Do the right and honourable thing and resign

[black morse]

The voices of reason!

Fully agree with Little Shrimp and Freeze.

Keep supporting Derek and the lads until the final whistle on the last day of the season.

Whatever happens, we will still be a LEAGUE TEAM next season and we will regroup and stabilise with our new owner.

COYS

+ 1

[Andy D]

Derek in for me, we’ve just not got the quality in the final third of the pitch.

Just wished Derek had done more to move Cole Stockton on at the start of the season, and then in the second window Derek had another chance to bring in somebody but instead brought in Dynel Simeu a defender when we had an inform Ryan Delaney.

[Gone_Shrimping]

Derek in for me too.

Derek would have loved to bring Carlos M-G back to Morecambe. Carlos would have loved to come back given a free choice. The fact is we couldn't compete with Pilley's wallet.

We need decent owners that will invest in the team and see what Derek and Greg can put together.

[Keith]

I'm sat on the fence.

I do think Derek shoulders some, but by no means, all, of the responsibility for our relegation. Why he changed a winning formula at the start of the year, I don't understand. And having switched back to a failing one, why he stuck with it so stubbornly, leading to missed opportunities against our fellow relegation battle candidates.

But the off-field chaos, and inheriting players who he didn't want, on long contracts, can't have helped in any way.

On the other hand, he has a proven track record at League Two, both with us and other clubs, so will there be a better candidate for the job out there?

I think to a large extent, it will depend if he wants to stay? The off-field shenanigans doesn't look like it will be resolved quickly, and he's likely to face a further reduction in playing budget. If he's offered something else, he may decide to go when his contract is up.

And, despite everything, we're still not down yet. Obviously, the likelihood of pulling three or more unexpected wins, against much better sides, is unlikely, but perhaps we can still do it.

[redrobo]

Looks like my thoughts are very much in the minority which is fine.

What impresses me more however is that unlike other clubs there is no majority knee jerk reaction by our fans in wanting a change and it shows what a loyal bunch of fans our club has (except one of two who offer a different view) unlike other clubs who would be shouting from the roof tops demanding a change.

Yet again our BoD appear to be backing DA if not financially (due to their own lack of the necessary funds ) but have not unlike other clubs reacted simply because we are in a relegation battle. Along with Accrington our BoD appear stay loyal to DA accepting that we are unable to compete financially with other clubs.

Whatever happens in May then I will continue to support OUR club like the majority of others on this fans forum.

[KenH]

[quote="Keith"Why he changed a winning formula at the start of the year, I don't understand. [/quote]

Phillips got injured and went back to his home club. He was very influential in our short winning streak.

Mellon was a poor substitute, who likewise got injured and returned to his home club.

Who else did we have to replace Phillips? No-one. Stockton isn't a patch on his form last season. Niasse has only just come in after barely played for months.

He didn't "change a winning formula". He didn't have a replacement for Phillips.

[Freez]

I do think that Phillips was just getting into his stride and losing him to injury was a bigger blow that we now realise. And despite the best attempts to replace him, Mellon was more of a wide player, so can see why we didn’t play 2 up top.
And we got promoted with 1 up top tbf.

[mrpotatohead]

No knee jerk reaction from anyone apart from you eh?

[Keith]

I do think that Phillips was just getting into his stride and losing him to injury was a bigger blow that we now realise. And despite the best attempts to replace him, Mellon was more of a wide player, so can see why we didn’t play 2 up top.

I agree, Phillips getting injured was a massive blow for us. But, after our mini-winning streak, we played Derby, which no-one seriously expected anything, but the next game was FGR, where we had one up front. I think we could have played Hunter or Gnahoua up front with Stockton. That was the first of the 'must win' games that we failed to do so.

And we got promoted with 1 up top tbf.

As I've said previously, I'm not fundamentally opposed to one up front, if the midfield is creating and scoring too. But this season, it has quite obviously not worked. Stockton has been very poor, and looks like he's just playing out the rest of his contract, so he can head off somewhere else. Unfortunately, he's been doing so for the entire season. We've not been creating enough and not getting in to the dangerous areas. It may well be that if Derek is managing next season, and has summer to build his own team, we'll see one up front working fine again. But, given what we currently have...

