Off-field issues 'affected' Adams in last Shrimps spell

Derek Adams ended his third spell as manager of Scottish side Ross County in February before rejoining Morecambe in the summer

Morecambe manager Derek Adams has said that off-field matters in his previous spell at the football club did "affect" him.

Adams was appointed as Shrimps manager for the third time in the summer following Ged Brannan's move to Accrington Stanley, but said his current stint would not see him be involved with the club's ownership future.

"I knew what was going on which was a big problem," Adams, 49, told BBC Radio Lancashire when asked why he originally left the Mazuma Mobile Stadium for the second time.

"I knew everything that was going on off the field, and that did affect me. I knew what was going to come further down the line and this time, I said I didn't want to know anything, let's get on with it."

Majority shareholder Jason Whittingham put Morecambe up for sale in 2022 but a change in ownership has yet to happen despite the club's board of directors in June warning of a "catastrophic outcome" should it not be sold.

Former Bradford and Plymouth boss Adams was tight-lipped though when asked his feelings on the current state of the Lancashire club.

"It's quite clear I'm not going to get involved in that. I'm going to concentrate on what I can do on the field.

"The people off the field will do their best to do that for the football club."

Morecambe have yet to win a point in League Two after losing their first five games of the season, all 1-0, and have yet to register a goal.

Adams rued refereeing decisions and a lack of finishing prowess in assessing why the Shrimps find themselves at the foot of the table and said they could be sitting on "10 or 12 points".

"We're on a good run of performances," he added. "The problem is we haven't been good enough in the final third, decisions have gone against us and the opposition have got ahead in the game.

"We could have had 10, 12 points already this season. That's not dissimilar to the feelings of opposition managers from when we've played against them. I think that's a telling sign in itself."

Morecambe will be hoping to pick up their first points of the season on Saturday when they host Colchester United, who sit 19th in the table on five points.