August 9th-10th(Opening Day)

[joethegill]

Never easy to know how a relegated side will fare in a new division, so no real expectations for how good or bad Carlisle are going to be.

For us, I imagine we'll be similar to last year but hopefully create a few more chances with the wide players brought in - Nolan has done well in pre-season with several goals and assists, Wakeling looks a good option and Wyllie is a bit of a wildcard. Add them to Nevitt and Andrews when they're fit and we look to have something resembling a strikeforce.

Quite a few on the injury table already is a concern - Turner, Coleman, Little, Nevitt and Andrews all missing the last pre-season outing at Woking. With that in mind we could line up something like:

Morris
Hutton - Masterson - Ehmer - Clark
McKenzie - Dieng
Nolan - Williams - Rowe
Wakeling​

Ogie, Lapslie, Wyllie, Hawkins, Clarke, Gbode + a youth teamer to make up a pretty scratch bench.

Can see us winning a lot by the odd goal this season, so lets start with a 2-1 Gills victory.

 

[SuperHans]

No idea what to expect on Friday from Swindon. So nice to be back where we belong but as others have said, less than ideal with our list of injuries to some key players.

1-1, 9400 in attendance.

 

[Third Team Lucky]

No idea what to expect on Friday from Swindon. So nice to be back where we belong but as others have said, less than ideal with our list of injuries to some key players.

1-1, 9400 in attendance.

I wouldn't worry - Grigg loves Swindon

 

[Optipez]

Tranmere away, would be a good litmus test for us if I thought we were close to fully fit but seems we might be without Robertson as well as Palmer so not too confident. Would take a draw, definitely.

Assuming they're both out, I'd start:

Bass
Macari Platt Bedeau
Nemane Hinchy Edwards Jones
Crowley McGoldrick
Jatta

Could easily see Scott and/or Austin starting and Crowley further back in place of Edwards.

I'd go with that line up if Robertson is out. Maynard won't though, he'll have Austin in for Hinchy and likely start Nemane on the left and Jones on the right.
Think we'll lose but there's no reason why we should, that's still a pretty strong team.
1-0 Tranmere.

 

[Si Robin]

As I said on the August thread - I really don't know what to expect from us. We're still a couple of players short and we've blown hot and cold all summer. Our record on the opening day is dreadful as well. We've not won since 2014 and that was the year we were relegated from the Football League.

Newport have sold out the away end and their fans are crying that we want to give the remaining seats to home fans and not them.

I'll take a score draw to get us going.

Starting XI - this is a pure guess:

GK - Owen Evans

RWB - Arkell Jude-Boyd

RCB - Ibrahim Bakare
CB - Levi Laing
LCB - Tom Bradbury

LWB - Ryan Haynes

CDM - Scot Bennett
CM - Joel Colwill
CM - Harrison Sohna

CF - Ryan Bowman
CF - Liam Dulson

 

[hellogregory]

I’ve said it before I expect us to have a bit of a hangover from last years relegation and a slow start however well or bad we end up doing. The losers culture won’t disappear over night and with tough opening games I can see an early season struggle. Hopefully once new players settle and we get a couple more much needed signings we can turn things around have a solid season.

I think we’ll line up like this.

GK. Lewis
RWB. Davies
RCB. Hayden
CB. Thomas
LCB. Mellish
LWB. Harper
CM. Neal
CM. Barclay (he’s a centre back but needs must)
CM. Vela
ST. Wyke
ST. Armstrong

But Gillingham away is a hard place to start, one of the toughest games of the season on paper I’d say. I expect them to be in and around top 7 easily. With only 2 midfielders likely available and no pace in there I’d take a scrappy point right now, but realistically think we’ll be on the wrong end of a defeat.

Gillingham 2-0 Carlisle United

One of our tougher away games out the way early on.

 

[TheEndIsNigh]

Enjoyed Tranmere last season despite the result and it turning out to be Williams last game (sob).

Quite fancy Tranny to do alright this season so a tough game on the cards, think we’ll lose narrowly. 1500 ish tickets sold so should be a decent atmosphere. If Jodi starts on the right I’m on the pitch.

 

[PaulHaddock]

Fleetwood away for us. As with the last two seasons, I think we enter this one as one of the most unknown quantities in the division. While we've not done as much business as we'd have liked so far, the signings we've made seem solid enough. We've had a defensive overhaul though and as expected it looks like Artell is going to resume ushering us towards a more technical style of play than the back end of last season when we had to revert to a back five and grind out survival.

