We Dared to Dream???

[SW London Shrimp]

I was at the Notts County game and on the way home thought that we'd be struggling against relegation for the rest of the season. To be where we are now is just an excellent performance from both the manager and the backroom staff and the players in the intervening four and a half months. Even if we don't make the playoffs, this run of form gives us an excellent springboard for next season. Who knows, it may even persuade some players that Morecambe are a club worth signing for.

[RedRedWine1]

SW London Shrimp you should post more often. Clearly you have the nous to not get carried away by this fairy tale, hollywood, romanticise plot that some people are cooking up.

Slack, your manipulating stats to agree with the fact that you went to an away game and want to be part of the story. Yes the RESULTS have improved since Accy as you have proved, but IMO the PERFORMANCES had been good long before this artificial 'turning-point' and continue to be so. Stanley was a blip.

Using my boolean logic, good results follow good performances and you can't deny that we were playing some of our best football in the games over Christmas. For me the performance against Macclesfield and Bradford still stand out as two of the best of the season, despite losing the later 4-0 we played some lovely stuff. From this point forwards it was clear to me that we'd have a comfortable season. Earlier in the year we had not looked so good, but for the points deductions I would have been worried.

Look at the table since November, we'd be sat in third place for the points accumulated in the given period. We've been a lot better, for a lot longer than people are giving credit for. Whatever happens in our run-in its vital we take our current form into next season. Last season we finished poorly and carried that into the start of this campaign. A better start next time round and who knows.

RRW

[The Fury]

Didn't Yeovil have back to back promotions? And Carlisle didn't hang around either. I can't think of anyone who went 2nd Division-1st Division and has ended up worse off? Even if we were to go up and straight back down, we'd have huge parachute payments and great experience. I still think we are just a little too far away but if it happened, it would be fantastic.

The real point is, we've proved what we can do now (even to Ned) so there is no reason why we can't hit the start of next season full of confidence. We've got players like Jim playing the best football of their career this season (Gary Hunter, Danny Adams, Barry Roach as well as arguably others?) A couple of additions next season and we should fear no one... which ever league we are in!

FOOTBALL LEAGUE AND WE'RE HAVING A LAUGH!

All good points, I reckon. Yeovil didn't get back to back promotions, I don't think, by the way, and went up at the second attempt. Just to cite another example, Rushden & Diamonds went from League Two to League One and suffered, although their plight wasn't a direct result of promotion too quickly, I wouldn't say. Didn't Boston do the same thing?

Next season (presuming we are still in this league) will be interesting and I would say we need to exercise a degree of caution in our expectation levels. I'd be delighted with survival again next time round and, realistically, don't feel we can attract any better calibre of players than the ones signed last summer. Equally, I'll bet Sammy won't be writing off the likes of Twiss/Stanley/Yates/Artell etc so quickly this summer. I don't anticipate we'll be able to coax better players to the club until the new stadium is in place and better training/general facilities are available. At that time I might consider raising my expectation levels….slightly.

[slackAlice]

RRW

Slack, your manipulating stats to agree with the fact that you went to an away game and want to be part of the story.

Not quite sure what you mean here RRW , but talking to a few Morecambe Fans at Macclesfield they reckon there's been two low points this season Gillingham [A] & Accy [A] I didn't go to Gillingham. I've seen enough football over the years to make a basic assessment that we developed a consistencey following the fall-out from that match. If I think back to the 14 away games I've been to this season [Cup & League] theres been better than Bradford - Port Vale we were very unlucky , Wycombe & Barnet we were OK.
But since Accy we have become very difficult to beat I believe before that we were good , OK , poor, ok ..... But thats just my opinion - we were'nt that good at Darlo or Macc but I kinda knew we'd get something from both games because we have a resilience. I don't know what you mean about being 'part of the story' though ? Are you planning a book or something ?

[james456]

At the Bradford game, we knocked it around in midfield nicely but didn't create anything. And the defence wasn't brilliant either.

[marky No.1]

Look at the table since November, we'd be sat in third place for the points accumulated in the given period.

It's been talked about how our 2 seasons in the League have been in 2 halves. Last season was a good first half, this season a fantastic second half. IF you combine the first 24 games last season up to Peterborough and then add the last 18 we would have amassed 71 points from 42 games putting us joint 2nd with a game in hand.

Being in the glass half full brigade I don't fancy working out where we would be with the total of the 2 bad halves

[Curly]

Didn't Yeovil have back to back promotions? And Carlisle didn't hang around either. I can't think of anyone who went 2nd Division-1st Division and has ended up worse off? Even if we were to go up and straight back down, we'd have huge parachute payments and great experience. I still think we are just a little too far away but if it happened, it would be fantastic.

