Morecambe manager Jim Bentley is considering his future after Saturday’s defeat to Woking saw the club relegated for the third time in four seasons, according to journalist Alan Nixon.
Bentley originally returned to Morecambe in early February following the departure of Ashvir Singh Johal and was appointed until the end of the season in an attempt to keep the Shrimps in the division. Despite a valiant effort which saw his side picked up 17 points in his first 15 games, a drop to the National League North was confirmed on Saturday.
Morecambe Facing Heavy Rebuild
Two relegations in three years, with a 15th-place spot in League Two in the middle, was largely put down to problems of unpopular owner Jason Whittingham, which often saw players and staff paid late, suspended points deductions and EFL fines. Therefore, after a long and very public saga last summer regarding the future of the club, it came as a relief when Punjab Warriors completed their takeover. However, it quickly unravelled as club legend Derek Adams was sacked and replaced by unproven manager Johal in a move which proved to be an unmitigated disaster.
It was not a surprise when Morecambe turned to a familiar figure who could give their supporters a lift in Jim Bentley, who had previously spent over eight years in charge between 2011 and 2019. Despite some noticeable results which included a 5-0 away win at Sutton United and a 4-2 away win against Rochdale, their fate was decided with a 5-1 defeat to Woking.
On Saturday evening, Morecambe chairman Kuljit Singh Momi released a statement, which stated:
“After the events of last Summer, we were proud to be able to rescue the club from inevitable insolvency and likely extinction, and the season started for us all with high expectations, in spite of the lack of time we had to put an initial playing squad together. Sadly, the performances and results were quite simply not there to meet that expectation, despite the heroic efforts of Jim Bentley since his appointment just 10 weeks ago.
In football, we all know that the table never lies, and the results fell short of the expectations we all had. None of us wanted or expected to be in this position.”
What’s Next For Morecambe?
There is no doubt that next season Morecambe will be one of the favourites for promotion and an immediate return to the National League. However, this may become more complicated if Jim Bentley does not remain at the helm.
The National League North has seen a number of former football league clubs struggle to bounce back, noticeably Scunthorpe United and Stockport County, who are now pushing for the Championship.
Nixon also claimed that Bentley had been doing his taxi driving exams before the call from Morecambe, and he may go back to that career instead. Furthermore, the 49-year-old may need some persuading to continue in his existing role.
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