TRANMERE finish their League Two campaign at Accrington Stanley on Saturday with little to play for but pride. 

Losing seven of their first eight matches in League Two this season put Rovers in early relegation danger, but following the appointment of Nigel Adkins following the sacking of previous manager, Ian Dawes, the Prenton Park outfit recovered well. 

With a victory on Saturday, Tranmere will better their points total from the previous campaign (58), though they can end no better than 15th, marking the first time they have finished in the bottom half of the table since being relegated into League Two in 2019-20.

"It's a game of football and you're representing Tranmere Rovers Football Club," said Adkins. "It's a game of football with your mates and like every game you want to win, have fun, enjoy it and you want to compete. 

"You have fans paying hard earned cash to come and watch this so we need that engagement and we need to go out and do all we can to win.

"We have been on a decent run, we play good attacking football, we score goals and we find our centre forwards as good as anyone.

"We have been beaten the top three teams in the division who have been promoted so from my point of view there has been some good football but the caveat is we have let in some poor goals at times and that has been reflected in the results."

Adkins was made permanent manager on a two-and-a-half-year deal back in November 2023. He was made technical director in the summer before taking over first-team affairs in September after Ian Dawes was sacked and as he admits, a return to full-time management was not on his agenda. 

"It wasn't the plan but I've ended up being the manager," he said. "It's what I do. I have managed in the Premier League with two clubs and won promotions through the divisions so I have a lot of experience and it was here where it all started for me. 

"I love being a manager. I'm passionate about what I do and I love football. This was the club I supported as a youngster - I used to run on the pitch and try and try and get Ronnie Moore's tie-ups and then scarper up Woodchurch Road and try and get home in one piece. 

"I made my debut for the club aged 17 so I have a lot of affinity for them and when Mark (Palios, co-chairman) asked me to take over and steady the ship it was the logical decision as we could go back to the National League after everything the club has been through. 

"Credit to Mark and Nicola Palios - they have kept the football club going and people might not appreciate that at times. We have been on a good forward projection from November - we score goals, we have won games and everyone has been engaged and I have loved every single second of it. I'm a Birkenhead boy again."

The victories over the likes of Stockport, Wrexham and Mansfield have shown what Adkins' squad has been capable of this season and Adkins believes there is a strong foundation for a better season next campaign.

"Being consistent is so important and from November we would have been fifth in the division," he said. "Our goal must be to maintain this consistency going into next season and then all being well we can be challenging at the top end of the division.

"We need to reduce the size of the squad - we have far too many players and I want a 25 man squad with three goalkeepers that can compete Saturday, Tuesday and they all need to know that they can go and play and be part of the team.

"We already have a group of players who are under contract for next season and that gives us scope to bring several in and hopefully they can improve what we do next year. I think we're ahead of the game and we intend to bring in several players through the summer period for the start of next season.

"There are ideas about what we want and we have position-specific criteria about what we want but we need to give ourselves the opportunity to assemble a group of players who are going to represent Tranmere."

Adkins will continue to study for a post graduate qualification in strategic leadership over the summer and maintains he is "still learning" despite his years of experience in management. 

"I'm studying all the time on how to be better and how to improve," he added. "I enjoy it and I'll get out walking again. It's full on as a football manager and I have had that throughout my whole career and you have to make sure you find a balance and switch off and do different things."