We need to be concerned

[Ned]

The league records don’t lie and as such we have to accept that we are currently one of the worst teams in the football league and in truth are probably inferior to a number of Conference teams.
19 games played and our weekly pattern for every match is to pack the midfield with quantity rather than quality and then after every match hope the other teams around us have also not won. At present the points difference between Barnet, Chester and ourselves is small enough for the league positions to easily change after 1 or 2 matches which is an ongoing concern. Grimsby would need a bit longer and Bournemouth would need to do some good business in January. In fact with 27 games left all these clubs including ourselves are aware there is enough time to pull away from the nether regions depending on who they sign in January.

Interesting statement from Mr. Unpopular aka Mark Wright regarding Chester. Although he is a bad man manager he has played at a higher level and is qualified to assess players and as such has identified that Chester need 5 new players to ensure they can consolidate their position as a league 2 outfit. If you consider that Chester are only 2 pts behind ourselves (and that could be less after Saturday) then in his view a similar assessment regarding players should also apply to us.

[George Dawes]

well they sure dont call you "Negative Ned" for nothing



losing tommo & baker, as had a bigger effect to our attack than we all thought

[campdave]

Hello Mr stating the keithing obvious

[Howe Magic]

welcome back negative ned (Not) - funny how you have come back on here after our first defeat in six league games....reading the times sport section on monday afternoon shows that we are the 9th best team over last six games gaining 1.5 points per game (9pts from last 18) 2 wins 3 draws and 1 defeat yes just 1 defeat so what a real disaster... maybe one day you might be called positive ned but i very very much doubt it UP THE SHRIMPS

[Phoenix]

We need to be concerned ... that Ned is back online

[Ned]

welcome back negative ned (Not) - funny how you have come back on here after our first defeat in six league games....reading the times sport section on monday afternoon shows that we are the 9th best team over last six games gaining 1.5 points per game (9pts from last 18) 2 wins 3 draws and 1 defeat yes just 1 defeat so what a real disaster... maybe one day you might be called positive ned but i very very much doubt it UP THE SHRIMPS

Any team can select a small number of matches to put a distorted spin on results but overall I hope the ratio continues...However I find it hard to take you seriously when you continuosly keep predicting the team is going to win (based on nothing but blind faith) and you are always wrong. Consider this .. if the entire MFC squad was put up for sale do you serioulsy believe more than 3 of the players would actually get another league club.

[George Dawes]

Roche
McCann
McStay
Howe
D O Carrol
Wainwright
Stanley

id say could get league clubs

[Ned]

Hello Mr stating the keithing obvious

I take it the mods have no problem with the F word but in the next breath they are singing the praises of us being a family club!

[Ned]

Roche
McCann
McStay
Howe
D O Carrol
Wainwright
Stanley

id say could get league clubs

Fair comment although I personally believe on what we have seen that McCann, O'Carrol and Wainwright are Conference Premier or North.
Howe is still a Peterborough player.

[shrimper]

[Consider this .. if the entire MFC squad was put up for sale do you serioulsy believe more than 3 of the players would actually get another league club.

As always, Ned, yours is a welcome contribution as far as I'm concerned and though it is pretty predictable stuff I do actually agree with most of it.
Though I also wonder why you bother to express this kind of 'obvious' assessment after one league defeat yet never bother when we're in the middle of a decent run - I think that's why you get the flak you do (not that you're bothered, I suspect).

I think we have about three or four players who we would still expect to see in the first 11 IF we were assembling a team to significantly improve our general league position and be confident of keeping us there.

I think the board and Sammy probably agree with that assessment.

But until we have the ability to really upgrade our salary structure - and to do that we need to really increase our income (let's hope we do that soon with the moves to the new stadium) we have to borrow and cadge players.

We all know we're not good enough at the moment to do much other than keep our heads above water. If we get another couple of decent players in January (I think we've a good chance of securing Howe) we may be able to put another run together and look towards the fringes of the play-offs but I wouldn't bet much on it.

But what's your point in starting a thread like this? Unless you say what you think we should be doing differently and suggesting why you think that is realistic, then you really are just stating the obvious.