One of the major red flags for us going into this season for me is the lack of physicality further up the field once we move past Curtis Thompson in the midfield holding role. Kieran Green brings that but he's not necessarily nailed on to start and beyond him we look very small. Looking at things in the short/immediate term, we look thin as it is in midfield and attack but injuries to Thompson and Danny Rose who are undeniably our best two players in those two areas leave us looking borderline threadbare. Rose might be back for this, but I wouldn't be surprised if he is rested or on the bench which will leave us making a choice about whether we play youngster Cam Gardener up top in the middle and Donovan Wilson out wide or Svanthorsson out wide and Wilson I the middle. That might also depend on whether Svanthorsson is fit because if he isn't then our only remaining wide forward player is Vernam so Wilson will have to play out wide and Gardener will start.

In centre mid it's a big season for Evan Khouri and Thompson being out presents him with an immediate chance to take advantage of our lack of numbers in that department as it might also be a stretch to expect Callum Ainley to start from the off following his battle with cancer last season.

Defensively is the only area we look well stocked in, but even then Doug Tharme is out.

I think we'll lineup something like this:

Wright
Warren-Rodgers-McJannet--Hume
Green
Khouri--McEachran
Svanthorsson--Wilson--Vernam

I also imagine that will be the team that starts, unless we pull 1-2 rabbits out of the hat this week.

Would be good have Rose back but I think him getting less than a half on Saturday shows it’s probably too much for him to start. If we had him and Thompson available, I’d say that was our strongest team. But yeah, that current midfield scares me.

 

[F!RTHY]

What’s to say that hasn’t already been said. Probably the toughest away fixture right off the bat. We all know about MK’s strength in depth etc etc.

We’ve met 16 times in the league. Winning 10, losing 5 and drawing 1. In fact, prior to last season’s demolishing down there, you’d have to go back to 2007 since the last time they beat us at Stadium MK. We do have a very good record against them, but I’m not sure how this helps us this weekend.

Starting XI:

GK: Sam Walker

CB: Aden Baldwin
CB: Sam Stubbs
CB: Cieran Kelly

RWB: Brad Halliday
LWB: Tyreik Wright

CM: Ritchie Smallwood
CM: Alex Pattison
CM: Antoni Sarcevic

ST: Calum Kavanagh
ST: Andy Cook

Jamie Walker to come on from the bench and score.

Weirdly, I fancy us. I think it’s probably the best time to play MK Dons.

1,500 ish City in attendance.

2-1 City (Cook and Walker)

 

[leedsvaliant]

We'll start slowly as I don't think we quite know what our team is going to look like. We're missing a few of our more high profile signings and putting together 75% of new players always takes time.

Salford don't seem to have improved massively from last season, but they're usually pretty solid at home.

I'm expecting a narrow defeat, and our forum to go into meltdown. It just feels like we're not in the greatest shape heading into the first game.

 

[LS Bantam]

Two predicted starting 11’s above without Jamie Walker, I just can’t see it; fitting in Walker/Pattison/Sarcevic/Kavanagh/Young/Pointon… is crazy depth considering we have no central midfield or left back.

 

[valefan16]

We'll start slowly as I don't think we quite know what our team is going to look like. We're missing a few of our more high profile signings and putting together 75% of new players always takes time.

Salford don't seem to have improved massively from last season, but they're usually pretty solid at home.

I'm expecting a narrow defeat, and our forum to go into meltdown. It just feels like we're not in the greatest shape heading into the first game.

The Connor Hall Pod is interesting, he says how we go into the friendlies after 3 sessions the day before so probably can't judge too much on those.

Seems to be noise though that some games may not go ahead due to the riots.

 

[Son of Cod]

I also imagine that will be the team that starts, unless we pull 1-2 rabbits out of the hat this week.

Would be good have Rose back but I think him getting less than a half on Saturday shows it’s probably too much for him to start. If we had him and Thompson available, I’d say that was our strongest team. But yeah, that current midfield scares me.

A lot of chat that Jordan Davies is a done deal, so hopefully that's announced soon.

And yeah, could see Khouri sitting deep and Green alongside McEachran maybe? Apparently that's what we went with against Mansfield and Artell said last night that Khouri does his best work off the ball.

Will be interesting to see which 2 of the 3 CBs will get the top slots for the majority of the season, all seem to be slightly different.

I hope Wilson gets the chance to play up top in a two too, as that's supposed to be his best position and we've not see a massive amount of it except for last season towards the end when we weren't really going at teams at all. For that reason, I'm hoping we do use wingback a bit. Would essentially deem Vernam and Svanthorsson useless in terms of starting lineups though.

 

[jacobncfc]

Enjoyed Tranmere last season despite the result and it turning out to be Williams last game (sob).

