment administered with the aid of coaches Shaun Garnett and Wayne Allison.

The flood of goals Tranmere were conceding during the first two months of the campaign is drying to a trickle of one per game.

Parry says his next move will be to work on sharpening the cutting edge of Rovers’ attack after losing two of his three matches in charge to a single goal.

Time could be short however, as chairman Peter Johnson and his directors interview applicants this week for the post of permanent successor to Barnes.

Many supporters are hoping the board will seriously consider the option of sticking with the current regime. They have won respect for engineering a significant improvement in performances, even though results – one win and two narrow defeats – have not fully reflected their work.

Parry said: “I honestly believe we did not deserve to be beaten in the two games we’ve lost, to Stockport and Hartlepool. The performances have been good. But we need results.

“When we started the team were shipping three goals per game. Our number one aim was to address that because we needed to score four or five goals to win a game.

“I think we’ve done that. If we are still in place a little bit longer, we will start to look at improving other areas of our game, notably scoring goals. We want to move it on a stage.”

Parry added: “Having said that, I really don’t think another manager coming in could have done any better. I don’t think anyone could have got more out of the players.

“When you consider where we were, where the lads were in terms of confidence, then from the starting point we’ve come a million miles.”

A revised and more straightforward playing style, new tactics and a change in focus on the training ground have all contributed to stronger and more resilient performances in the last three games.

Parry concedes, however, that nothing will have a more beneficial psychological impact than a few victories. He said: “We are trying to take positives out of the game when we lose – but the fact is we are still being beaten.

“So we are trying to show the lads that if they carry on performing the way they are, then the results will come.

“It’s not about luck. You have to do the simple things right, which is take your chances and defend properly. If you don’t do those two things right, you lose, as we found last Saturday.”

The 1-0 defeat at Hartlepool left Rovers next to bottom of the League One table, four points adrift of a place of safety.

Tranmere will lose Charlie Barnett to a three-match suspension after deciding they will not appeal against the midfielder’s dismissal at Hartlepool.

Barnett’s suspension begins with Saturday’s home game against Swindon.