Morecambe 3 Bristol Rovers 4 [Miller, Barkhuizen, Mullin]

[Lloydie]

My first game in a while, won't be rushing back.. Bloody awful, no fitness we don't press them at all just stood off them all time. Dugdale is just a tanker crap. Parrish isn't a right back which gave us no width, Beeley not the same on the left. Need Parrish in centre then either McGowan or a loan lb in. Also need a big man to lead the line if we play this formation.

[Seasider9601]

Drop Dugdale move Paz in Centre Defense and bring McGowan on

^ This.

[KenH]

In recent games, virtually the whole team played badly so it was hard to see where the real problem lay. Today, most of the play was good, so it was blatantly obvious, in my opinion, that the weak links were Paz and Beeley. OK, they were both out of position, which was a management mistake, but neither have been at their best recently. I agree with other comments that Beeley should have kept his normal RB position and either McGowan or Moly as LB. Having two players out of position unnecessarily was a tactical error that cost us the game today. Great shame as a good win was within our grasp today.

[Now_Then]

How poor was Molly today? I was amazed he lasted till the 70th minute and not subbed at half time. He just seems to wander about and doing his best not to get involved. He is slow to react to passes and backs out of all the 50/50's.

[Keith]

I've obviously missed something, where's Wilson and how long is he out for?

[Sammy h]

I didn't understand playing Paz RB and Beeley LB. Why not play Beeley in his natural position and stick Paz LB? Bonkers decision.

[KenH]

I didn't understand playing Paz RB and Beeley LB. Why not play Beeley in his natural position and stick Paz LB? Bonkers decision.

McGowan seems a natural successor to Willow so should be getting lots of play time now - cant understand
Jim having both LB and RB in wrong positions when he could have left Beeley in his normal position (he's not even sharp there these days and even worse yesterday out of position) and Jim had a choice of McGowan, Moly or even Goodall for LB. Bonkers!

[Westgate Wanderer]

Wonders if JB uses a lucky dip bag with the shirt numbers in and takes it from there I thought McGowqan was the automatic replacement for will but obviously not. I bet he wonders what he has to do to get a game

[Caged Lion]

Jim has his reasons for playing everyone out of their best position, only they make no sense to most of us. IMO our best arrangement is Beeley Parrish Edwards Wilson. 3 of those players started but only one played in their strongest position? Surely most of us remember when Parrish first arrived and was played at right back. It didn't suit him then and it still doesn't suit him. I would much rather have him in the centre where he is immense and feel comfortable. We gave away soft soft goals yesterday, Jim Bentley would have been fuming if he had been playing.

Jim must know that he is getting it wrong, the results and performances have gone savagely wrong. He must accept full responsibility. Every game now is going to be catch up, we have once again gone from a great start playing entertaining football to a shambles.

I also notice Jim sitting down much more, talking on his magic phone. Is he having some sort of seasonally adjusted hormonal problem?

I'm not real thrilled with Dugdale. However he played a fantastic longball for Barky to score. My biggest issue is how pedestrian we have become. We lumber around and the opposition easily pick us off before we can start stringing passes together.

Last year we had no midfield, Fleming was running around like a headless chicken, and Kenyon!! well you all know my opinion there. Yesterday after Devitt and Goodall were replaced we had the same situation. It doesn't work. Jim should give Charlie a chance instead of 'I never kick the ball' Kenyon. Charlie is a clever footballer and quick as you like.

A bloke stood next to me yesterday and said 'Haven't been to a game since this time last year. Nothing has changed. I won't be coming again.' This guy was a regular, who brought his daughter to every game a few years ago.

It's miserable to feel so dejected, so early in the season. It's becoming a sickening repeat performance of previous seasons. Of course we will pull our fingers out, but it will be too late to challenge for promotion. With the current squad this shouldn't be happening.

On the bright side... I doubt we will be relegated (

[marky No.1]

Jim Bentley would have been fuming if he had been playing.

Wouldn't have liked playing right back either

[slackAlice2]

caged lion :

We gave away soft soft goals yesterday, Jim Bentley would have been fuming if he had been playing.
Jim must know that he is getting it wrong,

From my vantage point on the Berlin Wall , particularly in the 2nd half, the defending was awful.
I'm in my mid 50's and would of fancied my chances running at that defence backing off, loads of space. No communication neither. Its not like they had great strikers , it was far too easy.

If 'they' (?) watch the game afterwards they will know how bad it was. I wonder if they do that ?

[KenH]

A bloke stood next to me yesterday and said 'Haven't been to a game since this time last year. Nothing has changed. I won't be coming again.' This guy was a regular, who brought his daughter to every game a few years ago.

Likewise, there were a couple of friends of mine there yesterday who havn't been down for a couple of years but used to be regulars - they said the same, they won't be back. That must now be 20/30 people I know who I used to see virtually every game who don't come anymore. They've all said it's because of the match-day experience, not the price!

I arrived really early yesterday and was shocked to see how many blank white stickers were on the seats in the D and C blocks of the PMG. There were dozens of them, (maybe even a hundred or two) which show where there used to be season ticket holders who havn't renewed. That's dozens of once regular fans who don't come anymore. The club has the details of these people - why not send a letter with a discount offer to come back again? Someone said that the overall number of season tickets is pretty steady, but that looks to be because of free children and cheaper terrace tickets at the expense of the more expensive D & C blocks.

[fulwoodshrimp]

I agree with Ken about the space we give to opposing teams allowing them to run at us and create havoc. We also seem quite unable to deal with low crosses. If you analysed the eleven goals we have conceded in the last three home games, a fair few came from low crosses. I am also unconvinced about our work rate- Bristol Rovers yesterday worked a lot harder than us and this allowed a very average team get an away victory against us.

[Arnside Red]

well, not really missing fans but every year I bring 10-15 mates from 41 club to a Sept game, well this year it was on Tuesday, yesterday I had 2 spare tickets for the game and couldn't even give them away to any of the 11 guests I brought on Tuesday.....speaks volumes doesn't it, whilst the team are shipping goals for fun and regularly losing at home the club have not got a hope in hell of increasing the gates...