Jim Bentley: I'll never quit Morecambe

The Shrimps boss’ near five-year reign reached a real low point on Tuesday night with a 7-0 defeat at Cambridge United.

Many fans are calling for the Wembley-wining captain turned manager to walk away but the club record reverse in the Football League hasn’t changed Bentley’s thinking despite a wretched 2016 getting even worse at the Abbey Stadium.

The 39-year-old, whose side next host fellow strugglers Stevenage at the Globe Arena on Saturday, said: “I’ll never, ever walk away.

“I love the club and I love my job.

“Football management is a mad job. Every fan who sits in the stand on Saturday thinks they’ve got the magic answer or the magic formula or they know best and the manager hasn’t got a clue.

“I’ve got 100 per cent belief in my own ability. I think I’ve done well over the time that I’ve been here.

“We’ve never been one of the big boys. It’s stacked against us with regards to resources, training facilities, budgets and things like that but we’ve kept them in the league this season as a management team.

“It has been a difficult season for one reason or another. A lot of it’s common knowledge but a lot of it isn’t.

“It’s been very tough and I’ve got to learn from it.”

Bentley may not be planning to walk away but his future is uncertain with chairman Peter McGuigan having put the club up for sale.

The Shrimps boss said: “What will be, will be in the future.

“If it’s the same chairman next season it might be the same manager, if it’s a new owner it might be me or it might be a different manager.

“I can’t affect that. But there’s no doubt about it, I’ll never, ever walk away from this job.

“I love a challenge and when the chips are down you’ve got to come out fighting and that’s certainly what I’ll do.

“I’ve got no regrets. Everything happens for a reason but it’s important I remain calm, I remain positive, keeping working hard and continue to do what’s best for this football club.”