[Catte]

Derek Adams is one to keep hold of, he has an ability to work with what he has in the group and at this and other levels that is a rare commodity. This season it has been a struggle but there are few managers I would take over DA.
Will he be there next season I guess that depends on your off field challenges and what Division you are in with regards to the man I have no doubt of his caliber. Would be really interesting if he had some real money to work with and a full pre-season with his signings.

The season went off the rails when the young lad got injured and your midfield lacked the experience of a battle at the wrong end of the table and that can break a team, they will be better for it but the loanee's will return to their clubs with the experience under their belts.

This league has been a tough one this year with a lot of big teams scrapping for their lives, and able to spend money on bringing players into the Division or across to their team. Barry Bannan in this Division it is amazing how loyal he has been and what a player.

[Little Shrimp]

Cheers all, good to see some proper logical and thought through opinions on here rather than the chaotic reactionary nonsense you get on Facebook!

The season went off the rails when the young lad got injured and your midfield lacked the experience of a battle at the wrong end of the table and that can break a team, they will be better for it but the loanee's will return to their clubs with the experience under their belts.

Pains me to say it, but the Bolton fan is absolutely spot on! Been banging on about the midfield and balance all season - bags of talent, just not really the solid base to anchor things. That comes from recruitment problems, which stems from restraints we've had operating in the transfer market.

I agree, Phillips getting injured was a massive blow for us. But, after our mini-winning streak, we played Derby, which no-one seriously expected anything, but the next game was FGR, where we had one up front. I think we could have played Hunter or Gnahoua up front with Stockton. That was the first of the 'must win' games that we failed to do so.

We played Hunter, him and Crowley had quite free roles buzzing around Stockton. That is quite attacking! Especially ahead of a midfield pairing of Weir and Shaw. Problem was that FGR's incredibly organised defensive block was super hard to break down (as Sheff Weds recently found out), and Hunter/Crowley consequently dropped deeper for the ball. Mellon sub and going a bit more direct worked in the final 10 minutes with the frenetic dynamic of the game at that point, but if we'd done that all game then there's every chance it would have been way too predictable and FGR would have had an easy time clearing/hoovering up second balls with the numbers they had back.

On Mellon, by all reports he was apparently a cracking finisher. But it seems his all round game was a bit lacking. I thought he showed some nice bits of movement at times but not quite on Phillips's level, and also was a a bit of a liability defensively. Quite a big lad for his age but didn't seem to cope well with physical treatment. Thought his head went a bit, especially after the disastrous 30mins out wide vs Port Vale before Stockton was subbed and we changed shape.

Ultimately, it was his first ever set of senior appearances. Compare that to Phillips, who had a handful of Championship appearances as well as last season on loan in League Two at a couple of different clubs. It can make a big difference!

[redrobo]

No knee jerk reaction from anyone apart from you eh?

So good to read yet ANOTHER positive message from MrP.....

[Andy D]

No knee jerk reaction from anyone apart from you eh?

So good to read yet ANOTHER positive message from MrP.....

Lee does have a point if you judge Derek Adams over his “Entire” Morecambe career.

[BerlinWaller]

Dereks interview for BBC Lancs is a very good one this week

[Keith]

Dereks interview for BBC Lancs is a very good one this week

https://www.morecambefc.com/news/2023/a ... -argyle-h/

[Keith]

"We've got players on loan, who people might think, 'they'll just see it as, they are gone next season', but it is not like that here, [and] everyone is fighting for their place in the team as well. Everyone is putting it in, I don't think heads have dropped, we still think we can get out of it"

Adam Mayor with a good interview too.

https://www.morecambefc.com/news/2023/a ... -argyle-h/

[Keith]

We played Hunter, him and Crowley had quite free roles buzzing around Stockton. That is quite attacking!

...Hunter/Crowley consequently dropped deeper for the ball.

And that, to me is the problem, and why, in my opinion, we would have been better with two up front, so that one or the other (probably Hunter) or Mellon (at the time) or Gnahoua, would have been instructed not to come back in search of the ball. On paper, it is very attacking, but, if those attacking midfield players are coming back to our own penalty area, in search of the ball, there is no 'out' for us to attack. Crowley has great balance and mobility, but with no forward player to pass to, has taken to dribbling around in circles until he finds a sideways or backwards pass.

[Gone_Shrimping]

Dereks interview for BBC Lancs is a very good one this week

Further proof of how lucky we are to have Derek as manager.

