Weekend Fixtures - 9th/10th/11th

[Agombar stool]

Something has to change, Bob. It’d be bad enough watching this drab, turgid stuff if it was successful, but watching it when we look totally lost is beyond grim. I still don’t know what the club’s priority is. Getting promoted or progressing young players for future sale. At the moment both those aren’t happening.

With the purchase of the CG finalising next month, then the long awaited revamp of the stadium imminent we really need to be out of this god forsaken league now.

I have to say, and I'm almost certainly in a huge minority that I didn't see this season as a 'must be promoted' task after Garner left and the change of direction to the moneyball approach was announced. The squad churn was massive and its been refreshing to see young talented players being given longer contracts than previously. There now appears to be an actual plan in place to build a squad of settled players rather than rely on the loan market so much. Unfortunately this approach potentially is going to take some time to bed in and I think that's why we seem to be so disjointed.

I'm on the fence about Scott Lindsay. Appointing your assistant manager after going through a rigorous interview process just seems a little bit 'cheap'. Since the high at Mansfield when we looked to have hit our straps we've really gone backwards. My problem is that for a team that keeps possession pretty well, we don't have look blunt, creating very little each game (you can shove 'box entries') and opposition keepers if they can catch crosses have very little to do. We were promised slick attacking football through the thirds. I'm not sure this is happening, SL is too cautious, we have some great attacking talent that I think is being held back.

I'm giving SL until after the Christmas/NY games before deciding if we need a change. Others have already made up their minds. It definitely has to improve. Part of me thinks with the debts being paid off and the CG purchase happening end of January, next season we are really going to go for it. Promotion for me this season is a bonus, progress is more important longer term.

I think that makes me a 'Happy Clapper'!

 

[Indian Dan]

Well, you’ve certainly got more patience that me! Maybe it’s because I’m a fair bit older and see the seasons whizzing by that my patience has been wearing thin. I have no doubt we’ll sort it out eventually, but at the moment it’s fucking grim.

 

[Agombar stool]

Well, you’ve certainly got more patience that me! Maybe it’s because I’m a fair bit older and see the seasons whizzing by that my patience has been wearing thin. I have no doubt we’ll sort it out eventually, but at the moment it’s fucking grim.

It's not great to watch granted. I've been to the Colchester and Tranmere games and seen most of the others on the box and it's not the most thrilling of games the way we play. Too many defenders on the pitch really and I don't think he's getting anywhere near the best of Jeff Cott or Wakeling.

 

[GEORGE]

Something has to change, Bob. It’d be bad enough watching this drab, turgid stuff if it was successful, but watching it when we look totally lost is beyond grim. I still don’t know what the club’s priority is. Getting promoted or progressing young players for future sale. At the moment both those aren’t happening.

With the purchase of the CG finalising next month, then the long awaited revamp of the stadium imminent we really need to be out of this god forsaken league now.

Bring back Ben Garner.

 

[Indian Dan]

Hadaway and shite!

 

[BogDaddyO]

Assuming the game is on at Crewe on Saturday I would expect us to return with at least a point - and probably all 3.

Lost to them with a sucker-punch last minute goal in the cup last month, but we made plenty of changes for that game and still deserved to win, so with a stronger starting XI we will be a handful as usual.

I'm sure Wellens will have done his homework on them and, once again, we don't have any key injuries or suspensions, so should be travelling at pretty much full strength.

I thought we were excellent against Bradford on Saturday, deserved 3 - 0 winners with goals and assists from 6 different players - could have been 5 or 6 in truth.

Crewe have undergone a bit of a mini resurgence, but given that we've taken maximum points from Bradford (H) and Stockport (A) recently, I'm hoping we don't have too much to fear from the Railwaymen.

Crewe 0 - 2 Orient.

 

[Kendalcufc]

I have to say, and I'm almost certainly in a huge minority that I didn't see this season as a 'must be promoted' task after Garner left and the change of direction to the moneyball approach was announced. The squad churn was massive and its been refreshing to see young talented players being given longer contracts than previously. There now appears to be an actual plan in place to build a squad of settled players rather than rely on the loan market so much. Unfortunately this approach potentially is going to take some time to bed in and I think that's why we seem to be so disjointed.

I'm on the fence about Scott Lindsay. Appointing your assistant manager after going through a rigorous interview process just seems a little bit 'cheap'. Since the high at Mansfield when we looked to have hit our straps we've really gone backwards. My problem is that for a team that keeps possession pretty well, we don't have look blunt, creating very little each game (you can shove 'box entries') and opposition keepers if they can catch crosses have very little to do. We were promised slick attacking football through the thirds. I'm not sure this is happening, SL is too cautious, we have some great attacking talent that I think is being held back.

I'm giving SL until after the Christmas/NY games before deciding if we need a change. Others have already made up their minds. It definitely has to improve. Part of me thinks with the debts being paid off and the CG purchase happening end of January, next season we are really going to go for it. Promotion for me this season is a bonus, progress is more important longer term.

I think that makes me a 'Happy Clapper'!

Swindon Town the League Two Spain.

Bullying the little boys like Costa Rica and Mansfield but end up passing it around in circles for 90 minutes if they encounter an actual defence.

Missing the unpredictable McKirdy spark?

 

[The Terminator]

At least I have refundable train tickets, this usually means game off:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1600875347666427912

 

[Indian Dan]

Swindon Town the League Two Spain.

Bullying the little boys like Costa Rica and Mansfield but end up passing it around in circles for 90 minutes if they encounter an actual defence.

Missing the unpredictable McKirdy spark?

Tbh, what hasn’t helped, certainly in the short term, is dispensing with talented loan players and signing our own young players on long term contracts. Saying that, it’s mind numbingly boring to watch.

