OPINION: ‘If we continue to put in the effort, results will follow’

Leaving the game empty-handed was undeniably frustrating, writes Morecambe fan and Shrimps Live summariser, Tom Collins.

Our performance in the defeat to Newport County warranted more:

- 20 attempts on goal to their 7
- 5 shots on target compared to their 1
- 6 blocked shots versus 2
- 9 corners while they had just 1

That beings said according to FOTMOB, the xG was 0.77 for us and 0.88 for Newport. Despite suffering four narrow 1-0 defeats, I believe we're close to finding our stride, albeit lacking a bit of quality and confidence in the final third. Our losses have come against teams currently ranked 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 5th, though their standings may be somewhat inflated by the beating the bottom side (us!).

Reflecting on yesterday's result, here are my three key takeaways:

It's Not Just a Striker Issue

I was disappointed we didn't recruit a forward with pace to exploit defenses. Hallam Hope hasn’t yet convinced me of his value, while Lee Angol appears more suited as an aerial target. Meanwhile, Marcus Dackers, at 6ft 7, remains an unknown quantity.

Hope seems to struggle in front of goal, registering only two shots in four matches. Although he did have a goal ruled out for offside, he hasn’t posed much of a threat to opposing defenses.

That said, it’s still early in the season, and players often take time to settle. However, I don’t see the spark in Hope's game right now. Prove me wrong, Hallam.

I recall that Derek typically doesn’t rely heavily on forwards to score; they serve more as facilitators, with wide players and attacking midfielders making runs beyond them. Michael Mellon was a notable exception, and he was exceptional.

For Derek’s system to thrive, we need greater contributions from our attacking midfielders, particularly the No. 10 and the 8s. Macadam has only managed one shot in 335 minutes, and we need more attacking threat from him. Gwion has had 9 shots, while Slew has had 7. I suspect Callum Jones may be developed into a more attacking player. His profile doesn’t suggest that role, but JJ McKiernan transformed into a more attack-minded player in a short time. Who will step up?

I’m still trying to identify our best midfield trio; nothing seems certain at this point.

Moore or Less?

I’m a big fan of Stuart Moore in goal. He’s an excellent shot-stopper, a strong presence, and prior to his injury last season, he had the best xG faced vs. saved stats in League Two. For me, he’s the number one over Harry Burgoyne.

However, he’s made two costly errors in the last two games. Do we drop him? It’s a tough decision. Not dropping him could send the wrong message to Harry. My instinct is to stick with Stuart and hope these errors are anomalies. I haven’t seen such mistakes in his game before, but it’ll be interesting to see what Derek decides for the lineup against Crewe. The Wigan match could provide a good opportunity for Harry to play without stirrings of 'Stuart being dropped' hysteria.

Game of Margins

One of football's myths is that “it all evens out over the season.” I’m not convinced it does. Football is such a marginal game, where a few moments can drastically change outcomes.

Admittedly, I wear rose-tinted glasses, and I’m sure the opposition could point to their own grievances. However:

- Two keeper errors against Doncaster and Newport were pivotal in our 1-0 losses. If Moore hadn’t made those mistakes, who knows how the games might have played out?
- Against Walsall, we were 1-0 down when Adomah made a reckless two-footed challenge on Tollitt at 62 minutes. With 30 minutes left and facing 10 men, it’s not inconceivable we could have salvaged a result.
- In the Doncaster match, with us down 1-0, Gwion was brought down by Fleming while through on goal. While 28% of viewers thought it warranted a red card, it wasn’t a clear cut decision but could have changed the game's momentum.
- In the Newport game, we were trailing 1-0 when Courney Baker-Richardson had Gwion by the throat, leading to both players receiving bookings. It’s moments like these that leave me feeling we’re not getting the crucial breaks at decisive times.

Overall, I’m encouraged by what I’ve seen so far. If we continue to put in the effort, I believe the goals and results will follow.

Up the Shrimps! 
 

You can follow Tom on X at @ShrimpsOnline and hear him in the commentary box for Morecambe’s game at Crewe next weekend.