The Carlisle v Exeter v MK Dons combined match-thread

[shoddycollins]

That the one where slater stepped over the ball leaving it for Devitt?. It was a sitter, a total free shot with the whole goal to aim, but totally scuffed it. Should score that all day long.

Can't remember, or didn't really see who else was in the attack or how cleanly Devitt hit the ball from my position in the WRE but it was in the first half so I'm guessing it was that shot on 45 minutes the xG shows. Devitt looked to be around the penalty spot and could have put it anywhere outside the goalie's reach and it would have been 1-1 but Pym just had to stand there and catch it, that was probably our biggest miss of the game, other chances we had in the second half were a bit less clear-cut, would have been harder to score.

 

[Moomin]

Decent point, although a shame we couldn’t hang on. Sounds like Carlisle gave us a tough game second half but got to be pleased with out first half.

Nicky Law is on fire and we need to keep him fit for the remaining 15 games.

Big game vs Bury next week.

 

[cufc17]

Exeter dominated first half, probably should've went in 2 or 3 up, that Forte miss was really bad. Law did look a cut above and hit his goal very well. Thankfully we came into it second half and got a deserved point, O'Hare looked promising and Devitt grew into the game.

I don't know which way we'll go, some tough away games coming up, and that MK game could be a cracker. 2 wins out of the next 3 and I'd fancy us for a playoff spot.

 

[hellogregory]

We look so much weaker in midfield now Sowerby has gone. O’Hare is technically good but I can’t see him filling that void.

I think we’ll see plenty of teams get on top of us in that area as Exeter did first half yesterday

 

[shoddycollins]

We look so much weaker in midfield now Sowerby has gone. O’Hare is technically good but I can’t see him filling that void.

I think we’ll see plenty of teams get on top of us in that area as Exeter did first half yesterday

Scougall looked better in the midfield role when he came on, and there's always the possibility Jones will find the form he showed last season

 

[hellogregory]

Scougall looked better in the midfield role when he came on, and there's always the possibility Jones will find the form he showed last season

Scougall did, but he still doesn’t have the physicality of Sowerby. The midfield had a good balance with Devitt as the attack, Etuhu as the defence with Sowerby doing a bit of both. I don’t see that now.

It could be a position for Kennedy to get himself back in. He has those attributes.

 

[Carver]

He needs to stop playing Devitt as a false number 9 and get him back in the midfield where he is good.

 

[hellogregory]

He needs to stop playing Devitt as a false number 9 and get him back in the midfield where he is good.

Yeah and get Liddle back in the team. Miller is doing ok at right back but offers fuck all in terms of quality going forward compared to Liddle.

Early days but these little decisions from Pressley are going to start pissing me off.

 

[shoddycollins]

Yeah and get Liddle back in the team. Miller is doing ok at right back but offers fuck all in terms of quality going forward compared to Liddle.

Early days but these little decisions from Pressley are going to start pissing me off.

Surely Liddle isn't match-fit yet

 

[Carver]

Yeah and get Liddle back in the team. Miller is doing ok at right back but offers fuck all in terms of quality going forward compared to Liddle.

Early days but these little decisions from Pressley are going to start pissing me off.

I think it is too soon to judge him after 3 games, two of which we had won in a row so I wouldn't think he'd change a winning team, but after the poor first half showing yesterday I'm sure he will know more of who to play and where.

 

[hellogregory]

Surely Liddle isn't match-fit yet

He’s only been out for 3 weeks. He was on the bench yesterday. Of course he’s match fit.

 

[shoddycollins]

He’s only been out for 3 weeks. He was on the bench yesterday. Of course he’s match fit.

Well he should be back in tomorrow.

 

[shoddycollins]

I think it is too soon to judge him after 3 games, two of which we had won in a row so I wouldn't think he'd change a winning team, but after the poor first half showing yesterday I'm sure he will know more of who to play and where.

I don't think Miller was necessarily the most culpable in the first half. Exeter exploited Grainger's side much more often, they also exploited Gerrard's lack of pace, who didn't have protection from his midfielders, which goes back to what HG was saying about Sowerby vs Slater, O'Hare or Scougall as a partner for Etuhu. Gerrard is very slow and Parkes isn't much faster, but I think the way we were playing previously allowed them to sit deep and not worry so much about the space between defence and midfield as Etuhu had that well covered. I remember one time Miller was got past quite easily, but otherwise he did alright in that position, it's just like HG says, Liddle puts in a good cross, where whenever Miller got into those positions he always just passed it back to the player who played him through in the first place.

 

[hellogregory]

Well he should be back in tomorrow.

Unless Pressley has decided that Gary Miller is his Alan Hutton.

 

[shoddycollins]

The Carlisle v MK Dons match has flipped on its head, with Dons arresting their decline and ourselves sliding towards mid-table it is an absolute must win for us while the other promotion chasers probably want Dons to win. Any other result will just leave us with an uphill struggle to resurrect our, admittedly unexpected, play-off challenge.

A lot of people blaming Pressley, but I think it's difficult to point the finger at him and say he's been the factor in our decline. He's only been in charge now for four games and hasn't had a fully fit squad to select from in any of them. He came to a team who had won 7 of 8 but had already lost two of the key players from that run to loan recalls and one, Liddle, to injury. He then lost a further key player to a recall and one of the new signings to injury and has had to try and bed in a lot of new players.

 

[Devon_Lad]

The Carlisle v MK Dons match has flipped on its head, with Dons arresting their decline and ourselves sliding towards mid-table

You're 6th and still in the play offs ffs. MK got very lucky against a poor Newport side who dominated the game and hit the woodwork countless times. You should win, comfortably.

