Derek Adams: Morecambe players and staff did their best to survive this season

Adams returned for a third spell in charge at the Mazuma Mobile Stadium last June, following the departure of Ged Brannan at the end of April 2024.

That comeback was at a time when Morecambe had a skeleton playing squad, but also amid claims from the owner that four ‘credible buyers’ were interested in a takeover.

Fast forward 11 months and the Shrimps are still to be sold by Bond Group Investments, having originally been prepared for sale in September 2022.

With the 1,000-day anniversary of that announcement coming later this month, it is a position which has led some fans to embark upon a ‘not a penny more’ strategy at home games next season until there is a change of owner.

On the pitch, Adams has dealt with an embargo and a restriction on signing players in January before the club eventually suffered a second relegation in three seasons.

Asked if it had been a more difficult role this time around, Adams replied: “It’s been a harder job.

“When you’re a manager, it’s important that you’re able to manage in a way that allows you to get the best possible circumstances – but that didn’t happen.

“When I first came in, I was told the club would be sold within a short period of time – that was before the start of the season – and we would have more of a budget to go forth.

“That didn’t come to pass but I’ve done my best, with the players and staff, to try and keep our heads above water for a long period of time. In the end, it hasn’t been enough.

“We’ve had to deal with a lot over the season and we did our utmost to try and pick up enough wins, but we came up short.

“We haven’t won enough games and we lost too many games, where we felt we were ever so close, on a number of occasions.

“We lost 14 (league) games 1-0, and that’s how close we’ve been, but we haven’t had the ability to pick up a win or a point and that’s the reason why we are where we are.”