Pages: 1 ... 6 7 8 [9] 10 11   Go Down
Print
Author Topic: Carlisle United Official *Official Match Day Thread*  (Read 25755 times)
Christy

Offline Offline

Posts: 389




Ignore
« Reply #120 on: Sunday, August 6, 2017, 23:00:12 »

It's a long way to Carlisle.

A long way and a long time to reflect too.  It's thirty summers since I made this journey, a trip I remember like yesterday, whilst the miserable drubbing at Charlton in April seems a lifetime ago. That's time, and tricks of the brain for you.  Or maybe just me?

So the last visit was, for anyone else who was there, unforgetttable as 'the Endersby one' - I've seen maybe 600 games since, and that particular curious football fan culture mix of celebration and celery on one hand and pure vitriol on the other - remains unrepeated.  So too, thankfully, was the experience of being driven home at such speed that I was back in West Ox for 8:20.

The pre-match rain puts paid to any idea of much of a walk around before the game, but like the County Ground, one new side apart, nothing's changed at Brunton Park.  Presumably this is how our visitors feel too, as we grow old in our ever more familiar and ever shabbier surroundings.  I went to Supermarine, but the warm up is the first sign that there is some change in the air: gone are the Barca tika taka and the lazy, sloppy unpressured shooting exercises.  Instead we have Purkiss and Hussey practicing lumping it 40 yards, and the central defenders heading it so far and so repeatedly, that I want to check for a welfare hotline.

About thirty years later, it's time for the game, the season, our new life to start.  Cards on table, I'm not sure me and Mr Flitcroft are going to get on.  To his credit, his talk of professionalism, trying to win, engaging, togetherness, being genuinely passionate, are just what Doctor Power has rightfully ordered.  But, but, I have a concern that it's going to be a little too much about him, and that he's going to provide some easily ridiculed soundbites when the going gets tough.  We'll see.

There was a game out there as well, which I should mention, having gone so far and all that.  I thought the first half was reasonably even and entertaining, albeit in a low quality sort of way.  In the second half, we sat deep and whilst never convincing, did enough.  For all those 'Swindon Way' disciples, it's going to be a 'behind the sofa' type of season.  I'm sure we're getting the message, but the style of play is absolutely, entirely, completely different.  It'll be interesting to see how we play at home, with an onus to be on the front foot.  Winning games will help us getting used to a lack of composure and confidence in keeping the ball, whilst playing with obvious spirit, energy and intention will be galvanising across the club. 

The support, the hope, the sheer bloody desperation of the 557 do epitomise this.  All we ask is that you give us your honesty, your passion and your best, and we will be with you.  The players celebration of the second goal, and again at the end, do reflect this new beginning: if hope is worth points we're already halfway to safety.

Mullin impressed playing behind Norris, as others have said, buzzing and annoying, making things happen and always in the game.  We're going to like him.  Goddard and Brophy were disappointing, careless in possession and ineffective defensively.  Linganzi was poor, Iandolo needs some legs, Smith possibly some basic awareness help.  As a result we were far too easy to get at, had to defend too many balls delivered from advanced wide positions - Carlisle were an interesting mix of pretty shapes and direct, I quite liked them.

I liked them even more as they let us have a couple of goals - and this is the important bit, this could be all the knowhow and resolution we need: hang on in there and let them muck it up. Straight from the Mourinho playbook, the easiest way to win games is to let the opposition lose them.

Having shared my Flitcroft concerns earlier, once back on that M6, I was reminded to be careful what you wish for.  Or that beggars can't be choosers.  Or something.  The scenery was partly lovely.  Anyway, Keith Curle came on the radio, and *spoiler alert*.  If you think Steve White, well intentioned legend that of course he is, is the most wibbling, incoherent summariser out there, then all my living days, you are hopelessly wrong: please listen to Curle babble and waffle through his analysis. Absolutely stunning.  However, as far as I could tell, he, the local press and their texters in, all thought they were unlucky to lose against opposition 'there for the taking', and I wouldn't necessarily entirely disagree.

As i try to make sense of that, making sense of the summer, and even the last thirty years, suddenly becomes an awful lot simpler.  The clouds break, and it's only 90 miles to Preston.
Logged
Samdy Gray
Dirty sneaky traitor weasel

Offline Offline

Posts: 27137





Ignore
« Reply #121 on: Monday, August 7, 2017, 07:53:44 »

Is it just me that thinks Mullin used his hand for the goal?
Logged
donkey
Cheers!

Offline Offline

Posts: 7034


He headed a football.




Ignore
« Reply #122 on: Monday, August 7, 2017, 08:06:57 »

Is it just me that thinks Mullin used his hand for the goal?

A couple of their players did.
Logged

donkey tells the truth

I headed the ball.

eeeeeeeeeeeeeee-aaaaaaaawwwwwww
OOH! SHAUN TAYLOR
- FACT!

Offline Offline

Posts: 14498



WWW

Ignore
« Reply #123 on: Monday, August 7, 2017, 08:07:35 »

Is it just me that thinks Mullin used his hand for the goal?
No. I've seen it a few times and I think he did. The defender and keeper were both appealing for it. Meh, you win some, you lose some.

Good work as always Christy!
Logged
reeves4england

Offline Offline

Posts: 15973


We'll never die!




Ignore
« Reply #124 on: Monday, August 7, 2017, 08:27:22 »

I thought it was an encouraging display in terms of fight, desire, and back to basics football. Norris looked a real handful while he was on, Hussey was delivering dangerous balls in, and the back four looked solid if unspectacular as a unit.

