Carlisle away
 

Not what I wanted to see.
We are playing the bottom side and will be fielding what on paper looks like an extremely defensive lineup.
Instead of five at the back and two very immobile midfielders, we will now play Five at the back and Three immobile midfielders.
Let’s hope it looks better in real life than on paper.

Re: Carlisle away
 

I think that he has gone with a 'must not lose', which is not the worst idea?!

We will know at the final whistle, but a point will be better than none - though agree, three would be much better!! :)

:)

Re: Carlisle away
 

1 down already.
Looking just as bad as you would expect.

Re: Carlisle away
 

It just won't go in for Stanley.....three great chances....the voodoo gods of football don't like us!

Re: Carlisle away
 

1-0 down, and we honestly deserve no better. For 41 minutes it was really very bad, then Awe once and Whalley twice went very close. It was really out of nowhere, but hopefully a sign for the second half.
Whalley our best player going forward as always, but I will not miss Khumbeni. He just has no ball skills. Wouldn’t miss Doolan either.

Re: Carlisle away
 

Two quick goals in the second half, one a penalty and we'll turn it around......

Re: Carlisle away
 

Aljofree’s backpass and a poor keeper clearance. Now 2 down.

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Except we need 3 now.

Re: Carlisle away
 

3 penalties???

Re: Carlisle away
 

Good man Walton. Just two penalties needed.

Re: Carlisle away
 

Yeeeehaaa!

Re: Carlisle away
 

Carlisle take their best player off? Is he injured?

Re: Carlisle away
 

They clearly didn’t need him! :rolleyes:

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We started playing football too late. Didn’t look too bad when we did. But first half attitude killed us.

Re: Carlisle away
 

You were correct Greger... :(

It was a must not lose game, so that went so, so wrong!!!!!!!

Coley always said games in hand mean nothing and he is right.....



:)

Re: Carlisle away
 

Shocking at Carlisle this afternoon. I now know what I want in the January window and it isn't any new players!

Re: Carlisle away
 

Clearly the lack of investment in our squad is showing now, no use having a big cup draw to look forward to unless some coffee the money we make goes into the team

Re: Carlisle away
 

Nothing gets invested into the team, you know that ;)

:)

Re: Carlisle away
 

Good to see Dan Martin back on the pitch :)

Re: Carlisle away
 

I'm beginning to think I'll see a lot more of Stanley next season ... at Havant and Waterlooville, Eastleigh, Aldershot ..... :eek:

Re: Carlisle away
 

Chimer my good mate, just the TWO teams are promoted from the National League ;)


:)

Re: Carlisle away
 

That was indeed a positive

Re: Carlisle away
 

Have the same sense of foreboding as this time two seasons ago - only now much more at stake.

Re: Carlisle away
 

Val, your optimism is admirable.....(I think!)... So far this season we've played 21, won 4, drawn 7 and lost 10....19 points in total. That's less than 1 point a game which if nothing improves puts us on less than 42 points by the end of the season.

Re: Carlisle away
 

Today's result at rock bottom Carlisle proves only two things;
1. This is possibly our worst squad, even including our non-league days, when we were capable of competing with and sometimes beating established league teams.
Today, we'd be the one's struggling to beat those non-league teams. if there's any doubt look back at our pre-season friendlies against the likes of Buxton, Clitheroe and Lancaster City.
2. In football only one thing really matters - MONEY!
It is an irrefutable fact that money + football equals success. For a prime example of this look no further than Wrexham.
From non-league obscurity to automatic promotion spot (today) into the Championship in only three seasons.
Of course football has had it's share of magicians who appear capable of making a silk purse from a sow's ear but, in the long run, financial pressures usually come calling - and they're knocking on our door now.
This season has been a wake-up call. If by some miracle we survive, there must be better investment in the team next year.
If we don't survive after 46 games , we will be where we deserve to be.

Re: Carlisle away
 

Well put Sir :)

Re: Carlisle away
 

Yeah, I’m expecting Conference next season, but, I’ll still, as for the last 25 yrs or so, buy my season ticket!
Feel sorry for Andy who has put so much into the infrastructure to find he has been so much let down on the field of play.
At least we have a sustainable club, which for many years was not the case!

