Keith Hill is regarded as Rochdale's most successful manager ever as he guided the club to promotion from League Two on two occasions. He is now targeting a third promotion from the division with Tranmere.
Hill was appointed as the new Rovers boss last month, his return to management after leaving Bolton back in June. Although things didn't quite work out for the Bolton-born man at his hometown club, he still has a reputation of being able to over-perform on a shoestring budget.
Tranmere were unfortunate to be relegated from League One last season. They will be hoping for an immediate return to the third tier though, and the early results suggest they will be in the race for one of the promotion spots, especially now Hill has taken the reigns.
Tranmere are 5/1 in the football betting for promotion in what is a competitive League Two this year. Their position in the table has improved over the last few weeks following five wins from their last six matches in the league.
With games coming thick and fast over the Christmas and New Year period, it is the chance for Tranmere to move further up the standings and bridge the gap between themselves and the top three teams which sit in automatic promotion positions.
Newport and Cheltenham High Flyers in League Two
Newport and Cheltenham are setting the early pace in League Two this season. The Welsh club top the standings after 16 games. They have won 11 of those matches in what has been a fantastic start to their campaign. The bookmakers now make them 5/2 favourites to lift the title.
Cheltenham are only four points behind Newport in second place. The Robins beats Tranmere 3-0 at Prenton Park back in September. They were very impressive that afternoon and they have built on that result since then.
Outside of the top two, there are just five points separating eight teams. Hill will be keen to extend his side's excellent form for as long as possible. He will also know there is a lot of football still be to be played this season.
Brand of Football Likely to Please Tranmere Fans
Not only was Hill praised with regards to the job he did over his two spells at Rochdale, but he also played an attractive style of football with the Greater Manchester club. His side didn't struggle to score goals and were entertaining to watch.
One of his best results for Rochdale came over Leeds at Spotland in the FA Cup third round. Leeds were in the Championship at the time, while Dale sat in League Two. It was the hosts who came out on top 2-0 and looked like the team in the higher division.
Tranmere have a lot of quality in their squad for the level they are at the moment. James Vaughan should relish playing for Hill and is likely to be up there with the high goal scorers at the end of the campaign, while Jay Spearing and Liam Feeney should both help Rovers win lots of matches.
It has been a difficult 12 months for Tranmere fans but they can be very optimistic about what the future holds for the club as this latest appointment looks to be very shrewd.