[redrobo]

Dereks interview for BBC Lancs is a very good one this week

Further proof of how lucky we are to have Derek as manager.

An excellent interview and whatever issues I have about style of football there is no doubt that DA comes across as a very caring and honest bloke who tells it as he sees it.

Would love it if he and his lads could see us survive in EFL1 as there is no doubt that over the season we've had decisions both on and off the field that have gone against us.

About time we had some luck.......

[BerlinWaller]

Dereks interview for BBC Lancs is a very good one this week

Further proof of how lucky we are to have Derek as manager.

Agreed. He is a high quality football manager and we are indeed very lucky to have him. I think that he gets what this football club is about and has led it superbly. His post match interviews seem to be a chore for him but these pre game seem to get the best out of him.

[BerlinWaller]

Dereks interview for BBC Lancs is a very good one this week

Further proof of how lucky we are to have Derek as manager.

An excellent interview and whatever issues I have about style of football there is no doubt that DA comes across as a very caring and honest bloke who tells it as he sees it.

Would love it if he and his lads could see us survive in EFL1 as there is no doubt that over the season we've had decisions both on and off the field that have gone against us.

About time we had some luck.......

An amazing change in stance from the creator of the thread

[Little Shrimp]

And that, to me is the problem, and why, in my opinion, we would have been better with two up front, so that one or the other (probably Hunter) or Mellon (at the time) or Gnahoua, would have been instructed not to come back in search of the ball. On paper, it is very attacking, but, if those attacking midfield players are coming back to our own penalty area, in search of the ball, there is no 'out' for us to attack. Crowley has great balance and mobility, but with no forward player to pass to, has taken to dribbling around in circles until he finds a sideways or backwards pass.

Perhaps Hunter was instructed to stay forward but got frustrated as the ball wasn't reaching him? Maybe the logic was to have two attacking mids hover in-between the lines but they kept on dropping deeper with the flow of the game? Should Weir, Shaw and Bedeau not have taken a bit more ownership on the ball to progress it to Crowley and Hunter in more dangerous/attacking areas? They've certainly got the ability to do so.

The assumption throughout football is to blame basically everything that happens on the pitch on the manager. But it's rarely that simple, and for all we know Derek had told Crowley and Hunter to hang around closer to Stockton but they got frustrated and dropped deeper as the game progressed.

On two up top, there's an argument that having an extra forward in there can help stretch the defence. On the flip side, it takes away a creative midfielder, and can be a bit predictable (Derek has highlighted this as his issue with two up top, and Robbo said similar about 3-5-2) as you're just hitting two frontmen. Can be comfortable enough for a deep sitting defence to deal with. It's not exactly illogical to think that having your two most creative midfielders buzzing around in the side might be the way to unlock a team.

[redrobo]

No change in my stance which has always been simply about style.....never about DA himself....

DA has had a lot to deal with of late and has acted with professionalism and honesty which is in very short supply in football these days.

I still feel that our problems lie with the lack of experience in midfield due to an over reliant on loanees but it is what it is and whatever happens come May DA will always be remembered as the manager who got us promoted to EFL1....and for that we thank him.

[BerlinWaller]

The two upfront solves all our problems arguement is tiresome and if only winning games was that simple. As LS states, if you put two up front you have to lose a man from somewhere else. We aren't good enough at this level to lose a third man out of the midfield and 3 5 2 is easily counter acted. Derek has been far more attacking this season but he has a striker who has all but downed tools and a young midfied trying to get in and around him. Hunter and Taylor have been injured and our brightest hope has been an 18yr old kid. Crowley was a roll of the dice and has probably caused more problems than it solved. We can go on and on but just putting it down to not playing 4 4 f@cking 2 is pretty short sighted and lazy.

[BerlinWaller]

No change in my stance which has always been simply about style.....never about DA himself....

DA has had a lot to deal with of late and has acted with professionalism and honesty which is in very short supply in football these days.

I still feel that our problems lie with the lack of experience in midfield due to an over reliant on loanees but it is what it is and whatever happens come May DA will always be remembered as the manager who got us promoted to EFL1....and for that we thank him.

So just explain to me why he should do the right and honourable thing and resign again please? Is he being wrong and dishonourable by staying and trying to keep us up?