Tranmere Squad Taking Shape

Tranmere have been handed an early pre-season boost with the news that some familiar faces will be at Prenton Park next season.

Midfielder Andy Robinson has delighted fans by signing a new one-year deal with the club after returning from his holiday whilst full-back Michael Kay and midfielder Robbie Weir, who both spent the second half of last season on loan from Sunderland, have each put pen to paper on a one year contract.

An option has been taken up by Tranmere to extend the contract of the Irish centre back Mark McChrystal, who arrived on the Wirral in January from Derry City, for another two years hoping that he can put in a string of confident and composed performances as he did last season.

Danny Holmes is the first player to sign for the Whites this Summer but, having been released back in 2009, it seems like more of a homecoming for the Rovers fan. He arrives from Welsh Premier League side TNS with rave reviews after being named in the team of the year by eight of the twelve managers in the league.

Most fans will not be surprised at the news of the contract renewals though it is pleasing to see that we remain a somewhat attractive proposition to players though better offers from elsewhere would, no doubt, not require a second thought.

For youngsters like Kay, Weir and Holmes, playing for us provides them with a chance to gain experience in a good standard of first team football that acts as a platform upon which they can build themselves the foundations for a successful career at a higher level having earned us a handsome sum in the process.

Robinson, by all accounts, could be seen as a luxury signing as it is common knowledge between Rovers fans that his salary is fairly larger than that of the majority of the first team squad. Fitness is key for the former Swansea talisman; I firmly believe that he still has the ability be one of the best players in the league on his day. If we can get him fit and keep him fit then we have a quality player on our hands.

McChrystal is being given a second crack at the English game after being released by Wolves without making an appearance. At the age of 26, it would not be too far-fetched to suggest that his best years are yet to come and hopefully we can be the beneficiaries of this. He is a calming influence at the back and, to me, seems like a natural replacement for the evergreen Ian Goodison.

The rebuilding process now begins in earnest for Les Parry, who will be bringing in a number of trialists in the coming weeks in order to boost numbers in one of the smaller squads in League One. A 46 game season is tough enough with a large squad but for clubs with small budgets it can be taxing and this is reflected through achievement on the field.

It is no secret that money is tight at Tranmere and now, more than ever, value for money is needed. Quite simply, we cannot afford to have passengers within the squad. Some fans are yet to be convinced by Parry whilst others simply back him because they have no other choice.

Personally, I think Parry should have left after keeping us up at Stockport in May 2010 but bringing in some quality players would go a long way to gaining more supporters of his regime.

From Birkenhead to Bayern Munich

Life probably seems quite surreal to Dale Jennings right now. Merely ten months after making his first-team debut at the tender age of 17 at home to Charlton, Jennings is on the verge of a move to European giants Bayern Munich.

His cameo against Charlton began a rocket-like ascent to stardom that led to widespread interest in his services after just four months of first-team football. Tranmere, however, rejected the advances of numerous Premier League and Championship clubs as we were eager to keep hold of their talisman in the midst of a relegation dogfight.

Having survived and guaranteed ourselves another season of League One football, it now seems inevitable that we will have to part with our prize possession.

Bayern Munich are in pole position to snap up Jennings, who is supposedly having a medical and discussing personal terms as I write this, having inquired about his availability shortly after the end of the season. A trial was offered and a formal bid has been made for the former Liverpool trainee that has been accepted after discussion in the Tranmere boardroom.

Rumours were circulating in the national press suggest that West Ham were also interested after seeing a £600,000 bid rejected in January. A change of manager hadn't put the Hammers off and they apparently offered a deal that could have risen to £1.7m though more than half of that would have been clause based.

Anyone who is in their right mind knows and appreciates that the decision for Dale should be an easy one: Bayern Munich, the European powerhouse, or West Ham United, the club whose owners have more bollocks between them than brain cells.

Although the transfer is all but complete, I do have my reservations about the move.

At Bayern Munich it is unlikely that Jennings will get a look-in with their first team for a good few years at the very least. As good as he is, he still has a lot of work to do before he is anywhere near the standards of players like Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery; though training with players of such quality would only be beneficial for his development.

Or perhaps they could learn something from him? His wonder-goal against Plymouth was one of the strikes of the season and rave reviews soon followed with scouts flocking from across the country and, seemingly, Europe to watch one of the Football League's hottest talents.

Dale's achievements from September onward were encapsulated when he beat Southampton's £10m rated Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to the League One Apprentice of the Year award at the Football League awards ceremony in March.

Obviously, I wish Dale all the best wherever he ends up but my primary concern is for Tranmere Rovers Football Club and I'd prefer it if we got as much money for him as we can. Judging by the fees being reported, this deal will be the most lucrative for us since Ryan Taylor left for Wigan back in 2005.

