Shrimps may have to wait for new arrivals in January

The Shrimps’ struggles at the wrong end of League Two have left the manager admitting they are in need of greater quality in the midfield and forward areas.

Going into the Christmas period, 11 players have scored for the Shrimps this season but only Ben Tollitt and Hallam Hope have netted more than twice.

Adams said: “At Cheltenham, we lost a goal and failed to capitalise on the opportunities we had.

“We weren’t hitting the target; it’s not been that we aren’t creating or getting into the forward positions, it’s being able to finish the opportunities off.

“That’s been our failing so far this season. We have to become better at that and we have to have more scorers.

“We’ve got a wide player in Ben Tollitt who is scoring and creating goals but, if you look over the piece, we haven’t got enough players close to him.

“That has to improve and they will have to get better.”

Morecambe’s boss has taken a front-foot approach to recruitment, emailing clubs to outline where they are looking to strengthen and pointing out the Shrimps’ previous success in developing loan players.

Talks are ongoing with Liverpool over extending Rhys Williams’ loan with Adams hopeful of concluding that sooner rather than later.

He said: “As always, clubs wait to see what interest there is – especially in loan players – and the players themselves wait to see what interest there is in them.

“Sometimes it can be a really slow process to start with, but then it quickens up when everyone starts to move.

“However, we’re having really good conversations with clubs and agents to try and get the type of player we need.

“I would say that we’re looking at four players, possibly, to come in and help us.

“I think that would enable us to strengthen, whether that is on loan or permanently.

“A loan would be the easiest possibility for us at this moment in time; it becomes more complicated when you’re trying to do something permanently.”