Re: Carlisle away
 

He is the reason nothing has been invested into the squad???? :confused:

Not knocking what he has done - infrastructure is superb :)

:)

Re: Carlisle away
 

And yet, what would it be worth if we are back in non league? Personally I'd have our little club house & maybe even the cowshed back if it meant we had a competitive team.on the pitch - surely the squad is of more importance than a fancy bar

Re: Carlisle away
 

Through who's eyes?? ;)

:)

Re: Carlisle away
 

It will just take 1 result and everything will change :)

Seamus, Shaun, Alex, Dan, Tyler, Ben, Donald, Connor (first few springing to mind) are all good enough :) (our players)

:)

Re: Carlisle away
 

Stanley’s problems are so simple as long as someone else is paying.
Go find a philanthropic Hollywood billionaire and everything will be just hunky dory but, remember, the club was up for sale last year and Andy Holt couldn’t find one.

Over the decade or so Andy Holt has put several MILLIONS of his money into the club and has done more to raise the standards at the club and its infrastructure than anyone.

But, for some in and out of Accrington, that will never be enough. We need more millions. Then some more.

Football is not just about money. In fact it’s not the lack of money that is killing football in economically destroyed towns like Accrington, it’s the presence of excess money in the Premier League that is killing the game at lower levels.

The real conundrum is why should someone be expected to continue to pour millions into a club just to satisfy 1,800 (on a good day) paying fans at home games?

Like so many of Accrington’s “fans”, Andy Holt could just as easily stay at home in his armchair every other Saturday and watch football’s millionaires playing for their global corporations.

Rant over. When are next year’s season tickets available?

Re: Carlisle away
 

We are second best in keeping possession of the ball in nearly every game we play simply due to the fact we keep lumping the ball up-field in no mans land thus giving the ball away.
We know we are not the most skilful team in the league but we play some decent stuff when we keep the ball down, pass and keep play simple. Its so frustrating watching this lump it football.

Re: Carlisle away
 

I agree with Exile on the money side and with Watchdog about the style of football.

It is not JUST about money. We are ourselves proof of that. If it were just money we wouldn’t be in the League in the first place. Blaming the last few poor showings on the money side is oversimplifying in the extreme.

I am not sure about the quality of the squad, because our present style of play does not put it to that sort of test.
I have no idea what it cost to put it together, either. But it worries me that the manager who put it together in the first place has no confidence in his squad, as the first half Nobody fears us -But we fear everybody -tactics show.
I believe that we have players of sufficient quality to play better football than has been on offer this far.

I may be guilty of oversimplifying myself if I put all the blame on Doolan, but there can be no doubt that he has done extremely poorly so far. And I would certainly put it on his doorstep before I blame Andy.

Re: Carlisle away
 

why not keep the ball on the deck play it low its not playing in the air has won us only 4 games ,

Re: Carlisle away
 

Of course money isn't the only thing that matters in football.

Merely pointing out that those who have it always find a place at the top table, while those without fight over the meagre crumbs below.

It is a simple fact of life and the reason Liverpool & Arsenal are at the top of the pyramid and Morecambe & Accrington are at the bottom

Let's face it, without Mr. Holt's massive financial investment, we would have gone bust years ago, which only proves my point.
His money has maintained league football in a town which, frankly, doesn't seem to care less.

But wait! The team have been presented with a golden opportunity in the FA Cup.
No one expects us to beat Liverpool, but much depends on our performance. If we can go down fighting and lose with dignity it may inspire our season.
This is the chance for every player to exceed their own expectations. Cast aside fear, don't panic, this is the game of your lifetime.
Get stuck in, grab an early goal and who knows, miracles really can happen if you really BELIEVE!

Re: Carlisle away
 

Money, and lots of it, hasn't helped at Salford City.

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They've won 5 of the last six games & stand 1 point from automatic promotion with a game in hand.
Is it a money free miracle?????

Re: Carlisle away
 

And they are in the Football League... :)

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Salford City/Class of 92 were paying some individual players well over £2k week even when in the National League and its cost them an absolute fortune in paying up contracts from departing management.
At today's date they have won absolutely nowt in the EFL and at the cost of £millions.