The real point is, we've proved what we can do now (even to Ned) so there is no reason why we can't hit the start of next season full of confidence. We've got players like Jim playing the best football of their career this season (Gary Hunter, Danny Adams, Barry Roach as well as arguably others?) A couple of additions next season and we should fear no one... which ever league we are in!

FOOTBALL LEAGUE AND WE'RE HAVING A LAUGH!

Drummy doesn't seem worried about quality of teams in league1 saying theres not a huge difference between leagues1 & 2, if we went up it would be tough, but we've upset a few
Massive Clubs before

[Keith]

That 7th place is still up for grabs...

Remaining Fixtures.
Shrewsbury (7th) Played 44, Points 65.
v Lincoln (13th)
v Dagenham & Redbridge (9th)

Chesterfield (8th) Played 44, Points 63.
v Accrington Stanley (17th)
v Bradford (11th)

Dagenham & Redbridge (9th) Played 43, Points 62.
v Brentford (1st)
v Notts County (18th)
v Shrewsbury (7th)

Morecambe (10th) Played 43, Points 62.
v Rotherham (14th)
v Exeter (2nd)
v Bournmouth (21st)

Bradford (11th) Played 44, Points 61.
v Rotherham (14th)
v Chesterfield (8th)

7th place still up for grabs. Bradford surely out of it after Dagenham & Redbridge battered them today. Chesterfield probably have to go to Bradford and win on the last day. D&R three points outside the play offs with a game in hand but a good goal difference. But the game in hand is against Brentford who will be looking to become champions.

Then there is Morecambe! Three points outside play offs as well but with the weakest goal difference of the chasing pack, so we need to do it on points. Tuesday night is going to be VERY interesting!

[Martin]

Win all our three and Dagenham draw with Shrewsbury and the place is ours!

Simples!

[Keith]

Win all our three and Dagenham draw with Shrewsbury and the place is ours!

Simples!

Certainly, if we win our three, the worst we'll do is 8th on goal difference.

[John L]

I don't think it's been said yet, but it needs to be.... We now have 62 points, 2 points more than last season's total! 2nd season syndrome? No chance.... best league season ever!

[Wild Bill]

Looking like its surely between us and Shrewsbury for that final playoff spot. The Daggers are well placed too but they surely have too tough a run-in?

I cant believe how close we are and just to make the semis would be great for the club. A big gate against possibly a local rival then the confidence it would install in the team for next season will really help us push on. It will also surely help Sammy attract more talent to the club during the summer.

Come on boys, go hell for leather in the last 3 games and lets just see what happens. 7 points should do it but maybe even just 6. If we lose all three we will still have had a great season!

[Keith]

6 points almost certainly won't make it because of the goal difference. 7 points may be enough.

I still think we will just miss out by a whisker, Shrewsbury will stagger over the line I think. I also think we've got a couple of really tough away games before a far from easy last day of the season. BUT, we're in form and many of our players have been there before so know what to expect. And anyway, just talking about a possible play off spot with three games to go is a fantastic achievement.

[Andy]

Irrespective of what happens from here on, May I congratulate firstly the board of directors for running the club (in my eyes ) very successfully over the years,secondly Sammy and Mark for their hard work and endeavour for getting us this far, thirdly Edgey and the playing staff for their hard work in making our 2nd season in the league another one to remember.
Well done to all concerned with MFC


ps looking forward to next Novembers fixtures w/end of the 7th could be good for me lol

[mounse mk2]

I've had a vision.

Beat Rotherham who have nothing to play for.

Exeter have to beat us, so we grab a couple of goals on the counter and then Bournemouth will kindly roll over and let us tickle their tummies as we romp to a 4-0 victory.

I can hear Jeff Stelling on Soccer Saturday 'Morecambe have not been in the playoff positions all season but now with 5 minutes to go. THEY ARE!!'

Play offs will be a breeze. League 1 here we come.

1 year of consolidation in League 1, including a couple of victories over Leeds.

Then we win league 1 and then in our first season in The Championship we storm to the title with 106 points.

The first season in The Premiership is tough but in our second we manage qualify for The Champions league with a victory over Man U at Old Trafford.

UP THE SHRIMPS!!

[marky]

And then he quit smoking weed

[ezz]

After reading that i think its more like

' and then i STARTED smoking weed'

[Keith]

Ah well, it was a great run. To get to within three games of the season still talking about the play offs was superb. Well done lads!

[Christies Child]

..an excellent last few months.....but if it were not for all those draws......?????????

However well done to all concerned.

First game in the new stadium in League 1 sounds just about right to me.