TRANMERE manager Nigel Adkins has urged the Super White Army to get behind him and the team after last weekend's demoralising FA Cup exit to Oldham Athletic.

The 2-1 defeat to the Latics saw Adkins' side booed off the pitch with criticism growing among fans about Rovers' lacklustre displays this campaign.

Tranmere currently sit 19th in the League Two table just six points off the relegation zone and with just three wins from 13 games. 

Tranmere are also ranked last in the division for goals per game and big chances created and on Saturday at Prenton Park face a Newport County side aiming to win back-to-back away games in League Two for the first time since February.

Adkins said: "The last result wasn't what we were after but the fact of the matter was it is what is and you have to pick yourself up and go again.

"You come back in, you review the game and you learn your lessons from that and you put a training programme in place that will get ourselves ready for the next game.

"We like to believe that we have a very good training programme in place and a very good procedure to review the last game, learn lessons from it, draw a line underneath it and move on to the next game."

The boos and criticism from the fans following the defeat to Oldham was in sharp contrast to the scenes in the away end where former Tranmere boss Micky Mellon was lauded by the Latics fans after the final whistle. 

"As the leader and manager of the team I've got to lead from the front," said Adkins. "There's no point being a victim or feeling sorry for yourself - you've got to pick yourself up, work through the system and go again.

"We're all human - none of us wants to be shouted at for making mistakes but the fact of the fact of the matter is that's life and we didn't want to lose the game to a deflected goal. 

"We have a safe environment where we can have honest conversations and look and what we can better and what we did well - we scored a great goal from Connor Jennings but we lost the game and I can understand where a lot of the frustration is coming from because I'm going through it. I live in the area and I'm around the area and people are coming up to me saying 'Nige, just keep going, we'll get there in the end'.

"But it's fair to say that at this moment in time it's not going as we'd like. Some of the performances have been very good but we've got beat so how can we improve the performances and get that extra ten per cent out of them to give us the opportunity to win the next game."

Tranmere have won just once in the league at home this season and Adkins admits that this is not good enough.

He said: "I'm a fan myself and I know we can't get beat at home and you're expected to win at home. 

"In this situation you find out about yourself and you find out about the people you are surrounded with - who will stand up and be counted and who will shrivel away into the background and not be there. 

"I don't want to insult anybody - all I can do is be honest with everybody. The players and the staff work hard here but I get it and the only thing that matters is the result."

Tranmere did the double over County last season after the Exiles had done the same for the previous two campaigns.

Rovers took the spoils 2-1 on both occasions and in blustery Birkenhead fought back from being a goal down at half-time to a superb Will Evans strike.

The hosts levelled through a deflected Kieron Evans shot and stole the spoils in the 88th minute when Connor Jennings, the Wembley winner when the sides met in the play-off final in 2019, scored from close range.

But things feel very different this season with Adkins admitting he has been unable to play the kind of football he had hoped to bring to Prenton Park.

He said: "Last year we got a settled side and that's what we were endeavouring to do this season. Have a settled side and a settled formation with a four-four-two but we only had four players on the bench at the stat of the season and we've had injuries so we've played with three centre backs and two up top but ultimately I've had to change the formation a little bit and I've had to change the formation.

"It's not been out of choice and I think we've shown some good adaptability but ideally I'd like to pick the same team four games running and then within a game have the flexibility to adapt when we need to find a way to win the game."

As for the threat posed by County, Adkins is expecting his defence to have to contain the Welsh side's striker Kyle Hudlin, who at 6ft 9in, is among the tallest professional football players in the world.

He said: "They have a centre forward who's 6ft 9in so that will be interesting!

"I think they'll probably sit in a deep block and intercept and try and counter attack and they're a good side."

He added: "We have a team and a staff with a growth mindset who are constantly looking to learn and evolve - you have to keep moving forward and we accept we've got to get better.

"I'm a Tranmere Rovers supporter and I want us to do well - I am just trying to be genuine and just be me. I'm passionate about football and I'm passionate about our football club. I'm enthusiastic about what we do and I'm positive about what we do and I know at the moment we are not doing good enough."