SAMMY McIlroy has entered the growing debate about the standard of refereeing and he reckons officials are not as good as they used to be.

With the standard of officiating a major talking point from the Premiership downwards, McIlroy is also feeling the pinch as manager of Morecambe.

He is desperate to sign defenders on loan after both skipper Jim Bentley and Ged Brannan received their fifth yellow cards of the season in the 2-2 draw with Cambridge.

They are now suspended and the former Manchester United legend and Northern Ireland manager says: "Referees seem to think these days that they have to book someone to have a good game.

"I think the opposite to that. Our two bookings for Bentley and Brannan for me were not bookings but that's the way the game is going now.

"You see it from the Premier league down but we have just got to get on with it.

"But things seem to be changing, possibly for the worse."