Plying his trade with the Bayern second team would also mean that we miss out on more money in the transfer as the clauses would presumably be based upon first team appearances; the chances of him getting enough to trigger the clause, in my opinion, are small.

Whereas, at West Ham, the chances of him playing in their first team are a lot higher and would therefore be of more benefit for the player and for us as a club due to the appearance-based clauses in any potential deal.

Jennings moving to Bayern Munich would do wonders for the reputation of our club, which has waned in recent years with players not coming off the production line as frequently as we would have liked. The days of us producing Premier League standard players like Ryan Taylor, Jason Koumas and Steve Simonsen seem distant but there is still a pool of talent out there waiting for an opportunity to shine.

After being released by Liverpool, Dale came to us on trial and managed to earn a scholarship which has led to one of the biggest clubs in Europe vying for his signature. Had he given up and become disillusioned with the game after his release this situation would never have happened.

It is a testament to the attitude of Jennings and the effort of the Tranmere youth system that he was given an opportunity to bounce back in the manner he did to catapult himself firmly into the spotlight and into the top tier of a major European league.

Wenger Working On Borrowed Time

The time has come for one of the unthinkable things in football to happen. Arsene Wenger should leave his post as Arsenal manager after almost 15 years in charge.

An absurd claim it may be but it is not one without substance.

A barren run of six trophyless years has seen Wenger’s side diminish from one of the most feared in the nation to a laughing stock. Once at the top of the food chain, they are now easy prey for those who have taken their place.

Wenger is so often a victim of his own philosophy. Aesthetically pleasing their football may be; there is a huge element of frustration about the countless occasions that Arsenal have tried to walk the ball into the net and paid the price for not turning their pressure and possession into goals. No plan B is evident when things do not go their way and there is certainly nothing to suggest that winning ugly is even at the nadir of the Arsenal agenda.

It seems as though ugly wins are not accepted and this remains one of Wenger’s greatest drawbacks. Whilst the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea are content to grind out a scrappy 1-0 win, Arsenal are not as it betrays everything they stand for. However, in a results-driven business, sacrifices must be made in order to gain success.

Blind faith keeps Wenger in a job but for how much longer?

In true Wenger fashion, the man they call ‘The Professor’, has failed to address the glaring shortcomings within the squad despite the world being able to see them – much like a lot of refereeing decisions that go in Arsenal’s favour. Refusal to spend money on quality players has seen Arsenal suffer yet still Wenger will deny that the problems exist.

There is no obvious leader within the Arsenal side. As good a player as Cesc Fabregas is, I do not consider him to be captain material. Long gone are the days of Patrick Vieira and Tony Adams, men who would drive the team on and set an example that the rest of the squad would follow.

Perhaps Arsenal’s greatest weakness is the defence. The signings of centre-back pairing Laurent Koscielny and Sébastien Squillaci have proved to be nothing more than a horror show as the pair have put on episode after episode of nightmare performances alongside each other in the absence of the excellent Thomas Vermaelen.

Wenger’s abstention from consummating the defensive frailty of his side has resulted in fruitless pursuits of trophies.

A defensive catastrophe cost them a chance of winning the Carling Cup at Wembley back in February whilst a catalogue of goalkeeping errors have failed to spark a reaction from Wenger in the form of a new goalkeeper. Lukasz Fabianski, Manuel Almunia and Wojiech Szczesny have all had their moments.

A top class goalkeeper is needed to provide stability and confidence at the back. An assured centre-back wouldn’t go amiss either – Gary Cahill and Christopher Samba are reportedly at the top of the wish-list. The money has always been there for such additions but Wenger has simply refused to spend it out of ignorance.

The Emirates Stadium - A home for false dawns and delusion.

For years there has been an emphasis on youth at Arsenal which give Wenger excuses when questioned by the media. For six long years his players have been maturing and you could be forgiven for thinking that Arsene was a Liverpool fan with his ‘next year’ mentality.

The fact of the matter is that the squads he has had over the last six years haven’t been good enough yet Wenger still uses age as an excuse for failure. Half a dozen years is more than enough time, Arsene, and your mitigations are becoming more and more tedious every time you use them.

The supposed infallibility which Wenger has stems from past successes which have meant that fans have been reluctant to criticise him but over the last few seasons patience has worn thin and an increasing number have expressed their concern at what is going on at the Emirates and rightfully so.

Would such failure be tolerated at other clubs? A quick glance across London towards Stamford Bridge tells you the answer: a definitive no. Carlo Ancelotti was mercilessly sacked for one trophyless season at Chelsea yet Wenger has been allowed six. Blind faith, it appears, dictates the running of the Gunners.

In reality, Arsene Wenger is in the same boat as Sir Alex Ferguson whereby his health will dictate the length of his reign. He will not be sacked; he will leave of his own accord but if Arsenal have any ambition they should replace him with a man who has a winning mentality because it is obvious to me that Wenger has lost his.