What is to be Done?

[thedoc]

What is to be done?

(latest match report:)

http://www.morecambe.vitalfootball.co.u ... p?a=434952

[fulwoodshrimp]

A priority must be a central defender. Secondly the defence that has leaked all season needs organising in my opinion. They don't play as a unit but as a group of individuals. Midfield needs to show more positivity and a better work rate- getting stuck in when necessary and playing incisive passes when moving forward. In the longer term we need a clear out, we have several players at the wrong end of their careers and with nothing more to offer the division. Lets get out and find young, enthusiastic players in non-league and give them their chance. We have nothing to lose, this current squad of players is in danger of leading us to disaster and doesn't seem to have the heart for a fight.

[Vinny]

I think The Doc's report and question goes way beyond this match and tinkering with the team, although I agree a defender, (ie Doyle and hopefully McGowan to come back) would help our current results. I think The Doc's question is about the direction of the club. For me, I think sadly that the move to the Globe has not gone well or to plan as well as hoped. The Chairman and the Board made their decision and what is done is done. We are where we are now. However, I think the Chairman and the Board need to take responsibility for their decision and be more bold now than they may have thought they needed to be. If Morecambe FC is not to become the next Scarborough or Rushden & Diamonds, it needs both cash investment and inspirational plan to get the supporters and motivational impetus back that we had at Christie Park that got us promotion into the Football League. We have competed and survived for almost a decade in the League, but the heart of the club are the supporters. Do them right, like it used to be at Christie, and we might see the upturn of fortunes. It needs courage, commitment and passion from the Board that the supporters can respond to. I hope they realise and find a way to succeed!

[Kendalshrimp]

Get rid of Dugdale ! At fault for another two goals today. Why on earth we replaced him for Hughes is beyond me surely must of been on a lower wage because he's not half the player Hughes is, he's also been relegated at his last 3 clubs let's hope we're not the 4th

[Seasider9601]

I'm sure I walked past Mark Hughes on my way into the ground today?

Mr Chairman made a VERY swift getaway after the game I saw.

[Kendalshrimp]

I'm sure I walked past Mark Hughes on my way into the ground today?

Mr Chairman made a VERY swift getaway after the game I saw.

Hughes was in the hospitality lounge at half time. Must be laughing watching us today seeing what a shambles of a player has a replaced him !

[Gone_Shrimping]

I'm sure I walked past Mark Hughes on my way into the ground today?

Mr Chairman made a VERY swift getaway after the game I saw.

I wonder why he wasn't at The Wham Stadium.

IMHO he was a better central defender than either Edwards or Dugdale. Jim must realise he dropped a clanger releasing him.

[BerlinWaller]

There is no doubting that Hughes is a better defender than the lame Dugdale. Unfortunately Hughes was too nasty to some of our players and wanted them to play better rather than the shambles we see now. Hughes is a leader and I think he made Edwards a better player. Edwards was meant to be the target of the scouts at the ground last season but looks like Danny Meadowcroft this season. We dropped a right clanger letting him go.

Has the lack of budget prevented the club from buying food for our lads? We look malnourished against some of these other teams. I could not work out if Oxfords number 11 was called Macdonald or if he had got himself some sponsorship, the little porker.

[RedRedWine]

I'm sure I walked past Mark Hughes on my way into the ground today?

Mr Chairman made a VERY swift getaway after the game I saw.

I wonder why he wasn't at The Wham Stadium.

IMHO he was a better central defender than either Edwards or Dugdale. Jim must realise he dropped a clanger releasing him.

And Parrish. The only defender I'd keep is McGowan. I do not care if he told a some goon on twitter that he was a shithouse, he was a good defender and better than what we have now as proved by our woeful defensive record.

[fulwoodshrimp]

Why was Mark Hughes at our game yesterday? Is he injured or is there a chance he is returning until the end of the season on loan from Accrington? Or am I just being fanciful and its not going to happen!! Certainly the team would be hugely improved if he came back.

[George Dawes]

last season, a lot did say if we keep the defence together and get some attackers, like we did in Miller and Barky, we'd have a decent side capable of the playoffs this season

we're talking 1 piece in a jigsaw missing


could be talking 10points we'd have been better of with Hughes.

[Keith]

I'm not convinced Hughes is the answer for next season, perhaps if he'd come to us now instead of Acci, but he'll have had practically a whole season without playing league football, another year older, and he is more of a very naughty boy than the Messiah. I do think Edwards was better playing along side him though, so perhaps Edwards needs a bollocking every once in a while to keep him focussed? We need a vocal leader.

[Christies Child]

I'm not convinced Hughes is the answer for next season, perhaps if he'd come to us now instead of Acci, but he'll have had practically a whole season without playing league football, another year older, and he is more of a very naughty boy than the Messiah. I do think Edwards was better playing along side him though, so perhaps Edwards needs a bollocking every once in a while to keep him focussed? .

Too right....

Yesterday all you could hear was the Oxford players giving advice to each other whilst ours hardly spoke. Mind you, Jim and Co made up for the entire team by constant shouting instructions at his charges. However Ken was undermining his manager by passing different instructions that seemed to confuse not only the players but also those fans who sit within ear shoot of the dug out.

There is only one manager in the club and he should be the one giving the instructions.

