Interim manager Nigel Adkins says his Tranmere side are focused on “doing basics to an elite level”, ahead of Saturday’s trip to Crawley Town.
Rovers are winless since beating Harrogate Town a month ago, but the former Southampton boss believes in the strength and quality of the squad to turn things around as he prepares to take his first game in charge.
“It’s been a busy week. Everybody has applied themselves in the right manner. We’ve got good, genuine, honest, hardworking people here who care, and want to do well.
“It’s been a challenging time. We’ve got a belonging here; things might be going against us but it’s going against all of us. It’s an ‘us’, it’s a ‘we’.
“I’ve been into Prenton Park to engage with everybody who works at the stadium. We all have a role to play, however small people may think that is. It’s invaluable for all of us.
“I’m honoured to have a role to play at Tranmere Rovers. My hometown team, the team I support, the team I made my debut for.
“We’ve been looking at doing basics well to an elite level. What’s our structure, giving people clear roles and responsibilities. Likewise, flip it, give the players the confidence and belief from an attacking point of view.”
Adkins highlighted Luke Norris, Lee O’Connor, Harvey Saunders, Paul Lewis and Jake Leake as those who are recovering from injuries at present.
“They’re all desperate to get back and be involved, they’re working really hard,” he said. “We’ve got a great medical team here, and they’re being well taken care of.
“They’re hurting as well, because they’re not in the team and want to be able to help their teammates. I’m really pleased with the way they’ve applied themselves and the sooner we get them back, the better for everybody.”
With the transfer window shut, the interim boss is looking into the free agent market for some potential incomings to bolster the squad.
“We’ve had a couple of players in this week, we’ll have a few more in I’m sure. We’re getting recommendations all the time. With that, they probably haven’t had a pre-season, haven’t been training, so therefore they’re likely not in a position to play in the team at the moment and make an impact.
“The players we’ve had in this week have done themselves no harm with the way they’ve applied themselves.”
Finally, Adkins looked ahead to Saturday’s challenging trip to Crawley, with the side desperate to get back to winning ways: “First and foremost, know yourself. Then, establish how our identity can impact the opposition.
“Crawley have massive threats. They’re very good at what they do, they have been for a long time, and they’re very successful with it. We’ve got to come up with solutions and deal with that, but flip it, what can we do when we’ve got the ball.”
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