 

[Agombar stool]

Swindon Town the League Two Spain.

Bullying the little boys like Costa Rica and Mansfield but end up passing it around in circles for 90 minutes if they encounter an actual defence.

Missing the unpredictable McKirdy spark?

Difficult to say but probably yes. In Jonny Williams and Wakeling you have similar players but they don't have 'the edge' that McKirdy has/had. So just like U2, removing it leaves you less exciting.

 

[Kendalcufc]

I was in the minority. I enjoyed him at Carlisle. His presence on the pitch meant the mundane game could be turned exciting in a moment, be that positively or negatively.

There's a problem with a lot of modern manager's where they get married to a philosophy or system and refuse to diversify regardless of results.

There's also an misunderstanding that possession football always equals excellent football. Look at the way the pundits have incorrectly been drooling over Spain the last few weeks. It can quickly become predictable, tedious, blunted and most importantly beaten with a touch of solid determined organisation.

You need a McKirdy type in your team to break the mould and keep the opposition guessing. It's lacking in the current Carlisle team. We're solid, direct and effective but we're short of a touch of magic. We had it with Michael Bridges in 2005/06. Can we find it again in the January transfer window?

 

[Optimistic Poolie]

Hartlepool would beat us on current form.

Let’s not be silly

 

[Crewelad87]

At least I have refundable train tickets, this usually means game off:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1600875347666427912

No chance will it be on. Its currently -6 here and not warming up before this pitch inspection, so it's got no chance.

 

[The Terminator]

No chance will it be on. Its currently -6 here and not warming up before this pitch inspection, so it's got no chance.

As you correctly said, our game is now off.

At least there’s the World Cup.

 

[Indian Dan]

Soft norvern bastards!

 

[shoddycollins]

We're having a lunchtime pitch inspection today

 

[BarraMatt]

We're having a lunchtime pitch inspection today

It's off.

 

[Meadow]

Swindon seem confident that our match will go ahead.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1601175663976685568

I'd take a point now, with November's Manager of the Month curse hanging over us.

 

[Son of Cod]

Well well well. What an embarrassment Carlisle are to league football, it is 2022 and their pitch covers are of a 20th century standard.

Can you not just have stayed down in the non leagues where you belong! How fucking tinpot can you be??

 

[Son of Cod]

Carver Invest in some basic modern standards or fuck off back down and stay down.

 

[Son of Cod]

Especially Carlisle, I wish they'd had stayed down because they bring this league down with that awful name for a club, a pitch that still can't deal with a slight bit of chilly weather, so tinpot and their awful fans.

 

[shoddycollins]

Especially Carlisle, I wish they'd had stayed down because they bring this league down with that awful name for a club, a pitch that still can't deal with a slight bit of chilly weather, so tinpot and their awful fans.

We have undersoil heating but with the current energy crisis apparently it just costs far too much to turn it on.

Shame because playing the game on a Tuesday night will dent what would be a good attendance but apparently even that hit to the gate takings doesn't economically justify using the under soil heating.

 

[Son of Cod]

We have undersoil heating but with the current energy crisis apparently it just costs far too much to turn it on.

Just in case you hadn't realised I'm merely re-posting Carver's completely rational responses to the biblical downpour of epic proportions that thwarted our match at Blundell Park earlier in the season.

 

[Casey]

Crawley have the frost covers out but it's pretty cold down here (warm spell for Hartlepool). We normally have problems with the south end of the pitch as it's in shadow for much of the day.

I think we should be on though.

Casey

 

[shoddycollins]

Just in case you hadn't realised I'm merely re-posting Carver's completely rational responses to the biblical downpour of epic proportions that thwarted our match at Blundell Park earlier in the season.

Ah I knew you were being tongue in cheek but thought you were referencing the postponed game from a few years ago when the Grimsby fans had already travelled.

If we were Harrogate we'd have made a note of which parts of the pitch were unplayable and tried to exploit it with set pieces, then accused our opponents of influencing the ref when he abandons the game after 11 minutes.

On that note Northampton fans, not a chance your game this weekend is going ahead.

 

[Chief Rocka]

Crawley have the frost covers out but it's pretty cold down here (warm spell for Hartlepool). We normally have problems with the south end of the pitch as it's in shadow for much of the day.

I think we should be on though.

Casey

Shame, P-P would be our best result in weeks.

 

[ForzaCounty]

We have undersoil heating but with the current energy crisis apparently it just costs far too much to turn it on.

Shame because playing the game on a Tuesday night will dent what would be a good attendance but apparently even that hit to the gate takings doesn't economically justify using the under soil heating.

If you don't turn it on occasionally the system itself might take frost damage, and that would be much more costly...

 

[Stocky]

No wonder Hartlepool's game is still on tonight. Nothing to do with warmer down South- they're just transferring all the boiled up piss accumulated last Saturday in Teeside to throw on the pitch before kick off.

 

[Kendalcufc]

We have the pipes but they're not connected to any sort of heating system which I guess would come at a great cost.

The pipes appear two minutes into this YouTube clip if pipework gets you going and you fancy a Friday treat.

 

[hellogregory]

If you don't turn it on occasionally the system itself might take frost damage, and that would be much more costly...

Shoddy isn’t quite right when he says we have undersoil heating but don’t turn it on.

Our former owner Fred Story decided once when were digging up and relaying the pitch, we’d take the opportunity to put the pipes in for undersoil heating for if we get into the championship (we were league 1 at the time) as that’s where it’s cost effective to run it.

So we have pipes laid under the pitch for it and nothing more. No system or boiler installed for it or anything like that.