Derek's back

[Bristol Shrimp]

Confirmed on website

[captain sparkle]

Well, I never.....
I'll go to't foot of our stairs.

[shrimp in cyprus]

Welcome back Derek, and for all our sakes let's hope you can keep us in League 1 this season. Given the fantastic home support this season and also considering the (mainly) absence of supporters in Derek's season with us when we won promotion from League 2 to League 1, I truly hope that that fantastic home support will raise the roof on Saturday, welcoming him back and wishing him (and the team) well.

[Keith]

Welcome back!
https://www.morecambefc.com/news/2022/f ... s-returns/

[Bristol Shrimp]

If anyone can keep that sign up in your office, I think it's him.

[Keith]

Dramatic!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYEQZNHyo2Q

[jbc.shrimp]

Not meant as a snide, but let's the B.O.D. have sorted a contract so that he is here for the long haul, a lot of work to be done. Should be interesting in the changing room on Saturday. Welcome home Derek.

[shrimp in cyprus]

Cheers Bristol Shrimp. I hope you're right. And incidentally a friend of mine (living over here - but from Bristol), has already phoned to say good luck. However as a Bristol Rovers supporter, he needs a fair bit of that himself too!!!

[Phoenix Shrimp 2017]

The king is dead. LONG LIVE THE KING!

Welcome back Derek. You may be a dour Scotsman but you are our Dour Scotsman! You will always be a Morecambe legend for what you achieved last season so good luck with chapter 2.

I hope you get a rousing reception on Saturday and start to enjoy football again. It must have been hell over the Pennines.

UTS.

[Wild Bill]

100% behind this. He will be judged on results and if he does what he did last time we will be winning at Wembley again next summer

[P/T Indie]

I think June 23 is fine IF he keeps us up but then starts struggling next season it's not too long a contract to get rid of him.

I think he is the right man for the relegation battle just not so sure long term and has he bought into the long term vision of the club etc. Although to be fair he probably developed more players than Robbo ever did just look and Cole and Carlos for example.

Our midfielders might start making runs into the box now.

[redrobo]

Welcome back DA.

I got it wrong about O Connor and I hope that I got it wrong about DA and his his style BUT if any manager can get us out of the current situation then he's the one experienced manager to do it.

The BoD have chosen well so let's show our support on Saturday for the team, the BoD and DA.

By the way, the paint is now dry and will not require a further coat until June 2023 or even longer hopefully.

[KenH]

Not meant as a snide, but let's the B.O.D. have sorted a contract so that he is here for the long haul, a lot of work to be done. Should be interesting in the changing room on Saturday. Welcome home Derek.

I don't so much care about the long haul at this stage of the season. We needed someone who could hit the ground running and start getting points on the table. We're in a bad position and there simply isn't time for a manager to come in and take a few weeks to sort things out. At the end of the day, we've got the team we've got until Summer transfer window, so ALL efforts need to be scraping a few wins starting Saturday. Derek knows the set up, he knows a few of the players, he knows the back room/training staff. If there's one person who can hit the ground running, it's Derek.

We can think about next season and the long term once we've avoided relegation. Maybe Derek will stay after the season end, maybe he'll move somewhere else. I don't really care at this stage. He's got a job to do, which is to avoid relegation. All eyes need to be on that single goal at the moment.

[marky No.1]

Absolutely right, Ken

[KenH]

Got to hope John Mc will come back too. He's the missing link as he knows most of the current players (except the few new signings in January) and can give some valid feedback to Derek as to their capabilities etc until Derek can get to know them himself.

[shrimp in cyprus]

Where is John Mc now? Has he taken up a new position since leaving us back in December?

[Phoenix Shrimp 2017]

If not John then maybe Barry Roche may feel ready to step up to assistant manager? He's served his apprenticeship as a coach and knows the club inside out. Plenty of continuity there.

[KenH]

If not John then maybe Barry Roche may feel ready to step up to assistant manager? He's served his apprenticeship as a coach and knows the club inside out. Plenty of continuity there.

Barry seemed pretty well involved with touchline management under Robbo, so how about a real dream time of DA, JM and BR. We need the strongest management team possible so I'd really want JM back if he could be persuaded.

I'm never really keen on long term players just slotting into management of the same team as they don't have enough experience/exposure of other clubs etc. In my opinion, "experience" comes from doing different things in different places, not doing the same thing in the same place for a long time.

[Gone_Shrimping]

I think June 23 is fine IF he keeps us up but then starts struggling next season it's not too long a contract to get rid of him.

I think he is the right man for the relegation battle just not so sure long term and has he bought into the long term vision of the club etc. Although to be fair he probably developed more players than Robbo ever did just look and Cole and Carlos for example.

Our midfielders might start making runs into the box now.

Phillips played his best games under Derek and Wildig also.

[Wild Bill]

I think June 23 is fine IF he keeps us up but then starts struggling next season it's not too long a contract to get rid of him.

I think he is the right man for the relegation battle just not so sure long term and has he bought into the long term vision of the club etc. Although to be fair he probably developed more players than Robbo ever did just look and Cole and Carlos for example.

Our midfielders might start making runs into the box now.

Phillips played his best games under Derek and Wildig also.

Yes, I think Derek will be good for Phillips, Stockton, Toums and Wildig. It will be interesting too what he gets out of Robbo's signings, particularly those that have shown some flashes of quality this season.

[redrobo]

My one concern is O'Connor who DA got rid of at Bradford.

He has improved 1000% over the season and I sincerely hope that he doesn't feel under any pressure under DA.

Interestingly he's the one player when at Bradford who came in for on going criticism. DA obviously watched him when they played us last season and decided that he wasn't the kind of central defender he wanted. Hope that O'Connor and DA work together for the good of our club.....and survival.

Any chance of some photos from the training ground showing DA putting his stamp on our training methods for the first or should that be second time.....again...

[P/T Indie]

I was thinking the same thing about AOC and any players he is not keen on will he isolate them like he did with Kev?

Good to hear him say in his interview that we will go after Ipswich on the front foot so maybe not too defensive then.

[Wild Bill]

My one concern is O'Connor who DA got rid of at Bradford.

He has improved 1000% over the season and I sincerely hope that he doesn't feel under any pressure under DA.

Interestingly he's the one player when at Bradford who came in for on going criticism. DA obviously watched him when they played us last season and decided that he wasn't the kind of central defender he wanted. Hope that O'Connor and DA work together for the good of our club.....and survival.

Any chance of some photos from the training ground showing DA putting his stamp on our training methods for the first or should that be second time.....again...

I think every player will get a fair crack of the whip. Train well and he will probably keep his place.

[Gone_Shrimping]

My one concern is O'Connor who DA got rid of at Bradford.

He has improved 1000% over the season and I sincerely hope that he doesn't feel under any pressure under DA.

Interestingly he's the one player when at Bradford who came in for on going criticism. DA obviously watched him when they played us last season and decided that he wasn't the kind of central defender he wanted. Hope that O'Connor and DA work together for the good of our club.....and survival.

Any chance of some photos from the training ground showing DA putting his stamp on our training methods for the first or should that be second time.....again...

I thought O'Connor declined a new contract with Bradford and signed a 2 year deal with us. It was possibly the Irish connection with Robinson that was the attraction.

[Pandashrimp]

If he is to revert back to 4-1-4-1 then it it out wide I think the focus will be on.

Cooney
AOC
Bennett or Jacob (hopefully Jacob)
Leigh

Fane

Connolly / Arthur (probably well suited both of them)
Wilding/Philips
Toums
Jonah (will he work hard enough for Derek??)

Cole