How to beat Carlisle...

[Northern Red]

....by Northern Red, aged 27.5

Interesting team Carlisle.... 7 of the regular team were the team that won the Conference play-off, I'm not sure how they're League 1 material....

3 man Strikeforce:
Karl Hawley - Star striker, plays in the centre, pacey short arse. Although 4'2" he's able to outjump most tall defenders and is a nightmare to play against. I'd imagine Jerel will be tasked with controlling him. Recent broken ribs - worth a kick?

Simon Hackney - Left Wing/Striker - My favourite Carlisle player and Hawley's number one provider. Cut the link between these two and we've got a chance. Very fast, likes to run at people, one footer (lefty). Seen him cross once or twice with his right, but 99% of the time he's lefty. I think Jack Smith should keep him controlled, but cover the left foot cross.

Kevin Gall - Right Wing/Striker - good player, but odd. Seems to hang back in the first half and start really running in the second half, killing a tired left back. Again very fast, two footed, and runs at the defence. Vincent or Nicho will struggle and Monky or Brown must cover back.

Midfield:
Chris Lumsdon - CM/ACM - The midfield is Carlisle's weakness and why they play a 3 man strike force (4-3-3, 4-5-1 with wingers up). Lummy is a older Pook - missed passes, long balls to nowhere. One danger - Very capable of popping up in the box unseen to meet the end of a Hawley/Gall/Hackney pass. Evans/Pook needs to track him back when Carlisle attack.

Chris Billy - DCM/CM - The Rock in the heart of the midfield - and as much use as a rock. Psycho, 2 footed lunges, mad hoofs. Weston needs to play on him and encourage the lunges, with a bit of niggling he'll be booked early on and maybe sent off.

Thirlwell - CM - On loan, nothing significant to report.
Neil Mcdermott - ACM - Out of Favour, makes the team too attacking with the 3 man strikeforce.

They've got a new boy on loan who played 3 games in the middle. (Harper - not seen him)

Defence
Kevin Gray - CB, Captain - the old man, reasonable in the air, very slow. Onion Barji could run round him.

Peter Murphy - CB - The best non-attacking player this season - wins everything, gives nothing. Peacock's got a hard time on him.

David Raven/Paul Arnison - RB - Raven is preferred, fairly solid, not too attacking. Arnison, older, more attacking, useless when run at.

Zigor Aranadle - LB - Spanish, 33 yo - Links up well with Hackney going forward, can deliver a good cross but very left footed. Deadball specialist - near post curlers from the right, aims for Gray/Murphy from left side.


Overall
They'll win this game down the left. Hackney/Aranadle crossing for Hawley to tap in near post. That's the strength. Also Gall on the right wing, joining them. Cannot back off him, but he can also go past you. Vincent's backing off against Boston in the final minute CANNOT be repeated against Carlisle.

The weakness is speed at the back on the right side. Fola/Roberts needs to run at Gray and Aranadle. Balls over the top to chase, breakaways.
Also the midfield is vunerable. Billy is old, slow and careless (although still a hard b*stard). Get Weston to nip his ankles and draw the challenge/lunge. Give Billy time to shoot, he's tried endless times and everytime the ball goes miles over - wasting better opportunities.

I think we'll lose this game (sorry lads), but if they can contain the left side, we'll get a replay 0-0 (please!)

I'm sure we have scouts, but have they ever seen Carlisle?

[janaage]

You seem to know too much NR, too much I say.

I think Luggy and co were watching Carlisle last Saturday whilst we went down to hereford, according to reports.

[Northern Red]

You seem to know too much NR, too much I say.

I think Luggy and co were watching Carlisle last Saturday whilst we went down to hereford, according to reports.

I've watched about 5 games up there this season, and random games over the last few seasons - and it's the same team...

Thank gawd someone's seen them, we've bypassed them in recent years.

[Newburyroyal]

I was in the carlisle end agaisnt aldershit in the conference playoffs two years ago. Good support but a crap team. Can't beleive they are league 1 now either. No one at all looked league class out of the side I saw. Hawley did ok and looked lively, but shocked with taht side they are now midtable league one.

[Tails]

Carlisle have been utterly useless away from home this season and by the looks of things are struggling to score like us.

It'll be an interesting game as we seem to play better against better teams (Brentford in the cup for example, which I still say is our best performance of the season so far). I think we could maybe sneak a win.

[Sharky]

score more goals than they do in 90 minutes.

fairly simple really - god you guys know nothing! :-))(

[Samdy Gray]

The Carlisle players aren't up for this game. Heard from Kev Gall earlier in the week and they're not confident about a win.

[Bushey Boy]

I was in the carlisle end agaisnt aldershit in the conference playoffs two years ago. Good support but a crap team. Can't beleive they are league 1 now either. No one at all looked league class out of the side I saw. Hawley did ok and looked lively, but shocked with taht side they are now midtable league one.

same nebury, took 5 town fans down was a good day out.

[reeves4england]

The Carlisle players aren't up for this game. Heard from Kev Gall earlier in the week and they're not confident about a win.

It's a long long journey to a team with a brand new manager who are doing resonably well in the league below you. Not the sort of game I would look forward to and hopefully they will not be too confident and any early pressure we put on them could rock them a little.

[Samdy Gray]

The Carlisle players aren't up for this game. Heard from Kev Gall earlier in the week and they're not confident about a win.

It's a long long journey to a team with a brand new manager who are doing resonably well in the league below you. Not the sort of game I would look forward to and hopefully they will not be too confident and any early pressure we put on them could rock them a little.

Seriously, Gall's not up for it. He's more interested in getting into Swindon on the lash with his mates after the game.

[janaage]

Sounds like a great professional footballer, what a fucking cunt.  If I were a Carlisle fan and read that I'd be well pissed off.

[Iffy's Onion Bhaji]

i think the Sturrock factor will be enough for us to win on saturday

[adje]

2 ex Town players in their side then-I was not aware of that

[STFC Village]

I remember Thirlwell being pretty good when he was on loan here from Sunderland, that was a few years ago mind. Never really rated McDermott, but he was a young lad going straight into a struggling team

[Samdy Gray]

Heard from Kev Gall again yesterday, apparently Carlisle are pretty confident they'll stick a few past us tomorrow. Yeah right, we'll see.