A look ahead to Wanderers' penultimate pre-season friendly - a trip to face Tranmere Rovers at Prenton Park
Tranmere Rovers v Bolton Wanderers,
Tuesday 7 August,
Prenton Park, 7.30pm Kick-Off
This Tuesday is the penultimate match of the latest pre-season programme, with Wanderers outfit set to travel to Prenton Park where they face Tranmere Rovers of League One.
The Wirral-based outfit have enjoyed a very satisfying pre-season to date and are unbeaten – a statistic that Owen Coyle and his players will be determined does not still stand come Wednesday morning.
Their current manager, Ronnie Moore, took charge at the club for a third time in March 2012 following the sacking of Les Parry.
Having enjoyed two spells as a player at Prenton Park, Moore previously managed the club on a short-term basis as caretaker in 1987, before he had indeed retired from playing, and again from 2006 to 2009.
In their so far unbeaten pre-season programme, Tranmere have demonstrated to their supporters that there is much to be optimistic about heading into the new season, playing some good football in spells on their way to picking up three wins and three draws.
Rovers opened their account in impressive fashion; registering 3-0 and 4-0 wins over Cammell Laird and Heswall respectively, before drawing 1-1 with Vauxhall Motors of the Conference North.
Moore’s side then drew again, this time 2-2 against Evo-Stik Northern Premier League outfit Marine, and followed up on this latest draw with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Everton XI in the Liverpool Senior cup Final.
And this past Saturday, Tranmere drew 3-3 away to Fleetwood Town, after which Moore expressed his unhappiness with his side’s defending. This will no doubt be an aspect that the Trotters will hope to further expose when the two sides meet on Tuesday night.
Defender Zat Knight insists that the players will look to returning to winning ways on Tuesday and is confident that the team can win promotion back to the Premier League this term.
“Against Portsmouth, we underestimated them slightly,” he said. “Many of their players were on trial. I think we went into the game a little half-heartedly and got punished at the beginning.
“We are a professional club and we are professional players. We had a lot of senior players on the pitch at Fratton Park and there were many things that we did not do properly.
“I believe that if we had done things properly then we would not have returned home with the result that we did. All we can do is chalk off the Portsmouth result and start putting things right, beginning at Tranmere.
“We are at the business end of pre-season now. The upcoming matches against Tranmere and Barcelona B will be a good test for us ahead of the season opener against Burnley.
“I do believe that we can get out of this league and back into the top flight at the first attempt. I am looking forward to the challenges ahead this season and I think all the lads are as well.”
Wanderers’ supporters attending the fixture will be located in the ground’s Cowshed Stand. Admission is priced at £10 for adults, £4 for seniors (60+) and young persons (17-22), and £3 for juniors (16 and under) and the disabled.