Morecambe Season Preview 2021/22: Making history

Morecambe’s 2020/21 campaign reminded football fans everywhere that daring to dream still has a place in the modern game.

Promotion to the third tier for the first time in their history was a remarkable achievement and this season will see them travel to Hillsborough and The Stadium of Light to compete as equals.

They have not had an uncomplicated summer. No sooner had promotion been confirmed the manager behind the miracle, Derek Adams, was headhunted by Bradford City. You can see why he would accept an offer to stay in League Two, obviously feeling the Bantams are a sleeping giant with huge potential.

The Shrimps didn’t panic and conducted a speedy recruitment process before settling on Stephen Robinson, a man who guided Motherwell to both the Scottish Cup and League Cup finals in the same year, a feat that had never been done before in the club’s history.

He has set about the job with great energy and enthusiasm, building a team he hopes will be able to compete in an extremely tough League One this season.

The club will be under no illusions as to the task ahead, but the ‘little old Morecambe’ mantra feels like a thing of the past and now the future is there for the taking.

The Squad

It was inevitable there would be some key departures this summer. Along with the manager, the club have waved goodbye to defender Nathaniel Knights-Percival, midfielders Yann Songo’o and John O’Sullivan and talented forward Carlos Mendes Gomes. They received a fee for the latter, but he won’t be easy to replace.

Robinson has reacted quickly by bringing in some decent replacement. At the back, defenders Anthony O’Connor and Ryan Delaney have arrived from Bradford and Bolton respectively while ‘King’ Arthur Gnahoua has also joined from the Trotters to bolster the attack.

Ryan Cooney has made his move from Burnley permanent after impressing during loan spells at the Mazuma in the last couple of years.

Wes McDonald is an interesting addition from Walsall. He was superb during his first season at the Bescot but didn’t get a lot of game time last season and a fresh start feels like the right decision. Promising defender Jacob Mensah has been plucked from non-league Weymouth and Shane McLaughlin has arrived from AFC Wimbledon.

Callum Jones, a 20-year-old midfielder, has signed on loan from Hull. This could prove a shrewd bit of business for the Shrimps as the Welshman is well-liked by the Tigers. An exciting midfield addition is the return of Adam Phillips on loan from Burnley. The playmaker was superb during the first half of last season at the Mazuma and should be a great signing.

Robinson has also used his contacts north of the border to bring in some players of note. Josh McPake, a young winger who impressed at Harrogate last season, has signed on loan from Rangers. Greg Leigh, a Jamaican international left-back, has joined from Aberdeen while Jonathan Obika, a player who has played in League One before with Oxford, has arrived from St Mirren.

Newcomer to watch: Alfie McCalmont

Alfie McCalmont did really well last season for Oldham. The Leeds loanee stood out as a rising star in an average Latics side. He is not the biggest but was able to assert himself in midfield, showing good vision and an eye for goal.

The 21-year-old scored 10 goals in 40 appearances in all competitions including eight in the league, some of which are worth viewing again. He should be a good signing for the Shrimps with the step up to League One unlikely to be an issue.

Verdict

Let’s not beat around the bush, if Morecambe stay up it will be a brilliant achievement. They were always fighting to avoid the drop in League Two, so stepping up a level, especially this season, will be a tall order. They have, however, a tight-nit squad who punched well above their weight last year, there’s no reason they can’t do it again.

words James Richards, D3D4 Football