TRANMERE’S James Norwood looks a completely different player this season. His crisp finish against Guiseley last Monday made it five goals already.
I don’t think Forest Green used him to their advantage. He scored goals, but they didn’t get the best out of him and often stuck him on the wing.
Even though now he’s playing a similar position, it seems he’s got more of a free role. He can come deep to get the ball and he can run in behind to stretch play. At Forest Green it was more of ‘You stay there and if you get the ball do this’.
Sometimes people have questioned his attitude, but Gary Brabin is an excellent man-manager and seems to get the best out of him. That makes a massive difference.
Look at Connor Jennings under Gary Mills at Wrexham last season. Norwood seems like the type of person who needs an arm around him but in his interview on TV after the Guiseley game he came across well.
He’s clearly an intelligent lad and that’s showing in his game and the goals he’s scoring. That’s credit to him. He was Brabin’s first signing last summer and people umm-ed and ahh-ed whether it was the right signing.
Now if a League Two club came in for him you’d think, ‘Yeah, he could do it at the next level’. A couple of years ago it would be seen as more of a risk. Now you’d be getting a player scoring goals, someone who’s a lot cleverer in the runs he’s making, and someone who has improved.
The opposition will be fearing him because he’s got pace and runs in behind. Look at players who have done well in recent seasons.
Padraig Amond at Grimsby: Pace. Runs in behind. Dan Holman at Cheltenham: Pace. Runs in behind. Matty Taylor at?Bristol?Rovers:?Pace. Runs in behind. Andre Gray at Luton: Pace. Runs in behind. It’s a massive trait in the National League.
No doubt he’ll be up there in the scoring charts come the end of the season. As will Tranmere in the National League table.
They look a lot brighter going forward. Connor Jennings from Wrexham is in excellent addition, as is Andy Cook from Barrow.
Moaning
I always felt too much pressure was put on Norwood last season to really project them forward. So Cook’s signing has been key. He’s the sort of player they’ve been looking for. A No.9 who can hold the ball up in the final third, bring people into play and scores goals himself.
It allows the two men off him – Connor Jennings and Norwood – to make runs you probably wouldn’t have seen last year.
I was at their 1-0 win against Guiseley. It wasn’t an easy game because of the way Guiseley set up. In the National League, the turnover of the ball is quite quick.
Guiseley had Adam Boyes up front on his own with Will Hatfield playing just off him. The gap between Boyes and the midfield was massive. Tranmere could have pushed both full-backs on and just left Michael Ihiekwe and Steve McNulty to look after the solo striker.
The crowd were moaning a lot. That adds unnecessary pressure to players. In the second half, Jeff Hughes had a shot from 25 yards. He should have turned out, kept the ball and tried to move it in the opposite direction. But I knew if he did that the crowd would have groaned.
Expectation
There will be times this season when the crowd will be right behind Tranmere and that’s only good. But when it’s the other way it can be a disadvantage. Look at their home record last season – they lost nine games.
The balance of the side now is better. Adam Mekki came on against Guiseley and gave them a different dimension. I still think they need to add some depth in midfield and get someone different to Jay Harris and Steve Jennings, who are both good sitting midfielders.
After Bristol Rovers and Cheltenham went straight back up after relegation from the Football League, all of a sudden there’s an expectation others will do the same.
I can’t see York City doing it this season, but Dagenham & Redbridge have a chance. For me it’s a three-horse race between Daggers, Forest Green and Tranmere.
