DAVIES IS DREAMING OF DOUBLE
Keeper eyes up Rovers and City success
TRANMERE’S Scott Davies has already envisaged his dream end to the season.
A fantasy seven-day stretch begins with Micky Mellon’s Rovers sealing back-to-back promotions at the League Two play-off final at Wembley on May 25 before Davies’ beloved Manchester City clinch a first Champions League title on June 1.
Some footballers may shy away from making their allegiances public but the Tranmere goalie is an unashamed City fan – and with Rovers’ top-seven bid in fine fettle, he’s eyeing double delight.
“The plan is to win the playoffs come the end of May and then the weekend after, go and watch City in Madrid in the Champions League final – that would be the ultimate start to the summer,” said 32-year-old Davies.
Watching
“When I’m not playing myself, I’m at the games watching. I grew up watching them and my family have supported them forever, so fortunately or unfortunately, I had no choice in the matter!
“For the first chunk of my life, it was unfortunately but, thankfully, now we’re getting a bit of success.”
Time will tell if Pep Guardiola’s Premier League giants hold up their end of the bargain but Tranmere, sixth pre-weekend, have made a sublime return to the EFL following their three-season exile to the National League.
Former Fleetwood man Davies, who has taken on the captain’s armband when veteran defender Steve McNulty has been unavailable, says there hasn’t been any miracle innovation behind Rovers’ resurgence.
Instead, Tranmere’s players insist on telling it like it is in the dressing room.
“When things aren’t going right, we thrash things out and tell each other what we think behind closed doors, and that can only help in putting things right,” added Davies.
“We have big characters that demand a certain standard dayin, day-out, and that’s what the manager and his coaching staff drive as well. If we reach those standards, then results show.
“I still look at big Macca – Steve McNulty – as captain but when he’s not playing and the manager asks me to lead, I will.
“I’ve been around the block now. It doesn’t change my game, wearing the armband, but I’ll always have something to say in the dressing room and if I can help people, I’ll help people.”
Onlookers might also point to the productivity of James Norwood – League Two’s top scorer, who had hit 23 league goals heading into Friday’s clash with Crewe – but Davies has seen this sort of striking success before and knows it’s a result of a concerted team effort.
Success
He said: “I played in a team at Fleetwood with Jamie Vardy, so it was similar – he scored the goals, so he deserves the credit.
“You don’t win games without them but I’m sure that James will be the first person to say what a hard-working group he’s got behind him that have enabled him to go and win the games for us.” From mid-January, Tranmere did lose three on the bounce but they appear to be back at their best, with Davies savouring the thrill of the chase. “I think the key thing is that seasons aren’t won or lost in short spells. They’re long for a reason and the best teams win the league for a reason,” said the Rovers stopper. “We’ll judge ourselves come May but at the moment we’re still fighting for the positions we set out to fight for.”