The Liquid Football Display (Carlisle v FGR)

[shoddycollins]

I don't know what the stats are at the moment since Lord Jord hasn't updated us, but for the first few weeks these two teams did the most passing out of anyone in the division, so it would be right to expect a demonstration on Tuesday night of how football should be played.

Also of note, FGR have the second lowest overall goals in the division with 12 (7 for and 5 against) while Carlisle have the joint highest with 26 (11 for and 15 against).

FGR have somehow managed to be in the top three, scoring fewer goals than 2 of the bottom three. Not the only ones either, Newport are only a point behind them in 4th with the same number of goals. It's a defender's league this year perhaps.

You wonder what will prevail, FGR's low scoring or our easy conceding. Given that we just let a team who had only scored 4 goals all season put 2 past us I'd say our knack of letting teams score will win the day. Will it also mean a win for FGR or will our average strike-force find a way past FGR's stingy defence? Tune in to find out.

 

[The Jovial Forester]

I've felt like we'll only improve going forward as the team settles more and the two loanees we've got in have both added quality and directness. It's actually our "easy conceding", or at least massive defensive howler or two, that concerns me a bit more and still needs some work to cut out.

 

[Chris FGR]

This will be a proper stylish modern footballing masterclass. An accurate passing exhibition. And probably have less then 1.5 goals.

Expect there'll be a few Celtic fans coming along to see their RISING SUPERSTAR Jack Aitchison in action for us. This lad is gonna tear League 2 apart. Two games, two motm performances.

 

[Vanni]

FGR are a decent side, and I can only see an away win here. 0-1 or 1-2*

Sorry Carlisle fans

*I wonder if the Beeb or Sky are looking for any L2 experts at the mo. I mean this sort of insight and analytical thinking is not to be sniffed at. Right?

 

[Chris FGR]

Oh ffs.

We've got no chance now.

 

[shoddycollins]

FGR are a decent side, and I can only see an away win here. 0-1 or 1-2*

Sorry Carlisle fans

*I wonder if the Beeb or Sky are looking for any L2 experts at the mo. I mean this sort of insight and analytical thinking is not to be sniffed at. Right?

I'd pay good money to see you and HG as the studio guests on Quest.

 

[Stripes]

Our less experienced lads up to this point, seem resilient, confident and determined, so who am I to undermine their chances come Tuesday! Stereo typically this is a difficult ask to travel so far mid week and come back with something. I believe MC had already planned who to rest yesterday, with Tuesday’s game in mind. So planning in place.

As ever we seem to have one goal in us, just need to ride our luck, or perhaps away from the spotlight our promising forwards will choose to come good. All very well, but as TJF says our dodgy sweeper keeper system is always a perilous gamble. Intriguing prospect either way, we’re ahead of my estimates and Carlisle again showing they are always serious competition.

 

[shoddycollins]

In what sense are we showing we are serious competition? Our three wins have been against the bottom two (one of whom were really unlucky to lose) and a Crawley team who have impressed but took a couple of games to get going.

I think we'll do the standard thing after a win and name an unchanged side, even though our 3-4-3 set-up didn't really seem to improve our defending and arguably deprived us in midfield.

 

[Chris FGR]

We seem to be defying logic so far, not only did we lose some of our best players and cut our budget meaning we've got one of the youngest squads in the division, as well as Cooper having to work without an assistant so far, we've also had probably the least settled starting xi I can remember. Out of our 24 man squad, 22 have started in league games this season and 1 other (Liam Shephard) is just back from injury and pretty certain to start games very soon. The only player not to play at all is Adam Smith, who was meant to be our no.1 keeper when he signed. All of that plus our XG stats are the worst in the league, and yet here we are in 3rd.

No idea what our line up will be, there's a couple who are almost nailed on to start, Joe Mills and Faz Rawson, but other then that it could literally be anyone out of about 20 players.

Not even sure who the keeper will be. Wouldn't be surprised to see Wollacott come back in, which would be a bit harsh on Thomas but reckon JoJo just has the edge atm.

The only players who definitely won't start tomorrow are George Williams and Matt Mills (injured), Liam Shephard (not match fit) and Adam Smith (out of favour). Sheps will get 20-25 minutes apparently, no point rushing him back huge player for us.

We also change formation a lot, including during games. Most likely to be a 3-4-3 or some sort of variation of that. Good to keep the opposition guessing, but less good for getting the team to gel.

Should be a good footballing game anyway, though there won't be many goals.

