Les Parry is hoping Tranmere can give a repeat performance against Brentford

Jan 7 2012 Liverpool Echo

TRANMERE kick into the second half of the League One campaign today still looking for the confidence and assertive form that marked their progress through the early months.

If manager Les Parry could choose a performance to provide a template for what he is striving for, it would be the 2-0 win at Brentford at the end of August.

The return encounter with the Bees at Prenton Park this afternoon finds Rovers striving to demonstrate that the worst of a steep dip in form is now behind them.

They halted a run of six straight league and cup defeats with a 2-0 win over Bury in their last outing at Prenton Park. A 2-1 defeat at second placed Sheffield Wednesday at the start of this week showed there is still spirit in the side, even if they are not quite the tight and unyielding unit they were during August and October.

Parry said: “Brentford away was one of our best performances of the season. It is the template for what we are looking for now.

“That day we stopped them playing, closed them down and worked terrifically hard. We do need to get back to that level of sharpness.”

Parry remains convinced that denying the opposition the opportunity to play holds the key to Tranmere’s success in the New Year.

He said: “We’ve had a look at the last two games and at the first half of the Sheffield Wednesday game in particular. We used to be sharper at closing teams down than that. We’ve lost an edge.

“I say to the lads: don’t just go there, get there. At the moment we are going there. There is a big difference. We want that sharpness back.

“A lot of it comes with confidence. Not wanting to put yourself in a position where you could lose out is probably preferable if you are not confident. When you are confident, you just go for it.”

Brentford look like they could be more difficult opponents at Prenton Park than they were at Griffin Park four months ago. Uwe Rosler’s team have been more successful on the road, winning five games, drawing four and losing only twice. They have lost five at home. The consistency of the away form has helped the Bees to stay within three points of the play-off places.

Parry said: “Quite a number of teams in our division have better results away than at home, although we are not one of them.”

Brentford’s line-up is likely to include Everton academy graduate Jake Bidwell. Defender Bidwell is due to return to Goodison after making his sixth Brentford appearance against Rovers but manager Rosler is keen to keep him for longer.

Midfielder Piero Mingola was recruited on loan from Watford on Thursday.

Parry says he is looking to make a couple of signings in the loan market before the close of the January transfer window and a striker will be near the top of his priorities.

The need to make signings in other areas is less clear-cut. Parry explained: “The injury situation has a huge bearing on our plans. For instance, we have Martin Devaney almost ready to come back. He’s been very ill with chickenpox for the last two weeks but is not far away now. It will be like having a new player when we get him playing the way he was at the beginning of the season.

“It is the same with Ian Goodison. He aggravated a hamstring injury at Sheffield Wednesday and we’re not too sure about him for the Brentford game. But why bring in a centre-half when we almost have Ian Goodison back?”

Parry says he took encouragement from aspects of the Sheffield Wednesday game, not least the way his team kept the Owls on the back foot during the second half after being fortunate to reach the interval only two goals down.

“We have to take the positives out of the Sheffield Wednesday game and forget the first 15 minutes,” Parry said. “The lads showed a lot of character in the second half.”

But it was the home success over the Shakers, ending a wait of more than two months for a victory, that brought a huge sigh of relief around Prenton Park.

“The Bury game was massive,” Parry said. “I take pride in what I do and the staff take pride in what they do. People have been saying nice things about our performances and we were playing okay but we were losing games, there’s no getting away from that.

“That puts pressure on you. I don’t mean pressure on my job but pressure on my pride and the pride of the staff because none of us likes being beaten at anything.”

Parry must also check on the condition of Andy Robinson, who was ruled out of the Sheffield Wednesday game with food poisoning.