THIS week the mood at Liverpool, a club previously gripped by crisis; panicked by talk of a mass exodus of stars, was transformed completely in the space of a single day.

With the addition of just one signing, in the form of England international Joe Cole, everything changed.

Skipper Steven Gerrard, one of those tipped to be seeking pastures new, immediately pledged his future to the club, where the mood was suddenly one of optimism, rather than gloom.

Last night, as the storm clouds gathered over Birkenhead, Nottingham Forest looked like a side badly in need of a ray of sunshine of their own.

While the City Ground is hardly in the midst of a crisis, it does not feel as though there is currently the level of confidence that should have been inspired by last season's third-place.

There remains the lingering feeling that January's failings in the transfer window were a significant factor in the failure to unseat either Newcastle or West Brom from the top two, as Forest's lack of depth was fatally exposed.

But so far, this summer has only brought an unseemly spat between manager Billy Davies and the club's hierarchy and two players exiting the City Ground gates, in the form of James Perch and, most recently, Joe Garner, who has joined Huddersfield on loan.

There have been no new arrivals. Yet, on July 22 last year, Dexter Blackstock arrived from QPR to become the eighth new signing of the summer.

Last night, Forest split the 16 fit members of their 20-man senior squad between games at Tranmere and Mansfield Town, with Luke Chambers, Kelvin Wilson, Wes Morgan and David McGoldrick all sidelined with injury.

The 100 or so Reds fans who made the journey to the north-west will have seen a familiar brand of attacking football from the visiting side.

But they also initially witnessed some familiar frailties amid a 2-0 defeat. A host of chances went begging and they were punished as Tranmere took one of theirs – albeit in controversial style – on the stoke of half-time.

Robert Earnshaw, playing as the lone front-man in a hugely attack-minded 4-2-3-1 formation, had failed to properly connect with Forest's best opportunity, after Chris Gunter's cross provided a fitting finale to a flowing move.

Radi Majewski seemed to be adopting a shoot on sight policy, testing Tranmere's new loan signing, Manchester City keeper Gunnar Neilsen, on three occasions.

Garath McCleary and Dexter Blackstock had also both come close.

At the other end, Lee Camp produced a remarkable, sprawling save to push away John Welsh's low drive.

And, when the keeper was beaten, by a Nick Wood header from a Paul McLaren corner, it seemed Neil Byrne had headed clear, only for the assistant referee to rule it had crossed the line.

When Byrne picked up an injury, it left Forest with a back four who were all out of their natural positions, as Gunter slotted into the centre alongside Julian Bennett, with Chris Cohen and McCleary at full back.

It was perhaps no surprise, then, when Tranmere added a second, as an unmarked Ian Thomas-Moore looped a header past Camp in the 63rd minute.

Tranmere: Nielson, Strickland, Cresswell (Bakayogo 45), McLaren, Goodison (Creswell 83), Wood, Gornell, Labadie, Thomas-Moore (Jennings 76 (Mackreth 85)), Welsh, Bojang (Wilhelmson 45). Subs: Collister, Fraughan, Mackreth, Power, Benson.

Forest (4-2-3-1): Camp, Gunter, Byrne (Meadows 56), Bennett (Andrews 87), Cohen, Thornhill (Mullen 87), McKenna, McCleary, Majewski, Blackstock, Earnshaw. Sub: Darlow.

REFEREE: Mike Dean