Plenty of room for improvement though - Carlisle regularly found pockets of space inbetween the defence and midfield, and our full backs were quite regularly left 2-on-1. Mullin looked good for a while (no idea if he handled it or not) but then faded badly, playing lazy balls and blaming the nearest red shirt for not being on the end of them. Hopefully things will click in time.

As for Iandolo, that's got to hurt, but if you come on and play pass after pass to a blue shirt when your team's under pressure, the manager has every right to haul you off. I'm confident that DF will handle it well and make sure he gets another chance soon.

Enjoyed the comraderie at the end - very refreshing to see and hear a manager who wants the fans behind the players and he looked genuinely chuffed at the support. Well done to those who travelled much further than us northern reds, hopefully a sign of things to come this season.
Logged
RedRag

Offline Offline

Posts: 3302





Ignore
« Reply #125 on: Monday, August 7, 2017, 08:27:41 »

the CUFC forum comment on our first goal correctly bemoaning the lack of marking and enviously noting that when they got a free kick in a similar position the taker chose a short pass and it all ended up with their passing it back to their own keeper...deja vu?
Logged
The Artist Formerly Known as Audrey

Online Online

Posts: 19295


?Absolute Calamity!?




Ignore
« Reply #126 on: Monday, August 7, 2017, 08:36:39 »

The view from my sofa showed an unspectacular, solid, professional performance - without 2 certain starters injured and losing a rejuvenated Norris early.

My only gripe was the number of times simple passes went astray and clearances that went direct to the opposition in dangerous areas.

It's difficult to judge Carlisle other than that they were top 6 last season. Maybe Exeter will be a bit more of a test.

For the first time in ages I am actually looking forward to a game. Wouldn't be surprised to see nigh on 8000 on Saturday.
Logged
nigel grays a postie

Offline Offline

Posts: 387





Ignore
« Reply #127 on: Monday, August 7, 2017, 09:46:03 »

"Is it just me that thinks Mullin used his hand for the goal?"

In view of fact that Keith Curle moaned that Norris's goal was offside surely he would have made more fuss about it post match if it was.
Logged

Rogers, Mayes, Shearer, Fjortoft, Cox, Austin, Ritchie. Seen em all flogged off on the cheap
Tails

Offline Offline

Posts: 10011


Git facked




Ignore
« Reply #128 on: Monday, August 7, 2017, 10:20:26 »

Does look like he punched it in.
Logged
reeves4england

Offline Offline

Posts: 15973


We'll never die!




Ignore
« Reply #129 on: Monday, August 7, 2017, 13:55:51 »

"Is it just me that thinks Mullin used his hand for the goal?"

In view of fact that Keith Curle moaned that Norris's goal was offside surely he would have made more fuss about it post match if it was.

Curle claimed it was handball, which is the main reason I think it might not have been. At the time I wondered if the Carlisle player had got there first and it defelcted off Mulin to go in, meaning it couldn't have been deliberate. Video replays pretty inconclusive, but defenders didn't make a huge deal of it beyond sticking their hands up.
Logged
Posh Red
Posh by name, Posh by nature

Offline Offline

Posts: 7212





Ignore
« Reply #130 on: Monday, August 7, 2017, 14:13:27 »

Curle claimed it was handball, which is the main reason I think it might not have been. At the time I wondered if the Carlisle player had got there first and it defelcted off Mulin to go in, meaning it couldn't have been deliberate. Video replays pretty inconclusive, but defenders didn't make a huge deal of it beyond sticking their hands up.

Have to say I thought it was an OG initially, although Mullin celebrated like it was his goal
Logged
THE FLASH

Offline Offline

Posts: 9382


Quick as a Flash!




Ignore
« Reply #131 on: Monday, August 7, 2017, 14:49:20 »

I don't think the football will be as pretty as last season BUT we went down...six adrift.

Reality tells us we are in bottom league and winning ugly is very important.

Mid table this season and I will be satisfied, anything above that and im delighted.

I do think that DF clichés will be annoying post match....that's 'nailed on'....
Logged

Clems Army!
Panda Paws

« Reply #132 on: Monday, August 7, 2017, 15:44:17 »

I don't think the football will be as pretty as last season BUT we went down...six adrift.

Reality tells us we are in bottom league and winning ugly is very important.

Mid table this season and I will be satisfied, anything above that and im delighted.

I do think that DF clichés will be annoying post match....that's 'nailed on'....

Genuinely can't get my head around being satisfied with midtable. That'd be our worst finish in 30 years?

We know we've got a competitive budget, proven manager at this level, top 3-4 attendances. Also, we've abandoned everything we've stood for in the last few years (rightly or wrongly) to get out of this league. If we don't it's a failure. 100%.
Logged
Tails

Offline Offline

Posts: 10011


Git facked




Ignore
« Reply #133 on: Monday, August 7, 2017, 15:54:43 »

Yeah agreed. I would be disappointed with anything less than top 7... But a part of me has kinda accepted it may take a few years to properly rebuild a team.
Logged
Panda Paws

« Reply #134 on: Monday, August 7, 2017, 15:58:30 »

Yeah agreed. I would be disappointed with anything less than top 7... But a part of me has kinda accepted it may take a few years to properly rebuild a team.


We're not doing any more rebuilding that any one else, or what we do normally.

Few years ago at Peterborough we had 7 debutants on the opening day. Most clubs would expect to bring in 8-10 new signings in a summer.
Logged
Pages: 1 ... 6 7 8 [9] 10 11   Go Up
Print
Jump to: