Weekend off gives Tranmere Rovers boss Les Parry chance to spread his scouting net far and wide

Dec 2 2011 by Nick Hilton, Liverpool Daily Post

TRANMERE will spread the scouting net far and wide as they take advantage of a weekend without a first-team fixture.

Manager Les Parry is heading to Fleetwood tonight to check on the form of Yeovil Town, League One opponents for Rovers next month, in an FA Cup second round tie.

Tomorrow he will be at Barnet, where MK Dons, League One visitors to Prenton Park on Saturday, December 10, will also be in FA Cup action. Meanwhile members of his backroom staff will be talent spotting at Football League and Conference games.

Rovers will have representatives at matches tomorrow involving Vauxhall Motors and Cammell Laird, non-league clubs where youth team trainees Cole Stockton and Will Vaulks are out on loan.

Parry said: “Everyone from the coaching staff will be out on Saturday watching different games. I’ll be going to look at Yeovil and MK Dons, we are watching some Conference sides and the young lads out on loan to non-league teams will be watched.”

Parry’s immediate priority is to assess the form of promotion chasers MK Dons, formidable opponents Tranmere must overcome next weekend if they are to break a sequence of six league and cup games without a victory.

The enforced break from competitive action, caused by Tranmere’s first-round exit from the FA Cup at the hands of Cheltenham Town, has at least given Parry and his staff time to work on the causes of a slump in results over the last month.

Parry said: “We did need to focus on what has changed (in our performances). That takes time. We needed to do some work in basic areas and I don’t mind the week being free from that perspective.

“It has given me time to focus on what we are doing now against what we were doing when the results were better.”

Parry admitted that the 3-0 defeat to Exeter City last weekend “got to me a bit for two or three days.”

But he added: “Being too heavy with criticism can have a negative effect. It’s something we have to be careful of. We don’t want to get too carried away following a defeat or a number of defeats.

“We showed the lads on the DVD that they were doing lots of positive things in the Exeter game. Our build-up play was good. Defensively we were poor and conceded three poor goals and we have been concentrating on that.”

Tranmere are hopeful that Enoch Showunmi will be fit and available for a return to the side against MK Dons. The tall target man is fighting off an ankle injury.

Parry said: “Enoch’s ankle is improving. Hopefully he will be in the reckoning for next weekend which will be a massive boost for us.”

However, there will be no quick return for Zoumana Bakayogo after the Frenchman suffered a knee injury playing for the reserves last week. Parry said: “Zoum is going to be out for another three weeks. He still quite sore.”

SUPPORTERS can meet the players and coaching staff at Tranmere’s special “Signing Day” at Prenton Park on Monday. The entire first team squad will be on hand to sign autographs and personalise Christmas gifts at the club shop between 4pm and 5pm.

TRANMERE have put half season tickets on sale, with prices starting at £175 for adults, £100 for seniors and Young Persons and £60 for juniors. The ticket covers all League One games from Monday December 26 onwards. Adult purchasers qualify for a free away shirt subject to size and availability.