Just got back.

[heysham_mfc]

best part of the game was in the 1st min

[Abbo]

Best part was the final whistle !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Number 1]

Total crap last night. No other word, apart from similar ones that also mean crap.

I disagree with Shrimpscene, Accy weren't top notch, we just made it look that way.

I try and stay positive, and the way I look at it is that I can't believe we can be as bad as that again. If we are, then Sammy will have lost the dressing room if he can't motivate them anymore. It's not a huge gap to Bournemouth now so those who are saying we're safe need to have a rethink. A poor run and we're right down there. I wouldn't like the last game at home against Bournemouth to be a staying in the league decider, but more performances like that and it will be, assuming we're not already relegated.

I would expect a reaction to that on Saturday, particularly against a team who beat us in the last minute at their place last time...

If we don't get it, I'll be exremely worried.

[shrimper]

that kind of performance is not acceptable.

abbo I don't think anyone in the world with half a brain could disagree with that.

I think the point any dissenters on this thread are making is that this type of performance is not the norm.

We are not as good as we showed on Saturday and we are not as bad as we showed last night. We are somewhere in between the two.

If you pick the games at home to Macclesfield, Darlington, Shrewsbury, Aldershot and, funnily enough, Accrington (when we murdered them) as well as away at Chester, Wycombe, Bury and Chesterfield you'd say we were a very good side.

If you chose..... well you know the ones... then you'd say we were lucky to be anywhere near this league.

We're up and down. We don't have the squad - for a variety of reasons (including finances and geography) to be consistently good.

That doesn't mean we should be happy about last night's display, no-one's saying that. But we should bear our overall season's performance in mind when making general comments about the players and the manager, rather than making a judgment based on one game (or picking out a few specific ones) just to suit your argument at that particular moment.

Opinions about individuals are just those, opinions. Fact is Coley hasn't shown himself to be a better overall manager than Sam.

They've both done very well to get their small clubs where they are and keep them there.

In all of this what I think has only briefly been touched on was how well Accrington played last night.

We all know what we're like and we've all seen games when we've not performed - but I've not seen a side play as well against us as they did last night and I think, among all the criticism of our display (fully merited), Accy deserve a lot of praise.

Again, they can't play like that every week or they'd be further up the league - but last night their football was a complete joy to watch (through the fingers we were slapping over our own eyes!).

[marky]

But we should bear our overall season's performance in mind when making general comments about the players and the manager, rather than making a judgment based on one game (or picking out a few specific ones) just to suit your argument at that particular moment.

Quite right. We're the fifth worst team in the league thus far...

[bigreddog]

Bob on Shrimper. We don't have to be happy. but even though I'm naturaly a glass half empty person, I'm not despondent and I'm looking forward to a good response from the lads on saturday.

[shrimper]

But we should bear our overall season's performance in mind when making general comments about the players and the manager, rather than making a judgment based on one game (or picking out a few specific ones) just to suit your argument at that particular moment.

Quite right. We're the fifth worst team in the league thus far...

Yup. And if anyone wants to come up with an argument to explain why we should be performing better than that I'd like to hear it.

I can't think of many appropriate towns/clubs with whom we suffer in fair comparison.

I can think of lots and lots who - in fair comparison - we are completely outperforming as a club.


Not saying we shouldn't be ambitious to do better but we do need a sense of perspective.

(And we do at least have the realistic prospect of doing better on all fronts in the next few seasons, whereas many other clubs must be very worried about their futures).

[Star08]

Saying Accy played well is being overly generous to them. It would be difficult for any team to look bad in comparison with Morecambe last night. In my opinion Accy played better than us but were by no means brilliant-had they been the score would have been far worse for us by far. The one thing no-one's commented on is the ref's blatant disregard of Accy players hanging on to Shrimps players, but giving Accy a free kick most times a Shrimp came near them ...

[Gnasher]

best part of the game was in the 1st min

Can someone explain what happened there? I don't see the bigger picture through the lense and all of a sudden I look up and the ball's floating towards goal.

[Heysham_Shrimp]

Saying Accy played well is being overly generous to them. It would be difficult for any team to look bad in comparison with Morecambe last night. In my opinion Accy played better than us but were by no means brilliant-had they been the score would have been far worse for us by far. The one thing no-one's commented on is the ref's blatant disregard of Accy players hanging on to Shrimps players, but giving Accy a free kick most times a Shrimp came near them ...

He was better when he reffed our game with Exeter at Wembley.

[Heysham_Shrimp]

Sammy furious :-

http://www.thevisitor.co.uk/morecambe-sport

[Posh]

A very good thread this as it brings to the surface several different ways of looking at where we are as a football team.

Firstly we were quite simply appalling last night. The worst Morecambe performance, in my view, since we lost at home to Altrincham in the Conference (we went on to get promoted to the Football League).

I agree with the likes of Shrimper and Mark S that our expectations where we should be as a side should be taken into account. Attendances this season in League 2 are like this http://www.tonykempster.co.uk/div3att.htm. So if revenue was the deciding factor we're about right for League position - something our Chairman has mentioned and why we need more off-the-field revenues and more people going to matches, hence the new stadium.

