Honeymoon over ?

[glagys]

Well devoid of ideas, nice football but no end product, O’Connor passing was non-league, shouting at his teamates for not getting the ball when he over hit it,
2-0 down 10 mins to play we get a free kick by the halfway line play it across the back than back to keeper who rolls to Greg to play across the back then it gets hoofed it over everyone to their keeper
Not good enough

[Pandashrimp]

I have to say tonight was horrendous. I tend to agree with Robbo’s positivity as some lapses aside we compete well. Tonight we didn’t.

I also really worry about O’Connor as captain. Doesn’t inspire confidence with his body language. Losing your club rock on deadline day isn’t ideal it turns out!!

Positives - plenty of time away from league action. Hopefully McPake Duffus Gnhoua Wildig could all be back by Fleetwood.

[lancaster shrimp]

I said after Doncaster. Other than Cole. We have nobody who looks like they will score. Not convinced by Wes as of yet. Needs to take his man on more. I feel we lack creativity In the middle and we are so weak at the back.

[Angler1]

Lousy performance tonight, no urgency in our play. Too slow to move the ball forward. We need to be better all over the field or we will be leaving this league at the end of the season..

[BerlinWaller]

Started brightly but teams suss us out and once we have punched ourselves out, they turn us over. There is absolute panic when the ball gets near our box with defenders and midfielders all over the place. The goalie adds to the panic as he doesn't know when to come for the ball. He almost crouches when the ball is crossed in to the box. We could have played for another 3 hours and not got a shot on goal. Overall, we have gone back to being too easy to play against.

[Freez]

Cambridge were no great shakes but we made them look good. 4 big defenders whom the ref let bully our lads, as soon as Price gives them some back, free kick!!
And the free kick conceded by Freddie for the best tackle of the match on their full back who was off his feet, amazing 100% the wrong decision.
But Ironside bullied our back line all night and they gave them the platform. Second was a pen, but they did get lucky the deflection went straight to him.
We are missing too many players who can make a difference.
Bad night.
As soon as they scored the first, great goal, we looked edgy and nervous!

[fulwoodshrimp]

Awful performance tonight. Several players have shown once again they are not League 1 players. I also worry that the manager doesn't seem to be able to coach the players into becoming better players. He talks about what we need to improve but there is no sign of the improvement. We are going backwards and tonight reminded me of the Bentley era and hoof ball.

[Andy D]

not good enough to play 4-3-3, we’re not Man City.

[Keith]

That's the first time this season, we've not only lost, but we looked like relegation fodder when we did. Play like that on Saturday and we certainly won't progress in the FA Cup and Newport will have revenge.

First fifteen minutes or so we knocked it around well, but after 94 minutes, did we actually have a shot on target?

Bad day at the office, we definitely need to make changes.

[BerlinWaller]

Awful performance tonight. Several players have shown once again they are not League 1 players. I also worry that the manager doesn't seem to be able to coach the players into becoming better players. He talks about what we need to improve but there is no sign of the improvement. We are going backwards and tonight reminded me of the Bentley era and hoof ball.

It is very much like watching a Jim Bentley side at times. The backwards and sideways passes we were glad to see the back of are back and players who are unable to pass it around are being asked to do so. Players not wanting the ball and just getting rid were everywhere tonight. The organisation, the aggression and the desire to win at all costs from Derek Adams Morecambe seemed a million years ago tonight.

[mrpotatohead]

The team needs half a dozen seasoned professionals that have experience at this level if we are to stay up,players with more grit.

[halfwayprawn]

I offered to buy my next door neighbour a ticket for the tonight match, thank christ he turned it down.That performance was diabolical.When you sign a defender you are supposed to know that they can defend.Who in our team is the player that controls the ball and dictates play,when they have a corner,why is there not one of our players on the halfway line occupying their players and expecting the the ball to be released early. Totally pissed off after that.

[Potted Shrimp]

My car is being repaired at the moment, but seeing as I had pre bought the ticket and I fancied our chances I decided to come down by train and payed a mate to give me a lift back to the Lakes. Total cost was £20 for train, £25 for lift back, £25 for ticket. A very expensive day out to see probably the worst live performance I have ever seen. As someone said earlier it reminded me of past days in the depths of league 2. I even left early which I never do. Ball was given away on too many occasions and never looked like scoring in a million years. Much improvement needed obviously otherwise we will go down, and the crowds will drop also - although they are clearly nowhere near what’s being stated.

[marky No.1]

Yes, I'm another one that commented it was like going back 5 years, sideways in defence and midfield till eventually it goes back to the keeper and a hoof upfield.
A lot of long balls from both sides tonight, we had loads of possession and didn't do much with it, we were getting 30% possession and winning and now getting 60% while losing. 1 shot on target out of 10 is just not good enough.
It's all changed since the delights of August and September, have all these new members of staff shaken it all up or something...

At the moment I'm wishing we could go back to lockdown and watch it all on the ipad again.

[Redalert1970]

Just back home to Blackpool and yes the performance tonight was very poor but I’ve seen a lot worse in my 40 years watching Morecambe

It’s going to be a long season and if we stay up it will be a great achievement

30 massive games to go that’s 90 points

KEEP THE FAITH (and don’t forget if we did go down we would still be a football league club)

[KenH]

They need to get back to basics like marking where we were woeful. And, sadly, yes we're back to Jim's clueless hoofball. I know it's a new squad and they need time to gel, but there's no sign of improvement and it's still as if it's 11 players who've never played together before.

In January we desperately need a quality defensive midfielder to protect the defence and a quality central defender. We're really missing Songo'o and Sam.