If it's just to get another of your now famous threads going, then fair enough, we can take it as it was intended.

[George Dawes]

SM hasnt give them 3 a fair crack of the whip

D O Carrol with his CV would surely get a Manager at another club what would give him a chance/run in the team.

same goes for McCann who in the last month seems to me has made the right-wing back position his own

and Wainwright is one of the very few players we have what can run at defenders and beat them

[shrimper]

They wouldn't be among my 'three or four' if I'm honest. They may get other League clubs but I don't think any of the ones who are up where we want to be would take them as first-teamers.

[Howe Magic]

sorry negative ned but my assessment is not built on blind faith - i have seen 20 of the 25 games this season (Including been at bournemouth on a tuesday night) and have watched the shrimps 30 years...we are not having the best season at the moment but it could be a lot worse - WHEN WE START LEAGUE 2 next season it will be our 3rd year in the league which for a small town club will be a fantastic achievement in my opinion...maybe i always look for the positives about the team and club but thats the way i am and i will never change - i might be wrong but i think accrington went about 12 games without a win last season and stil stayed up....

[D-EZ]

At times I must say i'm pretty negative, but at this moment i'm mildly impressed. We knew we were going to struggle and struggle we have but lets just give it time and maybe we'll comment on this at the end of the season. We need games and games is what we will get. Points will also be back on the board soon. Last season everyone wanted to be a part of the famous Morecambe venturing their way into the Football League. E.g. Carl Baker, Joe Lewis. But the people who were at the club from day one, e.g. Bentley and Thommo also wanted to give the league a fair go at the clubs which nurtured them. This season has been a dramatic fall but as long as we survive their is nothing more which we can hope for until a massive financial investor or a massive geographical change comes along. Just enjoy it while we can because you never now what is around the corner.

[Ned]

[Consider this .. if the entire MFC squad was put up for sale do you serioulsy believe more than 3 of the players would actually get another league club.

As always, Ned, yours is a welcome contribution as far as I'm concerned and though it is pretty predictable stuff I do actually agree with most of it.
Though I also wonder why you bother to express this kind of 'obvious' assessment after one league defeat yet never bother when we're in the middle of a decent run - I think that's why you get the flak you do (not that you're bothered, I suspect).

I think we have about three or four players who we would still expect to see in the first 11 IF we were assembling a team to significantly improve our general league position and be confident of keeping us there.

I think the board and Sammy probably agree with that assessment.

But until we have the ability to really upgrade our salary structure - and to do that we need to really increase our income (let's hope we do that soon with the moves to the new stadium) we have to borrow and cadge players.

We all know we're not good enough at the moment to do much other than keep our heads above water. If we get another couple of decent players in January (I think we've a good chance of securing Howe) we may be able to put another run together and look towards the fringes of the play-offs but I wouldn't bet much on it.

But what's your point in starting a thread like this? Unless you say what you think we should be doing differently and suggesting why you think that is realistic, then you really are just stating the obvious.

If it's just to get another of your now famous threads going, then fair enough, we can take it as it was intended.

My thread is a reaction to the complacency by a number of posters and the misplaced pre season optimism from a naive Sammy who was so confident he would be bringing in quality players to take us forward.
I also took exception to recent comments from Mark Lillis who on being offered a contract extension stated he must be doing something right. At the time the team was struggling and the players were having difficulty controlling and passing the football whist being schooled under Mr. Lillis.
By chance I was tipped off about Sammy’s contract extension prior to it going public and I found the timing difficult to understand and believed that the club should have waited until we saw what direction we were going in.

[campdave]

By chance I was tipped off about Sammy’s contract extension prior to it going public and I found the timing difficult to understand and believed that the club should have waited until we saw what direction we were going in.

LOOK AT ME LOOK AT ME

Why not comment at the time then?

[Ade Adams]

The whole worlds in a period of negativity then Ned comes along and doubles it but I was more concerned when some of you were picking on our Danny and his lack of pace

[George Dawes]

he just needs to get on a diet!

[Burnley Shrimp]

I don't think many Morecambe fans are under any delusions that the current squad are any thing other than just about good enough to maintain our league status and not much more. So Negative Ned a lot of your opinions are held by many, but the majority of us are thankfully nothing but realists and we realise that the club is currently in a major period of transition where we need to stick by the club through lean times on the pitch in order to prosper in the future.

