SOME of the finest players to grace Tranmere’s teams of the past were given a close-up view of why the current side faces a long and difficult fight for survival this winter. The heroes of yesteryear, parading before kick-off to mark the club’s 125th anniversary, put a lump in the throat of many a Rovers follower. But the warm glow of nostalgia that bathed Prenton Park during the first part of the afternoon gave way to the uncomfortable chill of present-day reality by the time the main event was over. The weaknesses of the team put together by John Barnes in the summer and passed into the caretaker charge of physio Les Parry three weeks ago, were ruthlessly exposed by Swindon Town. The visitors are not an exceptional side by League One standards but they are good one. They had more quality than Tranmere were able to cope with, notably in the form of two-goal striker Billy Paynter and winger Anthony McNamee. Rovers, having shown a good deal of spirit and organisation in their first three games under Parry’s temporary regime, were much less resilient this time. The team’s confidence and defensive discipline melted away after the game turned suddenly and decisively against them just after the half-hour mark. No amount of honest endeavour could make up for the ragged covering and lapses that cost four goals and enabled Swindon to create enough chances to have doubled their tally. It was easy, on this day of all days, to look at the famous faces among the crowd in the Main Stand and wish for a player of Steve Mungall’s strength of character, a defender of Clint Hill’s determination and a striker with the predatory powers of George Yardley. But there is no turning the clock back and precious little prospect of the squad being freshened up with new faces in the near future. Whoever takes on the responsibility of guiding Tranmere through the remainder of the season will find the budget is largely spent, the scope for change limited. Parry and coaches Shaun Garnett and Wayne Allison have made some positive progress by reorganising a squad, selected by Barnes to play a passing game, into following more direct and straightforward style. However, they cannot escape the constraints of a lack of physical stature among the players and a shortage of pace in midfield. None of those shortcomings held Tranmere back during the opening 25 minutes on Saturday when they looked capable of posting a fourth League One win of the season. They were busy and purposeful. If Rovers lacked the cutting edge to carve out clear cut scoring opportunities, they at least pressed Swindon back into their own half for long periods and made the visitors look uncomfortable. | 
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