Former players show a possible pathway for Morecambe’s new signings

The Shrimps start the new season at Walsall on Saturday following another summer of upheaval at the Mazuma Mobile Stadium.

In the wake of Ged Brannan’s departure from the dugout at the end of last season, 16 senior players left after either turning down new deals or not being offered terms.

Three of those 16 – David Tutonda, Yann Songo’o and Jordan Slew – have since come back as Adams kickstarted his third spell in charge by bringing in 17 players.

He’s managed to sell those new arrivals the prospect of playing for a club which, in the last two years, has paid wages late twice, had points deducted and operated under an embargo.

That’s while everyone associated with Morecambe waits for Bond Group to finally sell the club given the two-year anniversary of that announcement arrives next month.

Asked if Morecambe’s recent off-field difficulties made the club a hard sell to possible signings, Adams said: “It’s always difficult but you’ve got to show the players the path you want to go down.

“What I’ve always said to players is they can come here, do well and, if you do well, you can possibly stay with us or move on.

“I’ve had success at that, giving players an opportunity; players who have maybe found that pathway limited somewhere else.

“From last season alone, JJ McKiernan, Adam Mayor, Tom Bloxham and Michael Mellon have gone on to bigger and better things.

“There have been others before that, so these players have seen the progress we’ve made.”

A squad overhaul is nothing new to Adams, who shook up the playing staff during his previous stints.

Having first arrived as manager in November 2019, seven players came in during the following January window before Covid-19 brought the season to a halt.

Fifteen signings were made during the course of the following season, which ended with promotion to League One.

Having returned to the club in February 2022, Adams brought in 17 players during a 2022/23 campaign which saw Morecambe eventually relegated on the final day.

With every out-of-contract player released that summer, it meant another double-figure tally of new faces to start last season.

Nevertheless, while this summer’s new intake have – yet again – found themselves written off as relegation candidates, Adams is pleased with what he has seen so far.

“The players we have taken in have shown their togetherness, their attitude and their willingness to do well,” he said.

“We have got players here who are hungry, want to play week in week out, want to improve, and I think we’ve got a good mixture.

“I’ve always tried to get two players for every position. When I took the job, it was always going to be a rebuild after the summer and we’ve been able to do that.

“We have signed a lot of good, experienced players as well as some players who are younger, but have played a good number of games.

“We have shown in the last two games against Blackburn Rovers and Burton Albion that we have a competitive squad.”