Hand on Heart , How Do You Think You'll Do?

[Wombling Kiwi]

What the hell is that jersey ? Gun fight at the old corral. If thats for real they are taking the piss

 

[BigDaveCUFC]

From a Carlisle point of view I'll try and post it as realistic right now, I am usually a very negative poster or used to be before my 'gap year' as such, but my year and a half out has helped me get some passion back after it had died a death, but at present if I was realistic we're currently in them clump of teams who needs to improve to look at anything other than survival for me.

Looking at our squad:
* Goalkeeper is fine if Gillespie can play all season as he is clearly strong for this level, but big doubts on this as he's played about 20 games in 3 seasons and is horrendously injury prone.....Last chance saloon for me on the lad. The back-up keeper is awful so it fully depends on Gillespie finally being over injuries to this area working or failing.

* Central Midfield is extremely strong. we have kept out best player in Dempsey, added Kennedy who frankly kept us up last season and while I do not think Joyce has the ability or spark of the other 2 players he is the very hard working dependable one you need in the mixture.....this area is strong whether its 2 or 3 and currently our best area.

* Up front I think isn't too bad, and is ok if Asamoah signs up as he looked good WHEN WE PLAY HIM AS A STRIKER!!!...(not this wide position bullsh*t) I think Rigg and Wyke will be stronger having now been playing previously and getting a full pre-season. Of course if Asamoah does not sign we need an experienced forward here.

* Wide positions are non-existant, we have no wingers at all......none. We can only play wing-backs or else shove full backs, central midfielders or forwards out wide........it never works, but I suppose we can try again and again and again like we have for 4 seasons running (failing each time)

* Defence I think is currently weaker which is a worry when it was awful anyway. The defender in form at season finish has left, the others are 'hopeful' more than guaranteed good so while it may have improved it is on paper weaker and will take afew games convincing me. the good part is players can look poor on paper but if they gel or hit early confidence can be good.

On paper squad isn't as bad as a survival battle, its weak in areas but we all are at this stage, 1-2 signings may turn it completely and we're strong in some areas which is good. We're stuck playing only 5-3-2 which is a worry we have no players for anything else other than putting square pegs in round holes and this never works.

The reason I currently think a relegation battle is on cards is moreso two other key factors which are more 'off the pitch' firstly our owners have this last month have destroyed any positive momentum you get in pre-season. I expected to start this season with a fresh buzz-hype of a new owner and new direction. Instead in their usual god-awful style our current owners have dreadfully mis-handled the entire situation and the whole place is utterly flat.....I struggle to remember the place as flat since the Knighton days.

Secondly is the massive clump of highly paid players Curle does not want and any future rifts-conflicts in our whole squad that could happen with this situation. we've a lot of players we want to just give away but with their wages no one will take them. Now will come July Curle give them another chance or just like last season and like Kavanagh cause numerous rifts and problems.......I expect the rifts and this worries me.

So bottom 6-7 for me so far, it could be midtable if we sort the off field issues.

 

[AtaturkOzgutson]

I think we'll finish top ten. The optimist in me (which has been thoroughly massaged by our signings so far, the feeling around the club and our all round rude health) says we'll take one of the play-off spots.

Beating Luton/Orient/Cobbs over two legs and taking some revenge on Exeter in the play offs would probably be a little to much to ask

The realist in me says top ten and it could be tenth as much as 4-7th.

 

[mowgli]

Top half, anything above 55 points will be a bonus.

 

[Habbinalan]

What the hell is that jersey ? Gun fight at the old corral. If thats for real they are taking the piss

Genuine, to be worn, "tour jerseys" are available at:

http://www.scorpionsports.co.uk/rugby-tour-shirts?sort=p.model&order=DESC

Neither in the pic appear to be Barcelona's normal jersey http://fcbrugby.com/ and the Cowboys are presumably a touring Union side (it is from the Barcelona web site) They are definitely not the North Queensland Cowboys (RL).

