Can't see Derek going anywhere - he has a three year deal, which counts for a lot in the lower leagues.
Appreciate everything Derek did at Morecambe, and given time I think he will get the Bantams up into League One..... but it won't be pretty at times.
Some discussion about the lack of fans at games last season helping us (as in Morecambe FC, who cares about anything else?!?) - generally I think it did. For starters with the lowest playing budget to begin with, the gap that our club had to bridge between revenue (match day revenues drastically reduced for every club.... perhaps disproportionally for our competitors) and expense was the smallest in the division - giving us a unique opportunity to compete on more of a level playing field in player recruitment.
Secondly in the games themselves, even in the generally supportive environment here at Morecambe I'm not sure their would be rounds of applause had we lost at home employing the type of tactics that we did at times - which is seemingly already happening at Bradford. It's fine when you are getting results, but I think supporters would be less forgiving if you aren't getting results and don't appear to be proactive in attaining them - especially at home. We weren't the shithouse reds for nothing - even if we did revel in it at times! Thats not to say we didn't deserve promotion - we did, but went about it in a different way to most.
In a strange way, having initially been disappointed at losing Derek, I think the situation has actually worked out much better for us. I'm not sure the style we used last season would have translated into League One very well (didn't at Plymouth), where players are generally better on the ball.... hence you can't just let the opposition have it, then try and trap them into making mistakes in dangerous areas. As a result of Derek wanting to leave, we've landed a very talented manager in Stephen Robinson who has given the club a new and clear identity already.... and the football so far has been the best I have ever watched from a Morecambe outfit during my time as a fan home and away for the last 25 years or so.
You've got to complement the board for their recruitment of managers - but you do wonder what would have happened if people don't leave on their own accord!?!
Jim Harvey is still the last manager to be sacked back in 2005, 15 years ago. Pretty remarkable that each appointment since then has been an improvement IMO..... even Jimbo, which some might disagree with; look at the team Sammy left behind - he'd lost the plot by then pissing away PMG money on the likes of Chris Shuker and Paul 'I've not come to Morecambe to play right back' Scott... yet we still offered him a new deal that he rejected.