Quite fancy Tranny to do alright this season so a tough game on the cards, think we’ll lose narrowly. 1500 ish tickets sold so should be a decent atmosphere. If Jodi starts on the right I’m on the pitch.

Was a very enjoyable 90 mins of Jones absolutely terrorising their right side whenever we had the ball, and that Apter absolutely terrorising Jones whenever they had the ball. Everyone else just sort of milling around.

God knows. I don’t like the look of a midfield without Robertson or Palmer at all, but we’ve seen nowhere near enough of Hinchy or Edwards for that to be based on anything other than vibes.

 

[hellogregory]

If we adequately strengthen the midfield between now and Saturday, with real proven quality, then I think we’d have a chance of getting something even from such a tough opening game. As it is, with our current midfield it will certainly be defeat.

 

[dannyc5]

Only because our number 1 Tom Booth is injured. Fingers crossed he isn't out for long.

Our injuries are a farce. 6 out before a ball is even kicked.

 

[DearneValleyRover]

Hearing that there is a strong possibility that this weekend fixtures might be postponed due to the number of protests that are planned and the lack of available police

 

[JJ1990]

Hearing that there is a strong possibility that this weekend fixtures might be postponed due to the number of protests that are planned and the lack of available police

I doubt ours will be. Can't believe they'll be drawing officers from Cumbria to cover protests in other parts of the country. Plus our game will only have 3-4k in attendance and there probably won't be trouble.

 

[DippyDon]

If Bradford are strong down the left then perhaps they'll hurt us. We don't have many fit RWB's at the moment so will possibly start Callum Tripp there, who while he has been impressive I wouldn't pick as a starter there.

Our defence will need to gel too with about 4 or 5 new centre backs coming into the club.

Thankfully, our attack looks strong and while untested together, the defence on paper looks excellent. This does scream a game that we'll start slowly though and end up getting Alexander'd.

 

[WhiteRussian]

If Bradford are strong down the left then perhaps they'll hurt us. We don't have many fit RWB's at the moment so will possibly start Callum Tripp there, who while he has been impressive I wouldn't pick as a starter there.

Our defence will need to gel too with about 4 or 5 new centre backs coming into the club.

Thankfully, our attack looks strong and while untested together, the defence on paper looks excellent. This does scream a game that we'll start slowly though and end up getting Alexander'd.

I hate first days especially when we have been talked up as favouites or top 3. The team has to gel and pre season, which of course counts for nothing wasn't brilliant. Bradford are not usually pushovers either. This of course counts as Williamsons team and he has been given more resourses than any one at StadMK for a long time. He has to deliver and I'm not totally convinced after last seasons collapse.

 

[BarraMatt]

Absolutely no idea.

 

[GTFCfish]

I’m looking forward to whichever team wins their opening game 3 or 4 nil and their fans getting all carried away before they get beat the next game.
Seems like every season after 2 games there are loads of teams on 3 points with 1 win and 1 defeat.

 

[DearneValleyRover]

I’ve been unusually over optimistic with my predictions and expect to be totally deflated come 17:00 on Saturday spending the rest of the evening chastising myself with self flagellation

 

[F!RTHY]

I’m looking forward to whichever team wins their opening game 3 or 4 nil and their fans getting all carried away before they get beat the next game.
Seems like every season after 2 games there are loads of teams on 3 points with 1 win and 1 defeat.

We haven’t scored on the opening day since 2018 - I shit you not!

Jack Payne - Shrewsbury away

 

[RavenBish]

We will lose, slightly in disbelief at the squad we’re starting the season with if I’m honest - and if Palmer and Robertson aren’t fit then I’d probably say there’s zero reason to be positive about Saturday other than Jones and Jatta concocting something mental

 

[JJ1990]

We will lose, slightly in disbelief at the squad we’re starting the season with if I’m honest - and if Palmer and Robertson aren’t fit then I’d probably say there’s zero reason to be positive about Saturday other than Jones and Jatta concocting something mental

Can't be as bad as your last opening day to be fair.

 

[Optipez]

P

 

[Optipez]

Can't be as bad as your last opening day to be fair.

Ha, that would take some doing although there's no extra points for close defeats.

 

[BlackHaddock]

Fleetwood Mac for us, "Go Your Own Way" and all that.

Happy if we draw 0-0 to be honest. Injuries and a touch of new blood making the 1st team squad a bit thin, we'll struggle to have our full quoter of subs unless a couple more come through the door before the weekend.

 

[Carver]

Our record at Gillingham is quite appalling, we have not scored against them at their place in the league in years and whenever we do play there we are usually poor.