Jim Bentley has been lamenting his luck ahead of a tough match against Wycombe this weekend.

His Morecambe side are third from bottom in League Two and face in-form Wycombe Wanderers away.

Whilst five points separate his side and Chesterfield in the final relegation spot, and the Shrimpers have a game in hand, Bentley was still unhappy at how his week has gone.

“This is a difficult job and I could go on about the problems I have,” Bentley told the Visitor on Friday.

"Take this week; we had nowhere to train because the place we go had soccer schools all week with it being half-term. Myself and Stewart Drummon are pulling our hair out because the kids and first team have nowhere to go."

His side have lost just two of their last six games, hardly relegation form, but they've been unable to convert draws into wins. A last-minute Fraser Franks goal cost them a win against Stevenage, but a late strike against Forest Green earned them a point at the weekend.

Bentley has also been widely criticised for playing direct football, despite desperately needing the points to stay in the Football League.

“It’s like a circle; we have to try and excite the crowd, they have to get behind the players and we all have to lift each other but, as well as that, we have to find a way to put points on the board."

With promotion chasers Accrington, Crawley, Lincoln, Exeter and Swindon all to play before the end of March, he might have his work cut out.

“From now until the end of the season, no matter what problems – and I have problems trying to manage the club – we have got to get on with it.”

The Verdict

Morecambe haven't looked a bad side this season, they only lost by a single goal at Luton Town after drawing with them in their first encounter. Their problem is sustaining league football on such low crowds. Not having a training ground is highly detrimental to both player recruitment and development too, as demonstrated this week. Morecambe might have enough to stay up this season, but I can't see a route forward that doesn't end in the National League, eventually.