 

[hellogregory]

Shite.
But I think we'll just about stay up.

 

[EricSabin]

Just outside the playoffs. Could change considering we are still to sign 2 keepers, a centre half, a central midfielder and a striker.

 

[shoddycollins]

Shite.
But I think we'll just about stay up.

careful there... I haven't spoken to anyone yet about your 24hr bans... but will do so soon I think.

for the record, had you said we might be in a relegation battle in a similar manner to what Big Dave did you might have gotten away with it, it's all about not sounding hopelessly pessimistic.

 

[shoddycollins]

I think we might go on a spell similar to our one in League 1 in Abbot's first couple of seasons... just mediocrity for a while. We seem to be steadying the ship... I think, but events off the field are just so uninspiring, and we aren't making any real exciting signings in the manner of Rakish Bingham.

I think we'll finish between 12th and 15th... might have a flirtation with the relegation battle in a similar manner to Dagenham and Pompey last season, but end up having a bit of a nothing season.

 

[BigDaveCUFC]

have you ever seen a club like ours for sapping the will to live from a fanbase in a summer??

its amazing how our lot over the years can just murder seasons before they begin......I would say blackpool are worse and they are, but ours of course were able to get fans hopes right up then go and kick them in the b*llocks to drag us back to pure negativity.

it takes some good work to be able to feed negativity and kill hope

 

[hellogregory]

careful there... I haven't spoken to anyone yet about your 24hr bans... but will do so soon I think.

for the record, had you said we might be in a relegation battle in a similar manner to what Big Dave did you might have gotten away with it, it's all about not sounding hopelessly pessimistic.

Season hasn't started yet. At the moment I'm free to predict 0 points for the season if I want. But I'm too optimistic to predict something like that!

 

[Habbinalan]

careful there... I haven't spoken to anyone yet about your 24hr bans... but will do so soon I think.

for the record, had you said we might be in a relegation battle in a similar manner to what Big Dave did you might have gotten away with it, it's all about not sounding hopelessly pessimistic.

As you're my newly designated 3rd club (thanks tons Posh Hammer but no way do they get to be "2nd Team"), I'll be keeping an eye on hg's progress. http://www.onefootballforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/2nd-team-challenge.6187/

".....But I think we'll just about stay up." probably falls outside the "negative" trigger in my opinion but "not sounding hopelessly pessimistic" offers way too much leeway. Our agreed forfeit is:

HG gets banned for 24hrs anytime he makes a negative post during 2015/16

When's your/our first friendly?

 

[BigDaveCUFC]

to be fair with a poor squad, a manager with an average to poor track record, a really negative atmosphere and 50% of the current squad wanted off the books ASAP I'd say 'just about stay up' is a positive thing.

we have a lot of the makings of a relegation side....problems behind scenes, problems with fanbase, no unity at all, an average squad, no squad unity, players you want offloaded but no other mug wants them etc, etc

those are big big massive pointers to a side heading one direction....we are just fortunate its the summer and a lot can happen in the next 2 months.

 

[AdamStag]

From the singings we've made, Id suggest somewhere between 10-18th

 

[Habbinalan]

to be fair with a poor squad, a manager with an average to poor track record, a really negative atmosphere and 50% of the current squad wanted off the books ASAP I'd say 'just about stay up' is a positive thing.

we have a lot of the makings of a relegation side....problems behind scenes, problems with fanbase, no unity at all, an average squad, no squad unity, players you want offloaded but no other mug wants them etc, etc

those are big big massive pointers to a side heading one direction....we are just fortunate its the summer and a lot can happen in the next 2 months.

Well done hellogregory, the baton has been passed.

 

[Aber gas]

Yeah those Bristol lot are a bit naff aren't they...

 

[BigDaveCUFC]

Well done hellogregory, the baton has been passed.

pah

I may have decided to not go for a season and a half as I disagreed with the club on the methods but I was one of the super negative b*stards of Carlisle long before HG got near that tag

I just usually wait until we're actually good then complain, bicker and moan.

