Boss Derek Adams plans to keep it simple for Morecambe as they prepare for Cheltenham test

The Shrimps kick off their League Two campaign on Saturday when they travel to Cheltenham Town.

It is the club’s 14th season in the EFL after promotion in 2007 but, in common with most campaigns during that time, they start as the bookies’ tip to finish in the bottom two

Some of that may be down to outside perception given the Shrimps’ long-standing reputation as the club with the smallest average attendance and budget in League Two.

It may also be due to their on-field struggles in recent years with the last-day escape in 2018 and last season’s points-per-game 22nd position fresh in the memory.

“I’ve no idea how other teams are looking or have progressed,” Adams said. “From my point of view, it doesn’t bother me because I know we’ve got a very good team.

“I understand why that (relegation favourites) is the case because that’s been the case for many years.

“We’re trying to change that now, we’re trying to go forward and move the club higher up the league.”

There may still have been nine games to play before the season was curtailed but the table still made for grim reading in some respects.

Morecambe conceded most goals (60), were the fourth-worst team for goals scored (35), had the second-highest number of defeats (19) and the joint second lowest number of wins (seven).

They also conceded the first goal in 26 of those 37 matches, and while they only lost one of their last 10 home league games, it was a different story on the road. They played 19 league games away in 2019/20, losing 13 with three wins and as many draws from the other six matches.

Adams added: “We’ve got to take more chances than we did last season and we’ve got to be better defensively as well.

“The two penalty areas are the most important areas on the pitch but it’s a simple game complicated by coaches.

“The football pitch has never changed in size and it’s always been green. Some of the rules might have changed over the years but the goals are still the same size as well.

“It’s all about finding any advantage you can in scoring goals at one end and stopping them going in at the other end.

“People want to make it look more complicated so they can look better.”