Packers President Mark Murphy said Monday that he’s disappointed with the team’s 4-4 start, especially Sunday’s shocking loss at Tampa Bay, and wants to make sure “changes” are made.

The former NFL player turned executive, who took over the Packers on Jan. 28, 2008, believes the season can be salvaged but perhaps put Thompson and McCarthy on notice.

“We’re 4-4 halfway through the season, and I think we can still have a successful year,” Murphy said, “just making sure that we make the changes that are necessary to get us to that point.”

Asked what those changes should be, Murphy said: “That’s what Ted and Mike (do); that’s what we’re looking for from (the) football (operation). I know it’s not easy. Winning in the NFL is very challenging from week to week, but I’m confident that we can do it.”

Murphy’s comments came several hours after McCarthy, in his regular Monday news conference, said he wasn’t planning to make any changes to his staff or shift any coaching responsibilities at the midway point of the season. In his 3½ seasons as the Packers’ coach, McCarthy never has made an in-season coaching change.

Most of the focus has been on the Packers’ offensive line and special teams.

The line has helped allow a league-high 37 sacks. The Packers have two coaches — line coach James Campen and assistant Jerry Fontenot — devoted to that position. Offensive coordinator Joe Philbin also has an extensive background coaching that position, and tight ends coach Ben McAdoo also has experience there.

The special teams units, under first-year coordinator Shawn Slocum, have yielded big returns the last two games and had a punt blocked and returned for a touchdown against the Buccaneers.

“I’m very confident in our structure, our job responsibility, job description of every position,” McCarthy said.

“Offensive line, the way we’re built, structured on staff is by design. We have four individuals on our offensive staff that I’d be very confident in coaching the offensive line, so I feel we have a high level of expertise on that side of the ball.

"Special teams, I think Shawn Slocum has done a good job in putting his print on what we’re trying to do philosophically compared to the prior three years. But our problems, to me, aren’t teaching and scheme. They do not fall in that area.”

McCarthy seemed to be sending the message that the players simply need to take the coaching better.

He’s considering lineup changes, but he tried that last week with mixed results. Right tackle Mark Tauscher made his first start of the season and performed OK until he sustained a knee injury early in the second half. They also had veteran Chad Clifton back at left tackle.

But McCarthy has to weigh the value of lineup changes vs. continuity.

“I think any time you are in problem solving, it’s about applying solutions,” McCarthy said. “It’s obvious what has gone on in our particular failures in that area. There are other options as we move forward, and those are some of the things we’ll look to in certain situations. We don’t need wholesale changes. We may need to adjust some things and that will be our focus.”

With the youngest team in football (based on opening-day rosters) for the fourth straight year, perhaps the talent and experience isn’t adequate. That would fall under the authority of Thompson, the team’s top personnel man since 2005.

“I still have confidence in Ted,” Murphy said. “Obviously for me, I work through Ted. He and I are always in touch with each other, and I have a lot of confidence in Ted.”

Asked whether Thompson feels the same way about McCarthy, Murphy said: “You’ll have to talk to Ted, but my sense is that he does have confidence but (is) disappointed in where we are right now. We’re all hoping that we can make the changes that are needed to get us to where we want to be at the end of the season.”

Thompson wasn’t available for comment because, according to a team spokesman, he couldn’t be tracked down while out of town. Thompson didn’t travel back to Green Bay on Sunday night, instead leaving straight from Tampa, Fla., for a scouting trip.

Murphy didn’t hire Thompson or McCarthy and didn’t officially begin his duties until after both were given new five-year contracts in January 2008. He hasn’t had to make a major football decision, other than to rubber-stamp Thompson’s decision to trade Brett Favre before the 2008 season, but said he hasn’t felt any pressure from the team’s board of directors or Executive Committee to make changes.

“No, no, they’re involved, and they provide all kinds of advice,” Murphy said. “But at the end of the day, it’s going to be my decision.”

Any major decision wouldn’t be made until after the season, Murphy said.

“I’ve seen enough football and been involved in the NFL long enough that I can see (the season being salvaged), sure,” Murphy said.

“But obviously I’m disappointed about where we are. The No. 1 goal as an organization every year is to win, but obviously we’ve got half the season left, and it’s really premature to do an evaluation. At the end of the season, I’ll sit down and see how we performed.”

“You really need to wait until the whole season is completed,” he added. “I’ve seen it both ways. Teams get off to great starts and collapse, or struggle early and play well at the end. But obviously I’m disappointed in where we are now, especially the loss to Tampa, very disappointing to everybody, but we’ll see how we respond.”