Tranmere Rovers manager Micky Mellon knows that Portsmouth pose a “big test” when they visit Prenton Park on Saturday, but he is confident that his side are well prepared.
Mellon’s men welcome Kenny Jackett’s promotion-chasing Pompey to the Wirral for a third-tier clash, aiming for a response in front of the SWA following Tuesday night’s home defeat against Doncaster Rovers.
And while he feels that this weekend presents another challenge, Mellon insists that his players are ready.
Mellon said: “We know that we need to improve, and we know that Saturday is another big test for us, but we will go and attack it.
“We’ll support the players in order to try and give them the best chance possible of getting something.
“This is the task that we have. It’s a really, really tough league that we have come into. The step up from what we had last year is massive so it’s another massive football club, but we’ll take on the challenge and try and play better for longer.
“It is a skill to keep that level of intensity and quality for 90 odd minutes and for half a game on Tuesday night, we were probably the better side for parts of it and went toe-to-toe, so we have to do that for longer.
“As part of our development as a team, we have to sustain those levels of running power and energy and the quality that we need.
“We’ve got to be able to get to those levels to make it a contest for longer and give ourselves a chance.”
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