However I also agree with the critics. I slogged my guts out at work on Tuesday, made the journey (Andy I owe you some cash), spent £13 to stand in the rain and paid stupid money for some dreadful food to watch players giving it about 20% effort and 10% thought. If they'd worked hard doing really simple things like closing down opposition players, putting in a tackle like they meant it, perhaps a 1-2 here and there then I'd say, 'OK, we lost but we gave it our all'. We didn't and that's what really really annoys me.

My real concern though is how we're to progress. Like Accy and say Dagenham & Redbridge who've lost the likes of Craig Mackail-Smith, Ian Craney, Dominic Green, Chris Moore and Andy Mangan, we've lost Thommo, Danny, Blackie, Carl Baker and Perks. Yet my concern is over our recruitment of players. Whilst Daggers and Accy have unearthed a few gems last summer's buys for us are turning out to be a nightmare (as they possible were the year before). Arguably our two best outfield players in recent weeks are Adam Yates and Craig Stanley. Both were definitely on their way out at the start of the season. Meanwhile anyone for Michael Carr, Ryan McCann, Andy Parrish, Neil Wainwright (who bar a couple of games has been poor), Diarmuid O'Carroll, Dan Smith (the weakling loan), Simon Grand, Damian Allen and Jamie Burns? In my view, in many positions on the field, we're going backwards. With less income Sammy has to prove he can find players of merit.

[Posh]

Sammy furious :-

http://www.thevisitor.co.uk/morecambe-sport

From the article:

"There are players out there who need to take a long, hard look at their performance tonight and take responsibility for it.

That was by far the worst performance I have seen by one of my teams against Accrington and why we can't find any consistency is baffling me.''

I also think Sammy needs to do the same. It's not like he doesn't know how Accy play.

[P/T Indie]

Arguably our two best outfield players in recent weeks are Adam Yates and Craig Stanley. Both were definitely on their way out at the start of the season. Meanwhile anyone for Michael Carr, Ryan McCann, Andy Parrish, Neil Wainwright (who bar a couple of games has been poor), Diarmuid O'Carroll, Dan Smith (the weakling loan), Simon Grand, Damian Allen and Jamie Burns? In my view, in many positions on the field, we're going backwards. With less income Sammy has to prove he can find players of merit.

Agree with that think Quinny said last night yates was the only outfield player who had done ok last night.

[slackAlice]

It was a 'humbling' and a bit of a shock really just how much better Accy were on the night. if I was an Accy fan I'd be wondering how they didn't win 4 or 5 - 0 .
I would agree with a previous post that it looked for all the world like 'men against boys' - almost like a pi$$ take at times. I think to call some of the 'negative style / heat of the moment postings / posters' Fickle - is a bit unfair If you mean ? Fickle -Inconsistent /not constant / unpredictable. If the team play well and win we generally praise them , with a few exceptions and if there poor and lose we'll add our two penneth. It's WHY we go to the matches and its WHY we come on here.
There seems little point in papering over the cracks when you reflect on last nights 'performance' it was abysmal and 1-0 does'n't tell the full story. The fans last night and in general I still believe to be amongst the very best - many supporters would of booed at what was served up last night and at home against the Gills. But a lot of the fans around us were seeing humour in what was a bad night out. The chant by the Accy fans towards the end summed it up " You might as well go home".
The prospects for the new stadium and continued League status is enough to keep the majority of fans quietly 'ecstatic' ; but if we don't improve we'll find ourselves in real trouble and that is what a lot of fans think of when they reflect on last nights match. Morecambe are a small club , on a tight budget , poorly situated etc - but in line with every other profession you set yourselves standards , targets and try your upmost to maintain them. I personally think the players should have a good look at themselves - their handsomely rewarded for what is a dream job - they should be given some home truths and one does begin to wonder whether some of the players just go through the motions safe in the thought that its highly unlikely they'll get relegated ?
Accy Stan were good last night and more importantly 'up for it' mentally - they were fired up and losing wasn't an option - excellent attitude ; I hope the Morecambe players read some of the posts - they should. In what line of work are you excluded from critical assessment , especially when the public pays to watch you , and who can say they havn't improved in their chosen profession from a good bollicking or a polite reminder of what they should be doing now and again.

[Christies Child]

It can't have gone unnoticed how Coley always manages to raise his players against us.

Maybe he's always thought himself as part of the Christie set up and would jump at the opportunity to be in charge?

Having said that, Sammy and Mark were undoubtably totally frustrated by last nights showing. Seated only a few yards away from them the passion that they showed needed to be shown on the field.

Certain players came in for some of stick that's for sure. Unfortunately those players and one in particular will continue to do the same things they do...week in and week out!

[halfwayliner]

All these comments and we have not heard from Robert or Negative Ned yet.

[james456]

Tbh, I think 1-0 was a pretty fair score. Accy were bad - they didnt show any real quality and if we were at the top of our game we could have routed them with ease. But we wernt and they looked like a good side simply because of our ineptness.

Anyway, putting things into perspective for a moment, all teams have bad days at the office. Im not saying its acceptable from a manager or a fans point of view but I think we should wait until the Port Vale game before making judgements on whether we really are in trouble or we just had an off night.

[mfc:)]

I think a learnt last that how bad watching paint dry is with that performance!