Why do we start well then fade away?

[Teams like Morecambe]

This question was asked to Jim at the fans forum. He was unable to give an answer.

Jim's five seasons:

2011/2012 (15th) - End of October - 3rd (1.81 ppg). From January 1.04 ppg

2012/2013 (16th) - End of October - 17th (1.2 ppg). From January 1.36 ppg

2013/2014 (19th) - End of October - 10th (1.57 ppg). From January 0.86 ppg

2014/2015 (11th) - End of October - 11th (1.44 ppg). From January 1.3 ppg

2015/2016 (21st) - End of October - 12th (1.44 ppg). From January 0.75 ppg

Over these five seasons our average position at the end of October is 10.6 at 1.53 points per game. Our points per game from January to the end of the season is only 1.06 resulting in the average finishing position of 16.4. On average we drop six positions from the end of October to the end of the season.

So why does our form dip so dramatically? Many players have come and gone over the past five seasons so I'm reluctant for them to take the majority of the blame. Surely the management are responsible for failing to motivate the players in the second half of the season. Some on here have blamed a change in tactics, again this is the fault of the management.

When trying to answer the question Jim listed the budget, injuries and the weather before saying he doesn't really know. Until he works out the answer I can see the forthcoming seasons forming a similar pattern.

[fulwoodshrimp]

In my opinion there are a number of reasons why we start brightly and then fade away. One reason is early in the season teams haven't twigged our formation. Once they have found us out we have no plan B and so become predictable. A second reason is the management tinker with the team and become more defensive minded. Some of the team selections over the years have been bizarre and inexplicable- Mansfield away last season is a good case in point. We also seem unable to develop players. Many come to us and play brightly for some time but don't seem to develop their game and in many cases deteriorate- Beeley and Edwards would be good examples of this. I also think the manager needs an old experienced head to advise him and stop him making some basic mistakes. I also think we have to get away from the "little old Morecambe" mind set. This creates negativity as does the manager's post match interviews! We need much more dynamism and positivity about the club if the current decline is to be halted.

[mrpotatohead]

Do we need another thread to ''rake over these coals?''

[Keith]

Do we need another thread to ''rake over these coals?''

I must admit, the thread title was very cryptic and designed to reel in unsuspecting forum members, who were suddenly confronted by another thread of this type. Poor mrpotatohead couldn't have known what he was getting in to when he clicked on the link...

For what it's worth, I think having the historical stats does add another angle (or, more to the point, reinforces what we knew to be the case). For the same thing happening four out of five seasons suggests that there are lessons to be learned, if only they are looked for. Sharing our thoughts/theories on 'why' is pretty much what the forum is for. That and unsubstantiated rumours about signings, leavings, take overs & Paul Carter's hair next season.

Well, until the TT Races begin at least, then I'll flood the board with John McGuinness stuff.

[Christies Child]

On Thursday radio Lancashire Sport did a feature on sports science and one of the points that came over was that too many teams don't play their strongest eleven due to squad rotation. It was suggested that as a result the players were not battle hardened which only came as a result of playing more and more consecutive games. Leicester were quoted as a fine example where a small squad was used and that those who featured on a regular basis had become battle hardened and are more likely to recover from knocks quicker than those in other club's who use a squad rotation system. We all know that we don't play our strongest team on too many occasions which assuming you believe about the battle hardened theory may contribute to what has been a season to forget.

[morecambegeek]

The Leicester example is fair enough, but they've played 40 games this season as they went out of both cups early.

For the most part, they've been playing one match a week which gives plenty of time for recovery.

Whilst I think that Jim has tinkered too much and too often, I think the argument about playing the same 11 week in and week out is outdated in todays game. Players are fitter than ever before, but they also cover much more ground during a match. We play three cup competitions and 46 games in a season, plus the players spend an awful lot of time on the team bus given our location.

If it simply was picking your best 11 every week and playing 4-4-2, don't you think every team would be doing it?

[MfcChris]

The Leicester example is fair enough, but they've played 40 games this season as they went out of both cups early.

For the most part, they've been playing one match a week which gives plenty of time for recovery.