 

[Gassy]

13th.

My head says midtablr, my heart says play offs.

Last time I was torn between my head and heart, my heart said we'd win the league on the last day. My head told me 'don't be a f***ing idiot, you'll finish 2nd'.

So ill listen to my head this time and go for midtable.

 

[Varboss]

I would hope for top 3 but with so many changes being made I see us finishing in the play offs.

 

[huddsmoose]

For Cambridge so far I'd say about 8th.

We're lacking pace in attack and some creativity, but plenty of time to acquire that yet. I'd say that about 8 out of our first 11 are currently of the standard needed to nab a play-off spot, so three or so additional signings of a similar calibre and I'll be getting giddy.

I reckon we're in a similar state to Luton but with a smaller squad.

 

[Don Tonberry]

We have to be aiming for the top 3. We're starting to put together a decent squad (on paper) and have one of the best managers in the division so I'm optimistic. If we don't get promoted this season then it would be a failure. There are simply no excuses this time.

 

[BelizeHatter]

Hmmm. I would suggest it is very difficult to come in and turn it around from mid table average side to an automatic promotion with a complete overhaul on and off the pitch. That's a lot of moving parts that need to gel. Possible but not easy and I wouldn't be expecting it. More like hoping to see a big improvement in that direction and if it happens great.

 

[mtfc26]

Shows how well many know the league that no one I can recall has come out and said YEAH WE WILL WIN IT!!!

That's by no means what I am saying by the way.

 

[mowgli]

Hmmm. I would suggest it is very difficult to come in and turn it around from mid table average side to an automatic promotion with a complete overhaul on and off the pitch. That's a lot of moving parts that need to gel. Possible but not easy and I wouldn't be expecting it. More like hoping to see a big improvement in that direction and if it happens great.

We didn't do so bad last season after changing most of the team after our great escape the season before.

 

[hellogregory]

to be fair with a poor squad, a manager with an average to poor track record, a really negative atmosphere and 50% of the current squad wanted off the books ASAP I'd say 'just about stay up' is a positive thing.

It's not though really.
Realistically when we've been a solid league 1 team for most of the past decade, anything other than top 7 is a shite season at this level.
Personally I'd settle for a boring mid table finish but really our club should be targeting top 7 as a minimum.

 

[Duffy]

This thread tells you everything you need to know about supporters over optimistic expectations regarding their own club. As one example I would have Mansfield down in the bottom three, don't think their overal signings are that great and they have a manager with a lot still to prove.
Anyway regarding us somewhere in the bottom six at this point. Flinders and Berrett look decent signings, Swan comes with injury worries, and Oliver very so so. We're weak down the right hand side and have little depth to an already poor squad having been unable to offload the likes of Straker, Meikle, McCoy, Mooney at this point. Another season of struggle for us, I just hope we stay up.

 

[mowgli]

Marvin McCoy.

 

[BeesKnees]

Positions based on average prediction sorted highest to lowest.
Portsmouth
Cambridge
Luton
Exeter
Northampton
Orient
Wycombe
Hartlepool
Stevenage
Notts County
Mansfield
Bristol Rovers
Barnet
Carlisle
Wimbledon
York
Daggers
Crawley
Newport
Shame we dont have predictions from a supporter for every team, anyone like to make a guess for those that are missing or feel predictions so far are way out?

 

[BelizeHatter]

I'm hoping we will sign a top, out and out striker - or we have little to no chance of being top 3. With one perhaps. It doesn't look a season where right now there's a standout side and those that missed promotion last season are/were all pretty average. On paper Pompey and Cambridge look good but there's always a surprise nobody expected.

 

[thewwfc]

Marvin McCoy.

personally I thought McCoy was just average for this level, no need to slag him off. Don't get me wrong I'd take Jombati over him any day of the week, but he really wasn't shite.

(Since we're on WW players who went to York) I don't get the hate for Dave Winfield either - not you, but a lot of Wycombe fans.