By Pete Oliver

Moore is passionate about Tranmere

Tranmere Rovers manager Ronnie Moore is determined to try and lead 'his club' to promotion to the Championship.

He is just over a year into his third spell at Prenton Park, where he started his career as a player 36 years ago.

And after an impressive start to the season he is looking to bring the good times back to the men from Merseyside.

"I have loved every minute of it. Coming back has been brilliant for us," said Moore, whose return followed a 12-month spell as manager of Oldham.

"It's always had a place in my heart, having played here, coached here and coming back as manager.

"But what I really want to do is win something. That's what I want, especially at a club like this."

Moore was a productive striker for Tranmere during the 1970s and re-signed for the club in 1986. After hanging up his boots he became a key member of John King's backroom staff as Rovers climbed from the bottom division to Championship level.

This club is big enough and should be playing Championship football Ronnie Moore

And the promotion knack remained when he took charge of Rotherham, another of his firmer clubs, as Moore guided the Millers along a similar route in successive seasons.

"Rotherham and Tranmere have probably had equal amounts of time out of me but being born in Liverpool and having family here it's like coming home," he added.

"Every manager that's been here has had some sort of success. What John King did when I was here last was fantastic, Aldo (John Aldridge) got to the League Cup final and Brian Little got them into the play-offs.

"I hope I can at least make the play-offs but it would be nice to take the club into the Championship, where it belongs.

"There are 14 or 15 teams at this stage who will think they have a chance. There's not a great deal in the league.

"But we have put ourselves in a great position and we don't want to waste it. We want to kick on, and we have got enough to do that."

Moore signed just four new players over the summer after a major shake-up 12 months earlier, and believes he now has the squad strength to sustain a promotion challenge.

Coming back has been brilliant Ronnie Moore

Last season Rovers also started well but faded in the final couple of months to finish ninth as Moore ran out of defensive options.

The signing of goalkeeper Danny Coyne and defender Ben Chorley has helped tighten things up at the back, helped by the maturing presence at both ends of the pitch of wingers Chris Shuker and Steve Davies.

"We have got the right mix now and it's nice when everything you have gone through in pre-season takes off for you," said Moore, whose side briefly led League One last weekend thanks to a fourth win in five games against Luton on Friday night.

"The great thing for me is that last year we had a number of chances to go top or second and we didn't take it.

"On Friday we did and we also came from behind, which was pleasing for us because that did not happen until we did it against Brighton in April last season. The fighting spirit is there," he added.

The one disappointment for Moore has been Tranmere's ongoing battle to build up big crowds under the noses of Liverpool and Everton.

What I really want to do is win something Ronnie Moore

Winning football is yet to do the trick but Moore will keep aiming high.

"This club is big enough and should be playing Championship football. We can get 16,500 in the stadium, although we've got to get them in," he said.

"We are trying like mad to pull them in and I don't know what we have to do.

"We played on Friday with the chance to go top and only got 6,500 which was frustrating.

"Some people might say they have seen it all before, but we grasped the opportunity and went top, even if it was only overnight.

"And having got up there let's stay there. Let people chase us. We are not frightened of anybody at this level."