Morecambe Season Preview: the Halloween curse

If seasons ended in October, Morecambe would have made the play-offs for three consecutive years. Instead, the Halloween ghouls haunted Jim Bentley’s side, who habitually slide down the table thereafter. Will this season be a treat for Shrimps fans? Or are more skeletons left in the closet?  The Football Lab spoke to supporter Jack Steer to discuss all.

Morecambe did well to stay up comfortably last season, considering the off-field problems. Does it feel like the club is battling against the tide sometimes?

Last season this was certainly the case with a circus of problems off the pitch which ultimately caused a distraction on the field too. Jim Bentley worked miracles last year and now things are a little more stable, things are looking a bit more positive this time around.

Manager Jim Bentley and wide man Kevin Ellison have both been at the club for years. Is it important to have big characters like them in the dressing room?

Kevin Ellison might be the pantomime villain with away fans but he is integral to the recent success of the club. Not only has he contributed on the pitch, but he generates the team spirit and camaraderie that can give any team that extra push. Jim Bentley is Morecambe through and through and there isn’t anyone more passionate who could manage the side.

Another long-serving player is midfielder Andy Fleming. Statistics suggest that had he started every game, you’d have finished four points off the play-offs…

This will come as more of a surprise to those who don’t rate him than me. He may not contribute enough goals to the side, but he is technically very good and can break up play. He has signed on again this year and we will be hoping to keep him fit and suspension free.

Yet another stalwart is goalkeeper Barry Roche, who enters his 10th season at the club. Did he save your bacon at times last year?

Many people were worried that after a lengthy injury the season before, Barry would not come back the same player. In fact, he came back even stronger and had one of his best seasons for us. Ten years at any club nowadays is a fantastic achievement and we will be looking forward to celebrating the testimonial in the coming year.

Centre-back Ryan Edwards was named Player of the Year last term. Are you sad to see him leave for Plymouth?

Absolutely. Ryan had a great season and has come on leaps and bounds under Jim and Kenny which is testament to their management. It is part and parcel of being a club our size that we are going to take in young players, develop them, and then sell them on. The biggest task will be for Jim to replace him this close season.

Despite Roche and Edward’s efforts, you still conceded 73 goals. Your defence has been suspect for some time now…

As it was down from 91 the season before, we are making slow progress and heading in the right direction. It is certainly an area we will need to continue to improve on, and with Jim being a defender himself, I’m sure he will want to get that number down. We did manage quite a few clean sheets last year but unfortunately when the door opens, it tends to stay open.

Utility man Lee Molyneux has left, despite making 48 appearances last term. Can new signing Patrick Brough replace his versatility?

Being only 21 there is plenty of time to develop Patrick into a very good player and that will be Jim and Kenny’s aim. Although Lee Molyneux provided a number of crucial goals last year, he was often anonymous and made lots of mistakes.

Paul Mullin was your top scorer last year with 10 goals, but has left for Swindon this summer. Can Adam Campbell provide the pace up top and Garry Thompson, the knowhow?

Gary Thompson resigning is great news for Shrimps fans who see him as one of our own. He certainly has plenty to offer and supported by the pace of Adam Campbell we should have enough to cause people problems. While I rated Paul Mullin and his work rate, his goal tally has never been strong but we wish him well at his new club.

What are your thoughts ahead of the League Two season as a whole? Any potential dark horses for you?

Mansfield appear to be putting a squad together that wouldn’t look out of place higher up the division above so they should do well. As always, the two sides coming up from the conference should make a decent impression and do better than perhaps the bookies suggest.

Where will you finish? You said last year you’d be happy with staying away from a relegation battle, which is pretty much what happened…

Again, the main aim is always to survive and we will look to get to 50 points as soon as possible. If we can stay comfortably clear of relegation I will be happy. We can’t underestimate the problems that are still lingering off field. However, as the ship is looking quite steady there can be some optimism that we can have a good go again this year.

The Football Lab’s Verdict

There are some big characters at Morecambe, but financial struggles off the field and defensive struggles on it cannot be ignored. With one or two key players leaving and others getting no younger, the Shrimps would do well to survive again. 24th