It's been interesting to notice the actions of opposition mangers this season and very few have been constantly passing instructions during a game, no doubt having drilled into them routines and set moves prior to that days match.

[Posh]

Proof if it were needed that some on here live in cloud cuckoo land. "We should never have let Hughes go", "bring back the saviour". Hughes got Bury relegated; was so bad at Stevenage that they paid up his contract and threw him out; and despite signing for Accy is watching our game instead. And still they want him.

I said at the start of the season that Dugdale was a poor signing and one of the worst players in a relegated Tranmere side. However as Ken's mate he got signed and is playing ahead of Edwards and Doyle. I think that's where attention should be focused and not the decision to release Hughes, which was the right one.

[fulwoodshrimp]

So Posh thinks those wishing for Hughes' return are in cloud cuckoo land and the answer to our defensive problems lie in Edwards and Doyle. Well, I would question who is actually in cloud cuckoo land for Edwards has looked very ordinary this season and Doyle is completely untried and clearly not trusted by the manager. Last season Hughes marshalled the defence and provided leadership. This season we are a shambles in defence. If not Hughes until the end of the season, we need a strong central defender who will stop teams from having the freedom of our penalty area and organise our defence to play as a unit. What puzzles me is our management team must see how disorganised we are defensively but seem unable to do anything about it.

[Gone_Shrimping]

Last season , 46 games , goals conceded 52

This season , 31 games , goals conceded 57

[broadwayshrimp]

What puzzles me is our management team must see how disorganised we are defensively but seem unable to do anything about it.

And what puzzles me is we have a manager who was undoubtedly one of the best if not the best defender, leader, captain this club has ever had. I don't expect us to have the best defence in the league given the players we've got but surely Jim should be able to in still the basics of defending into the team.

[mrpotatohead]

Agree with posh, Dugdale not being good enough doesn't mean we should want hughes back, it's a bit like saying, ''things were much better under saddam hussain''

[Shrimpy]

I still say we should play 5 at the back as none of our defenders are clearly good enough on this seasons form so having an extra body back there may mask some of their inefficiencies.

[Blackpool Shrimp]

Hughes is currently injured but when fit is far better than we have got now
Look above at goals conceded compared to last season

[halfwayprawn]

For me i would replace Dugdale(who is far too slow) with Doyle, forget all about Hughes,he's no better than Dugdale is now and if he was, he would be still playing for Stevenage or Accy.Morecambe play better when they play faster from the back and Barry throws the ball out quick, but this rarely happens as he holds on to it to long at times.Doyle is a young lad and has played in the team before and with some help from those around him will hopefully bring out the best in him.Will we get defensive midfielder or central defender on loan dont know but it would help with Wildig, Murphy, Molly, A/J out.

[KenH]

For me i would replace Dugdale(who is far too slow) with Doyle, forget all about Hughes,he's no better than Dugdale is now and if he was, he would be still playing for Stevenage or Accy.Morecambe play better when they play faster from the back and Barry throws the ball out quick, but this rarely happens as he holds on to it to long at times.Doyle is a young lad and has played in the team before and with some help from those around him will hopefully bring out the best in him.Will we get defensive midfielder or central defender on loan dont know but it would help with Wildig, Murphy, Molly, A/J out.

The question is really whether we could get anyone better than Hughes. If not, then he should have been kept. Dugdale and Edwards are far poorer. Hughes was at least a leader (unlike the hapless Beeley). Hughes kept a tight ship at the back and scored a few goals himself (unlike any of our current defenders).

Yes, Barry should throw the ball out quicker, but he can't because the right/left backs aren't in position and rarely even look back at Barry to watch for the ball. Barry tries time and time again, but Beeley looks to be away on a different planet and Wilson was never in the right position. Time and time again, Barry has shouted at Wilson to run forward so he can take the ball, but he's always too slow to react. Against Oxford, Barry tried giving it to Beeley a couple of times, but Beeley looked astonished to see the ball near him and hadn't planned what to do with it, so got quickly passed to someone else (usually backwards or sideways), and once ended up back with Barry (thanks Flemmo!).

[John L]

We could do with bringing in two better centre halves in for next season, with Doyle as back up. Of course, whether that's achievable is another matter...

[BerlinWaller]

Chucking Doyle in to that back four would destroy him. It would not be fair on the lad and would ruin his confidence. Nobody is saying Hughes is the saviour but I will say he is better than the carthorse from Tranmere and Edwards looked the real deal playing beside him. Cuckoo land or just seeing what is obvious.

[Christies Child]

Chucking Doyle in to that back four would destroy him. It would not be fair on the lad and would ruin his confidence. Nobody is saying Hughes is the saviour but I will say he is better than the carthorse from Tranmere and Edwards looked the real deal playing beside him. Cuckoo land or just seeing what is obvious.

So we stick with a central defence partnership(s) that have failed this season rather than give Doyle the chance just because it may ruin his confidence....

Cometh the hour...cometh the man...

From what I saw of Doyle when he was last given the opportunity he's built of stronger stuff than to let those around him ruin his confidence.

And if we are talking about confidence, what confidence can the rest of the team have in the central defence when they know that despite taking the lead in a game that ultimately that lead will be given away.....time after time after time.