How are we all?

[Freez]

Eve of the season, Grimsby away in the Carrierbag Cup, Rochdale, Salford and Man U under 12s in the ChakaKhan, just awaiting the league fixtures on Friday.
So I took my dogs for a walk down the promenade from Heysham on Sunday, bumped into three Shrimps fans, all long term die hards, and spent a nice five minutes with each. All of them, to a man, have bought season tickets despite knowing they might not see a game live immediately, and all of them were positive about the signings and all of them would settle for a decent cup run and a halfway finish, with the chance of cheeky tip at the play offs. Lovely to see so many feeling like we can surprise a few, particular the ill informed muppets at SkyBet!!
What does everyone else think?
Me? As I have already said, I’d take better home form to improve the crowds, Mazuma Fortress has a ring to it, and cup run to being in a few floaters and get them hooked.

[P/T Indie]

Very optimistic no negative comments from the manager or club about we are lucky to be here, we have the lowest budget, its hard to attract players etc.

If anything we havent heard much from Derek.

Derek seems to have no problem getting people in both back in Jan and this summer.

He should set the players a target playoffs or top half maybe thats to ambitious but its something to reach for and if we finish midtable ot just below thats still great.

In the past just saying its ok as long as we finish 3rd bottom that wont motivate anyone.

For all the positivity though I do have a slight niggle at the back of my mind about what our style will be, Plymouth fans said he loved a 1v0 scrappy game.

[mrpotatohead]

Given that no one will be allowed to watch the matches , it wont matter what the footy is like as long as we win!!

[CityShrimp]

If our only concern is that we aren’t winning emphatically enough then we are alright!

[marky No.1]

Loving all the changes and moving forward for a new era

Dereks 1st new season
New squad
New stadium name
New stand name
New badge
New mask
Tyson Fury getting involved
No mention of smallest budget
Crowdless stadiums should be more benefit to us than others

Whatever next?

Cup run?
Top half of the table?

[BerlinWaller]

Agree with everyone on here. Everything is pointing in the right direction. I've not been this excited since we signed Chris Shuker but that didn't end well!

[Keith]

Everything at the club appears to be looking forwards, which is great to see. Getting things right, such as the stadium sponsorship is so important. It will be weird seeing how things go once the season starts, but yet again will prove the bookmakers wrong!

The shirts are cool too!

[HALMA 1983]

It's the first time in a long time that I feel the way I did before the ground move and that intense need to attend every home game like previous (when we can ofcourse) is back.
I had no hesitation in buying a season ticket and look forward to more of the same sheer joy I witnessed before our lives were shut down.

[Gone_Shrimping]

I also am very optimistic with all the feel good factors happening at the club.

I had no hesitation in renewing my season ticket and a friend who didn't renew for 2019/2020 due to the dire football in previous seasons has also bought a season ticket for the new season.

[redrobo]

Like every season past I start full of enthusiasm and optimism that the season will be a good one, both in terms of results and performances.

Unfortunately of late that enthusiasm and optimism has slowly vanished leaving a state of unrest, fearful that pre season forecasts by the so called 'experts' could come true.

However with all that has gone on in the last few months both on and off the field this forthcoming season fills me with even a greater sense of belief that this will (not could) be our season when all the pre season work by the Directors and Manager will bear fruit and we will finally put to rest all the negativity forecast by outsiders and that we will surprise more than a few and no longer be seen as 'little old Morecambe'(although I've grown quite fond of that analogy ) with a series of results that will see us mid table or may I speculate for a position even higher even in the promotion race......

One thing for sure it's going to be a welcome season of transition...one that is long overdue.

Hold onto your hats it could get quite exciting come May /June 2021.....

[RedRedWine]

I'm generally positive anyway before the start of a season, which often proves to be unfounded.... but I think this season we have more reason than most to be optimistic.

Derek Adams deserves massive credit in my opinion. He has assembled a squad that looks very strong on paper, with a good blend of youth and experience. I can't believe some of the players he has been able to bring to the club (when a ginger lad was spotted in the background of one of the early pre-season photos, I saw some speculation that it was Ben Pringle... one of my mates said "there is no way that's Ben Pringle, he wouldn't sign for us!") - whatever budget he has been given to work with, he has certainly appears to have maximised it in terms of playing personnel. I'm really interested to see how it all comes together, because if we show only a small improvement to the form we had last season under Derek, we will be comfortably midtable (last 12 games of the season we were 16th in the form table, and lost just once in 8 home games). I'm baffled but not surprised that the bookies give us no chance of doing anything!

Some of the circumstances seem to have worked in the clubs favour for a change. Firstly every club will be struggling financially - but in comparison to other clubs I think that we are in a better position than most to deal with the impacts of pandemic because the gap between minimal income (applicable to all) and cost (some clubs higher than others) is perhaps more manageable for the Shrimps. I personally feel this has had an impact on players we are able to bring in - because of the uncertainty our competitors are slimming down their squads and in doing so letting go of players they would ordinarily have kept and they've not looked to replace them. As a club that traditionally hands out one year deals, this has worked in our favour because we have the space to house players looking for a new home and are in a strong negotiating position with not as many options out there for players. This is also coupled with a new salary cap that the EFL are implementing.... which again brings clubs closer to Shrimps IMO.

Off the pitch it has been refreshing to see so many positive commercial things happening - ground sponsorship and stand naming rights showing that more local businesses are willing to support the club through these difficult times, and also the relative success of the crowd-funding..... albeit this is effectively bringing forward shirt sales. I believe season ticket uptake is strong, another positive. Its all trending in one direction..... hopefully we are allowed back at the Camp Mazu (Nou) ASAP!

[redrobo]

I suspect that the playing budget is the same BUT with a reduced numbers of players that has probably enabled DA to be in a position to offer players like Pringle a wee bit more than we normally would with a squad of 28 plus last season.

Never could understand the logic behind such a huge squad when quite a few never saw first team action.

[Gone_Shrimping]

I agree with RRW in being amazed that we were able to sign a player of Ben Pringle's quality. I would imagine most of the clubs in EFL 2 would have wanted him. I think Derek is very much the sort of manager that players want to play for. He did a fantastic job at Ross County , then a fantastic job at Plymouth getting them into League 1 and almost into the Championship.

Just back to Ben Pringle he scored a stunning goal at The Globe for PNE in a pre-season friendly about 4 years ago , maybe an anorak (MarkyNo1) could find the video of it.

[Bara brith]

Think this is the match for the Pringle goal, lovely turn and stuck it into the top corner https://youtu.be/Kumt-A-5f7M

[marky No.1]

4 minutes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kumt-A-5f7M

....and how about this one

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovgYqvMgprg

Certainly a crisp left foot

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1OBGEQyenY

[Freez]

See what you did there!

[Alan]

Great shot for goal of the season by Ben Pringle, but my VAR (pause button on you tube video) has disallowed it for a foul throw !

P.S. You don't even need the pause button.

[Angler1]

New season, new manager ( 1st full season) new players . I think its going to be a good season...