Whilst I think that Jim has tinkered too much and too often, I think the argument about playing the same 11 week in and week out is outdated in todays game. Players are fitter than ever before, but they also cover much more ground during a match. We play three cup competitions and 46 games in a season, plus the players spend an awful lot of time on the team bus given our location.

If it simply was picking your best 11 every week and playing 4-4-2, don't you think every team would be doing it?

They have 10 international players who play 7/8 games per year (not including a major tournament), therefore the likes of Mahrez have played 48 games this season, just 1 less than us. Fitness is not an excuse for players not to play a few consecutive games together. Tinkering for the sake of it.

[Gone_Shrimping]

A "Leicester" was always on the cards.

I've thought for a while that a team that wasn't involved in European competition could come through and win the Premier League.

Tottenham had 10 Thursday night Europa Cup matches and after many of those they had poor results.

[morecambegeek]

The Leicester example is fair enough, but they've played 40 games this season as they went out of both cups early.

For the most part, they've been playing one match a week which gives plenty of time for recovery.

Whilst I think that Jim has tinkered too much and too often, I think the argument about playing the same 11 week in and week out is outdated in todays game. Players are fitter than ever before, but they also cover much more ground during a match. We play three cup competitions and 46 games in a season, plus the players spend an awful lot of time on the team bus given our location.

If it simply was picking your best 11 every week and playing 4-4-2, don't you think every team would be doing it?

They have 10 international players who play 7/8 games per year (not including a major tournament), therefore the likes of Mahrez have played 48 games this season, just 1 less than us. Fitness is not an excuse for players not to play a few consecutive games together. Tinkering for the sake of it.

I assume you're deliberately misinterpreting what I said. It's fine to expect players to play several games in a row.

It's madness to suggest that we said stick to the same 11 week in, week out, just because one team have done well with that approach this season.

Barcelona have a small squad for a team at the top level, and rotate very infrequently. They've fallen off massively at the end of the season and throw away a large lead to only be one point ahead of real Madrid. So let's look at other examples rather than just looking for the one team that satisfies the argument being made.

[Kendalshrimp]

Simple..everyone has Sussed us out by Xmas and realised our manager is a clown and doesn't have a plan B

[George Dawes]

The Leicester example is fair enough, but they've played 40 games this season as they went out of both cups early.

For the most part, they've been playing one match a week which gives plenty of time for recovery.

Whilst I think that Jim has tinkered too much and too often, I think the argument about playing the same 11 week in and week out is outdated in todays game. Players are fitter than ever before, but they also cover much more ground during a match. We play three cup competitions and 46 games in a season, plus the players spend an awful lot of time on the team bus given our location.

If it simply was picking your best 11 every week and playing 4-4-2, don't you think every team would be doing it?

They have 10 international players who play 7/8 games per year (not including a major tournament), therefore the likes of Mahrez have played 48 games this season, just 1 less than us. Fitness is not an excuse for players not to play a few consecutive games together. Tinkering for the sake of it.

thanks Chris, took the words right out of my mouth.

also teams can be guilty of training to hard, doing to much cardio when they can be saving their legs for Match Day instead.

[George Dawes]

Simple..everyone has Sussed us out by Xmas and realised our manager is a clown and doesn't have a plan B

I understand your frustrations, but no need for insults.

[Wild Bill]

Here's my two penneth's worth.

- Teams underrate us (particularly away) but eventually sus us out after a few months
- Management lack a plan B or crafty tactics required for the level
- Management tinker too much (do they always know their best 11?)
- Small squad with a few good players, but eventually injuries take their toll
- Team plays with more freedom early doors. After a few bad results tactics change and we start playing for draws with disastrous consistences
- Young players don't get the development they need to kick on
- Squads generally lack leaders
- We are generally a bit lightweight, which gets exposed more on poor winter pitches
- Other teams with more cash can bring in better transfers and loans to boost their squad. We generally can't

[RedRedWine]

I also think that one reason we have started well in recent seasons is due to the fact Jim has starts assembling the squad at the end of the previous season. It doesn't take us that long to get out of the starting blocks conpared to other teams with a new nuclus of players. For example.

Can't see this tried and tested method working as well if we sign Oliver though!

[mrpotatohead]

Kendal shrimp uses every post to constantly make snide remarks about any aspect of everything ''Morecambe'', I would suggest he slings his whining miserable hook elsewhere!