 

[shoddycollins]

You're 6th and still in the play offs ffs. MK got very lucky against a poor Newport side who dominated the game and hit the woodwork countless times. You should win, comfortably.

God I hope so. You have a game in hand I expect you to win. Just thankfully FGR seem to have run into a bump too. Despite what some fans think, I still think it's four from MK Dons, Exeter, FGR, Carlisle and Colchester for the playoffs. None of those five seem consistent enough to make a break for the automatic places, and unless Paul Scholes can work wonders at Oldham, everyone else just doesn't seem to be consistent enough to reach the play-offs.

 

[Devon_Lad]

God I hope so. You have a game in hand I expect you to win. Just thankfully FGR seem to have run into a bump too. Despite what some fans think, I still think it's four from MK Dons, Exeter, FGR, Carlisle and Colchester for the playoffs. None of those five seem consistent enough to make a break for the automatic places, and unless Paul Scholes can work wonders at Oldham, everyone else just doesn't seem to be consistent enough to reach the play-offs.

Our game in hand is against Lincoln...

 

[shoddycollins]

Our game in hand is against Lincoln...

Lincoln are meh

 

[Devon_Lad]

Lincoln are meh

Yeah, but I wouldn't go as far as 'expect a win' - It's more than achievable but I think a draw will be about right. They've only won 2 in their last 6 I believe.

 

[hellogregory]

We aren’t heading to mid table just yet, but we’re at a stage now where the team is looking so disjointed that a couple more defeats in the next 2 games and we could be dropping like a stone. Or we could go the other way and really lay down a marker by beating the 2 teams directly above us.

Pressley needs to earn his money now. The settling in period is over, he’s got to show what he’s made of. The team is looking like it’s ready to collapse, the midfield doesn’t get on top of games as it did a month ago. We don’t seem to have the threat on the counter anymore.

He needs to find a solution, otherwise this opportunity could get away from us. Thankfully we don’t look anywhere near as shite as we did leading up the 15/16 collapse, and even then we still managed to scrape into the playoffs at the very last minute. So if Pressley is competent then he should be capable of resolving our problems.

 

[shoddycollins]

We aren’t heading to mid table just yet, but we’re at a stage now where the team is looking so disjointed that a couple more defeats in the next 2 games and we could be dropping like a stone. Or we could go the other way and really lay down a marker by beating the 2 teams directly above us.

Pressley needs to earn his money now. The settling in period is over, he’s got to show what he’s made of. The team is looking like it’s ready to collapse, the midfield doesn’t get on top of games as it did a month ago. We don’t seem to have the threat on the counter anymore.

He needs to find a solution, otherwise this opportunity could get away from us. Thankfully we don’t look anywhere near as shite as we did leading up the 15/16 collapse, and even then we still managed to scrape into the playoffs at the very last minute. So if Pressley is competent then he should be capable of resolving our problems.

I think it's perhaps time for Scougall to start over O'Hare, or Jones to start, though Jones hasn't been his usual self this season, can't write him off. With Devitt out, that chance may well come for someone. Hopefully Cullen is ready for a start too. Maybe put Liddle, Scougall, Jones and Cullen in for Miller, Thomas, O'Hare and Devitt... if that's not too many changes, maybe O'Hare can continue instead of Scougall or Jones, we're in that phase though where you really look to the senior players to lead the way.

 

[Alan Partridge]

What sort of player is Scougall?

Jones might be a good shout to come to replace the void Sowerby has left. O’Hare for Devitt seems the logical option? Give him a bit of a free reign to do what he wants.

 

[shoddycollins]

What sort of player is Scougall?

Jones might be a good shout to come to replace the void Sowerby has left. O’Hare for Devitt seems the logical option? Give him a bit of a free reign to do what he wants.

He's not Sowerby, but he looks promising. Nice touch, clever, not too weak.

 

[hellogregory]

Sounds like we have several first team players doubtful for tomorrow. Not sure who they are but if they are important players then with Devitt suspended as well it could be a problem.

Regardless of the above I still have concerns over our midfield. It’s just not the same now Sowerby’s gone. I don’t know what the solution is, Scougall is good but no way can he compete physically like Sowerby could to add to his ability. Pressley needs to do something, whether that be a more defensive looking midfield with Jones alongside Etuhu I don’t know. For me Kennedy is the nearest thing we’ve got to Sowerby, not the same but similar in he can compete in attack and defensively, he’s got quality going forward but has a bit about him to win the battle side of things in midfield, but sounds like he’s way off being considered. One things for sure we can’t continue to have midfields getting on top of us like we have recently if we want to stay in the top 7.

I think it will be a tough afternoon. Hope to fuck I’m wrong and Pressley has somehow come up with a master plan within the last few days.

 

[shoddycollins]

surprisingly we've managed to hit our 8k target

 

[hellogregory]

Can’t see us staying in the top 7 with this team. Although we played well in the first half, the midfield was still a huge concern. It’s just not strong enough. It got even worse when for some reason Pressley decided to remove Slater and move Scougall back into the midfield 3.

 

[Wooderson]

Just seen the gate for this, how come it was so big? Offer on or just inspired locals??

 

[Son of Cod]

With Carlisle, MK Dons and Exeter in 5th, 6th and 7th respectively and playing each other over three successive weeks, I had this idea to have a combined match-thread for all three games so that fans of all three clubs could discuss this mutually crucial run of games.

Fans of different clubs discussing more than their own matches in one thread? Hmmmm, sounds like a great idea to me that...

 

[hellogregory]

Just seen the gate for this, how come it was so big? Offer on or just inspired locals??

Yeah tenner a ticket. They plugged it as an important promotion 6 pointer so people turned up.