Derek showed what can be done with getting the basics right even when you won't have top quality players, that's something Robbo needs to learn from. We're never going to win games if we don't have a game plan and the players aren't marking their opponents.

[P/T Indie]

I agree Ken Derek took average players but put them into a well coached system which made them look better than they were, why cant SR coach us to be as organised off the ball as we were last season.

Anothet we don't seem to do anymore is have a midfielder making late runs into the box like Phillips and Wildig last season.

[Keith]

Our next League game isn't until 20th November. An FA Cup game that we'd all want to win, followed by a nothing game v Carlisle that no-one cares about. I was disappointed when the Wigan game was postponed but now, it may be a blessing in disguise. SR needs to go back to basics and he's got a breathing space to do that in.

Next two League games are against Fleetwood (two places below us) and Charlton (two places above us). Two massive games now. Win both and we'll be feeling much happier. Lose both and we're really in the mire.

[BerlinWaller]

Another sign of the downward turn is the behavior of a minority of our fans. Lobbing a bottle and silly chants at their GK is not what we as a fanbase are about. I hope the thrower gets the longest ban possible. The atmosphere has been bouncing but the fun atmosphere when we liked to boogey seems to be replaced with aggression. Everyone at the game last night has the right to vent but surely it is too early for the boo's?

[Keith]

Another sign of the downward turn is the behavior of a minority of our fans. Lobbing a bottle and silly chants at their GK is not what we as a fanbase are about. I hope the thrower gets the longest ban possible. The atmosphere has been bouncing but the fun atmosphere when we liked to boogey seems to be replaced with aggression. Everyone at the game last night has the right to vent but surely it is too early for the boo's?

I'd also point out that shouting "[opposition player's name] your shoelace is undone, your shoelace" while hilarious the first seventy-two times, it did eventually wear thin. And shouting abuse at our own player after a miss-placed pass is pretty moronic too.

'BerlinWaller... BERLINWALLER! Your shoelace... YOUR SHOELACE!

Really hope last night was a one-off, both on and off the pitch. The atmosphere has been great at every home game until yesterday.

PS Totally agree, if the person who threw the bottle is identified, I hope they are banned ASAP.

[redrobo]

For the first time is ages I couldn't go to the game due to illness, however I listened to the commentary on Radio Lancashire with Derek Q and a co commentator who for me summed up the game perfectly by saying that our midfield was too easily bullied and that they provided little if any protection for the defense.

In all honesty it is the first time I wasn't that bothered about missing the game because from what I've seen and heard of games of late the enjoyment factor is wearing thin.

SR talks a good game but seems unable to translate that over to the players of late and I'm beginning to wonder if at the initial interview for the job that his ability to say all the right things convinced our excellent BoD that he was the man to replace DA. We've no idea who the other candidates for the job where but from what I've heard in interviews that SR has given that he knows the power of communication can mask a number of failings.

No way I'm I suggesting that his position is under threat. That's not the way that our club goes about its business. But has he got the continued back of the squad and do they realize the shortcomings in midfield are costing us points on the board? WE desperately need a powerhouse midfield enforcer who know how to play the dark game as DQ's co commentator suggested. Without doubt that is the one preseason signing that we have failed to deliver and it needs to be addressed in the January window as a matter of priority.

The radio coverage commented on our single shot on target being in the initial openings of the game. That should tell us all how we were bullied and totally ineffective last night with what sounded like very little if any appetite for the game and the lack of vocal leadership on the field.

I fully expect a barrage of follow up posts ( even the usual abuse ) from fans who totally disagree with my thoughts and as I've always said everybody has a right to their own thoughts which may contradict those of the above.

[KenH]

I fully expect a barrage of follow up posts ( even the usual abuse ) from fans who totally disagree with my thoughts and as I've always said everybody has a right to their own thoughts which may contradict those of the above.

Well, I, for one, fully agree. We're desperately missing Songo'o as the midfield simply aren't doing the marking/tackling needed to protect the defence. Far too much sitting back and watching the ball/players go past them. The midfield are all over the place rather than having any structure/formality to them.

Their first goal happened straight after Toums took a ball right through the middle with an impressive run, he lost it in the opposition half, with a mis-pass and it was brought right back to our "D", right to the feet of a completely unmarked opposition player. It's exactly where Toums would have been had he not gone forward, but no one had filled the space he left.

[redrobo]

Just listened to SR's post match interview and in fairness he didn't shy away from admitting that we lacked fight and tactical awareness throughout the game. To admit that once they scored the outcome was predictable seemed to be translated onto the field.

I and everybody else hope we can bring in the extra experience we need in the transfer window but one defender has played all the games to date whilst all those around him appear to be held to account for our shortcomings. Maybe time for a rethink......

[fulwoodshrimp]

I very much agree with many of your points Redrobo. I too have wondered if the manager has lost some of the squad. Phillips looks a shadow of the player we saw last year and gives the impression he is not particularly bothered. Wildig is puzzingly absent as he was in many games in the Jimbo era but not in the Adams times. Sam was transferred for a modest fee and hasn't really been replaced. Several of the players signed in the summer have nothing to offer and the manager talks well but seems unable to coach the players to be better.He puts his finger on the faults after matches but seems unable to change anything on the pitch. In fact judged on last night's hoof ball performance things are deteriorating quickly. These are worrying times and a defeat on Saturday to League 2 Newport would really put the cat amongst the pigeons!

[BerlinWaller]

A rethink might be a bit drastic but being able to adapt during a game is critical and we are unable to do so. Simply trying to play pretty football around teams will not work, we know this from previous regimes. Like for like subs and aimless pumps forward aren't they way forward and to be fair to SR, he addressed it well in last nights interviews. Be interesting to see what Martin Foyle can bring to the party.