Morecambe boss Adams calls for show of strength

The Shrimps remain rooted in the relegation zone after their 4-1 defeat at Wigan on Saturday and now have just seven games remaining to pick up the points they need for safety.

Adams is still awaiting his first win since returning to the club and it is now 12 games in all without a win for the Shrimps who have also now conceded 79 goals this season, a total that Adams says is the source of the club's problems.

The Shrimps are without a game on Saturday due to international call-ups but Adams has stressed that extra time on the training pitch will not solve the problems alone.

He said: "We haven't got the physical players we need at the football club and that is a big problem. When you come midway through the season it is pretty easy to see where the problems lie.

"We are two points adrift and it is going to be difficult but we do still have an opportunity and we have to get on with things.

"We have a free weekend but time on the training pitch isn't going to help us now. Individuals simply have to be stronger and win their own battles. We could train 24 hours a day seven days a week but it isn't going to make us much better than we are.

"I could put 100 balls into the area in training but that doesn't matter on a match day. We are not strong enough and the story of the season suggests we haven't defended cross balls well enough and we don't have a big enough physical presence and players need to take that responsibility on board.''

Looking at the Shrimps' remaining games Adams added: “We’ve got a really difficult run-in and we understand that..

“We’ve got a lot of the top six teams to play – MK Dons, Oxford, Sunderland – but we can’t just focus on those teams.

“However, we’ve shown that we can compete well to take draws against Ipswich Town and Bolton Wanderers and we need to take that competitive streak into every game.''