The Official Tranmere Rovers Match Thread (Sponsored by A Six Hour Flight Delay "for all your early match thread needs")

After back-to-back wins it's now back-to-back defeats that, barring a miracle, have realistically nixed any lingering play-off hopes we might have had. Tuesday night's defeat in the sleet away at promotion hopefuls Notts County nearly saw us nick a point, but a combination of excellent goalkeeping and poor finishing cost us after we gift-wrapped County their opener with some of slackest marking since my A-Level results. That we could have come home with something after a total mess of a first half shows yet again why you don't have to be a particularly special side to do battle at the right end of the table and we're still miles away. Sigh.

On Saturday we take on an opponent who is more our calibre, Tranmere Rovers making the journey down to Priestfield hoping to end an awful run of form that has seen them take just six points from the last 30, with five successive defeats destroying their previously balanced record of eight wins, eight draws and eight losses. They've been busy in the transfer window, James Plant and Lewis Warrington arriving on permanent deals from Port Vale and Walsall respectively, supplemented by another five loanees including a striker in the shape of one Max Dickov (yes, of course he fucking is) who I'm sure would love to shatter Gillingham hearts just like his old man did all those years ago, the Sweaty dwarf.

In terms of GA and Gills, well, the emperor isn't wearing no clothes just yet, but he's certainly giving us the occasional flash of his arse cheeks if Tuesday night's mind-boggling line-up and mystifying formation is anything to go by. Three wins from the last 19 league games (and against the dregs of the division) is unacceptable and he cannot be immune from criticism. Plonking our brand new striker out on the wing and allowing our new central midfielder just eight minutes of pitch time in two games is questionable management and his choices on Saturday will be under closer scrutiny should we not take all three points.

Ainsworth will probably mix the starting XI up again on Saturday, Dack is likely to return from the start, possibly McCleary too. Beckles had a reasonable first game at County and will likely start again. Defensively there's a number of questions given the lopsided nature of the players available to us, especially with Masterson and probably Cirino out of contention. Andrews and Palmer-Houlden ran around achieving nine-tenths of fuck all on Tuesday, and had it not been for a head knock for Sam Vokes, I would have anticipated him being heavily involved. Personally, I'd go Hale and Palmer-Houlden as a front two pairing, but I doubt we'll see that happen.

The head to head lead is with Tranmere, 15 wins from 43 with just ten for us and 18 draws. It's unusual for draws to lead the stats but most of these stem from close encounters in the 60's and 70's. In recent times we've done well against Rovers at Priestfield, three wins from the last four. For the highlights we go back to 2013/14 and two late goals giving as a 2-0 home win. The first goal, a sublime volley in front of the Rainham End from a sprightly young Dacky was followed up in the last minute by Cody Mac slotting into an empty net after Tranny keeper Owain Williams had gone up for a late corner.

The Rainham End attendance barometer shows that, even two days out, the fans are voting with their feet. Uninspired by the fare on display, unattractive opponents and shite weather, there's 291 tickets remaining, a far cry from last week's near sell-out. Overall there's 2306 available tickets remaining in the home ends, and who can blame people for considering their weekend alternatives?

On the subject of alternatives, I'm meant to be in Berlin this weekend to see a Deftones gig followed by plenty of steins of the local Bräu with Fräu, however, a six hour weather delay to my flight has given me the opportunity to scribble this nonsense in an overpriced coffee-shop at Luton airport whilst waiting patiently for any news of Brandenburg Airport reopening to allow my flight to finally leave. The attraction of the duty free shops begins to fade rapidly after the first three hours...

Enjoy the game if you're going, and...

COYG!!!