 

[FGR Stroud]

Just read on our forum that 19 hardy souls have signed up to travel to game on coach!

 

[The Jovial Forester]

I should never have left the country, we might have cracked two dozen!

 

[Chris FGR]

Total piss take having this game on a Tuesday night. Madness.

 

[shoddycollins]

Total piss take having this game on a Tuesday night. Madness.

We get this debate every year though when someone from the south-west is scheduled a Tuesday night visit.

 

[hellogregory]

Would be delighted with a point, it would round off a great few days for the club and Steven. But I think they’ll have too much for us and it will be a fairly comfortable 2-0 away win.

 

[The Jovial Forester]

Would be delighted with a point, it would round off a great few days for the club and Steven. But I think they’ll have too much for us and it will be a fairly comfortable 2-0 away win.

We don't seem to do more than the one goal.

 

[hellogregory]

We don't seem to do more than the one goal.

We don’t seem to concede less than the two goals.

 

[shoddycollins]

I think it could be a high-scoring match in line with most of our games this season (and indeed for a few seasons now). FGR have had a low-scoring season so far and their fans see it continuing but it's at our ground so our style will prevail.

2-2

 

[The Jovial Forester]

I feel like we've got all the elements there to be a bit more free-scoring just not got them firing on all cylinders yet, so if you want to be the ones to spin the starter handle well thanks very much.

 

[shoddycollins]

Both of us are among the teams allowing the most shots against, though FGR are handling this while we aren't. We're also both in the top end when it comes to xG conceded so it's not like all these shots taken against FGR aren't decent chances. Either way, expect there to be lot of chances on goal. This game will not finish goalless.

FGR don't take many shots either and are pretty average when it comes to finishing the ones they do take. We take a below average number of shots and are both towards the bottom end of xG created but in our case, are half decent at actually turning them into goals.

Basically at one end of the pitch you'll have FGR's defensive resilience against our clinical attack, while at the other end you'll have our defence giving the ball away for FGR's attackers to pass it around and do nothing with it.

 

[The Jovial Forester]

Basically at one end of the pitch you'll have FGR's defensive resilience against our clinical attack, while at the other end you'll have our defence giving the ball away for FGR's attackers to pass it around and do nothing with it.

This is slowly improving, especially like our Celtic loanee who seems more direct and quicker-thinking in forward positions. Hopefully tonight will be another step forward.
Expect you're trapped in your house now the travelling fans have arrived and taken over the town centre?

 

[shoddycollins]

This is slowly improving, especially like our Celtic loanee who seems more direct and quicker-thinking in forward positions. Hopefully tonight will be another step forward.
Expect you're trapped in your house now the travelling fans have arrived and taken over the town centre?

Yeah it's always best to just stay indoors when FGR are in town, can get a bit rowdy out there.

 

[Buxton Vale]

Total piss take having this game on a Tuesday night. Madness.

a bit like us with an away game at Exeter

what were they thinking?

 

[shoddycollins]

a bit like us with an away game at Exeter

what were they thinking?

It depends how you view it. If you consider each Tuesday night game in terms of how many potential fans through the gates are lost (compared to if the same match were on a Saturday) and decide you want to reduce the impact on fan numbers as much as possible then it's far better to have games like Carlilse v FGR and Exeter v Vale on Tuesday night than to put, say Carlisle v Vale and Exeter v FGR.

FGR only brought 116 to Brunton Park last season, which was on a Saturday. We might lose the majority of those but the amount of 'missing fans' will still be under 100. You were also here on a Tuesday last season and brought 175, which I imagine is well under what you would bring on a Saturday since Crewe brought 486.

 

[hellogregory]

How do the bookies have us favourites for this?

 

[Chris FGR]

How do the bookies have us favourites for this?

Why not? Two good quality footballing sides, but you're at home and we've had a long trip. Very little to split the sides on paper. Could easily go either way.

 

[shoddycollins]

Back to 433. Gethin at lb and Sagaf in midfield

 

[The Jovial Forester]

We're unchanged which means a bit more attacking than the average away set-up

 

[shoddycollins]

Back to 433. Gethin at lb and Sagaf in midfield

Nope, 343 again with Sagaf in at RWB so a straight swap for Elliot. Easy though to switch to a 433

 

[The Jovial Forester]

Couple of big old flaps already but settling.

 

[The Jovial Forester]

Liquid football as in mainly pish so far. Just presented Nathan Thomas with another free go.