To progress we need to improve the infrastructure of the club, new stadium equals hopefully improved finances where we can compete for the players who will boost our fortunes on the pitch and give us the good times in the league we enjoyed in recent non league seasons, where we were constantly competing for honours.

We have to be realists. We currently have one of the smallest average attendances in the league but we also have an excellent board of directors who appear to be steering the club through the stormy financial climate in a competent manner. They can't throw money at expensive signings whilst looking to further the priority of the new stadium.

We have to be patient and continue our support for the club even though we may not be thrilled to bits with the performance every week. I like many look forward to the future with optimism!

[Martin]

Of course we need to be concerned. I'm concerned every season until we're all but mathematically safe.

I think one of the hardest aspects of this season is that we're simply not used anymore to supporting a struggling side. For a number of years we were a top Conference team, either reaching or just missing out on the playoffs since their inception.

It was clear early on that we are likely to stay in the bottom third of the table all season. In spite of how bad it all appears, we still are not the worst team at present. The main problem is our inability to win; defeats were always on the cards this season, but we need a couple of wins fairly soon to give us a little more breathing space.

After that, it's dependant on who we can buy or borrow to see us safely to May.

The sooner the new stadium and it's associated income streams are in place, the better. We need that spending power that will be generated.

[Mark S]

Hello Mr stating the keithing obvious

I take it the mods have no problem with the F word but in the next breath they are singing the praises of us being a family club!

Ned - As you well know, this is an unpaid voluntary service. We have lives as well and dont sit here waiting for people to post. Give us a chance.

I have also spotted the gossip and potential libel and dumped that too. Dont forget that you can be traced by e-mail and ip address if we get a legal complaint. Would we make a stand and protect anyones annonymity? Hell no!

Dave - You are the first to complain about personal abuse. Please keep it civil.

[durhamshrimp]

I'd like to know whether if this time next season, for argument's sake, we're top of the league and still in the FA cup, will Negative Ned change his username?

Well Ned?

The point I'm making is that we know what his posts are going to say before we click on them. His whole purpose is to complain about the team and the club. There is a theory that the Football Manager/Championship Manager PC games have bred a generation of absolute f**kwits that think they know best how to manage and run a football club. Is this what we have here? Personally my view that Sammy Mac and the board are a manager and group of people that have taken Morecambe into the football league, Negative Ned on the other hand hasn't (though he may have won League 2 on Champ Manager). I know where my faith is out of the two parties and I also know which is likely to be spouting the most bollocks.

[Number 1]

This forum has had it's ups and downs this season. Possibly more downs than ups actually, but each week people criticise the team after a bad performance, and praise the team after a win, because we're football fans, and we're Morecambe fans. We have no god given right to win every game. Hell, for the size of club we possibly shouldn't even be in the Football League. But we are where we are (near the bottom of the league) owing to a number of factors, size of club, location, financial ability and turnover. I've said it before and I'll say it again, those factors affect our ability to attract better players than we have. There's no getting away from it. Most of us know and accept this, and whilst we have differing opinions about who should play and how we did play etc, the bottom line is that most people on this forum, having seen the struggle to get here are just glad that we are in the FL and that pound for pound, Sammy and Mark are doing about as well as can be expected.

As for Neds initial and subsequent posts, what I don't understand is this:

1. What is the actual point he is trying to make, apart from simply rehashing old statements which appear naively unaware of our abilities in the football marketplace?

2. What would he actually do to change things, who would he bring in who would be better than who we have already and who would actually come, and what tactics would he employ to achieve better results?

I asked similar questions to this last time out to challenge his opinions, and to seek some kind of response, and from that point on, he disappeared. Will Ned do the same disappearing act again, or will he actually have the wherewithall to answer those two points? Or are we simply going to get the same identical post in another 6 weeks or so when we've dropped another couple of places perhaps?

[ezz]

Ned i bet you a tenner we dont go down... do you accept?

[Keith]

Why not comment at the time then?

He was waiting for Christmas...

It's his Negativity Play!