Morecambe coach confirms managerial interview

Brannan was brought in as first-team coach and senior professional development coach in early September by former Shrimps boss Derek Adams.

Almost three months later, he finds himself in acting charge of the first team alongside John McMahon following Adams’ departure to Ross County on Monday.

Names including David Artell, John Coleman and Gary Bowyer have been mentioned as possible successors but Brannan confirmed his hat is very much in the ring.

He said: “I think the club are going to move quickly and bring someone in.

“I’ve applied for the job. They have promised me an interview and I’ll see what happens from there.

“I’ve always wanted to be a manager. I’ve done the Under-18s and Under-23s at Accrington Stanley, as well as being in and around the first team.

“I’ve been on the pitch, I’ve been doing warm-ups, I know what it takes to be a manager.”

As it stands, it would appear Brannan and McMahon will oversee first-team matters for Saturday’s trip to Wrexham and Tuesday’s home game with Newport County AFC.

Six points from those games would do Brannan’s claims no end of good, as well as get the Shrimps back to winning ways after consecutive league losses against Barrow AFC and Grimsby Town.

Wrexham sit fourth in the table, six points ahead of the Shrimps, after a run of one defeat in 16 league matches before losing at Accrington Stanley last weekend.

Brannan is in no doubt as to the test facing the Morecambe players this weekend.

“I think everyone knows what’s going to happen,” he said.

“They are on a great run. I know they were beaten at Accrington but they’re at home and it’s a different ball game.

“They are very direct and we’ve got to be standing up at throw-ins, corners and free-kicks.

“At the same time, we’ve got some good players in our team and we’ve been playing some lovely stuff.

“Without making excuses, the pitch at Barrow (1-0 defeat) was horrendous and they know how to play on that.

“At Grimsby (3-2 defeat), we scored too early – which you can do – but we sat on that and had a bad five-minute spell.”