Re: Carlisle away
 

The club was £5m in debt to Holt's other companies last year, and valued as £8m the accounts. The club is worth less than half its debt, no wonder there are no buyers. Coley's is well used but will continue to place planning enforcement issues, the new facility above the changing room area is rarely open and the new Whinney Hill isn't needed for the normal 400 away fans.

Interest is charged on the debt too, only about 3% as of the last accounts but it aint free, and it is clear divestment end game.

Holt backing a German far right today as "common sense".

Re: Carlisle away
 

Here's an idea. I'd pay double or treble the price for a ticket to watch Stanley, if the increase in money was spent just on the team. Anybody else.....or am I just watching Stanley on my own? ..........At our current attendance levels....that's still less than Carlisle United are getting in ticket money at home games....

Re: Carlisle away
 

I am sure that some others would do C.G., but it still would not be enough sadly :(

I know of people in the past who had S.T. even though they would not get to many games - did it for the Club!

I know of S.T.'s who paid on the gate - for the Club :)

It will never be enough I am afraid....

:)

Re: Carlisle away
 

Andy Holt has posted on Twitter or X or whatever the medium he uses is called now

"I'm backing our management team there will be players coming in, if identified as needed

Feel free to vent your frustration though - I get frustrated too"

Make of that what you will . . . . .
"

Re: Carlisle away
 

I know what I make of it...................

Re: Carlisle away
 

AccyMad...what Andy Holt said was in response to a question by another poster on Twitter who was suggesting he had invested in the Club facilities but not the team.....of course that's not true as we know the set up under Coley with the developement team and under 21s and youth cost an absolute fortune when we were in League 1 and is still to some extent being unwound now and still costing the club money going forward....we had so many players on the books in League 1...many never played or were good enough to play...Now there is a proper set up, more checks on players signed and better control......

Re: Carlisle away
 

As someone with a foot in both camps so to say and who was there on Sunday i wouldnt be as down as some of you on here are.

I thought Stanley didnt play as badly as some are making out and you certainly created more of the better chances than Carlisle did but where you didnt get the break was that for the first time in ages Carlisle scored first just imagine how different it would have been if youd gone one up instead and rather than the home crowd being behind their team it would have gone toxic like it did against Morecambe last week.

For me for Accy [and to an extent Carlisle] you just need to get results against the teams in the bottom eight because despite what some people say even at this point in time those games are six pointers and anything you get from teams above that is a bonus.

At the minute youd say that it will be two of those eight to go down but history says someone from above that will have a nightmare second half of the season and end up right in the mire.

Whether you think the current management team was the right choice or not is up for debate but what i do think is that Andy will do is not panic and stick by them and play the long game by investing whatever it takes of the Anfield cash to ensure survival unfortunately for the Morecambe fans you really can't see that sort of thinking happening there can you ?

Personally, i.d love to see all the North West clubs survive as we've lost enough recently in Bury and Rochdale as nowhere else in any league is there a concentration of clubs in such a small area and all the local derbies that brings and i just hope that Easter Monday isnt winner takes all for one of our clubs and wouldnt it be great if Stanley give Carlisle the maximum number of tickets ie all the Whalley stand and then filled all of their half of the ground ?

But one thing i have to mention is what happened to the away support on Sunday i couldnt believe there were so few. Ive been away with Accy to many more far flung places and theres been considerably more, anybody have any ideas i know theres a big game coming up and that the trains wernt great but a taxi to Preston like i did would have only added 4 quid or the cost of a pint to the day out and even then it appeared that there was only the one bus but correct me if i.m wrong on that one.Surely those kids that got the shirts 5 years ago should be starting to make a difference to numbers now.

Anyway guys lets hope for a couple of results between now and the 11th and to a great day out at Anfield.

Re: Carlisle away
 

The irony of this thread is not lost upon me.
I was slaughtered by many on here years ago for questioning where the money was going i.e. totally into infrastructure and not understanding "the Accy way"
We can all reel off the revenue from sales and the names of the players and we are all intelligent enough to have a stab at "undisclosed"
My stock phrase then still applies now.
No good having nice facilities with no product on the pitch.
Coley somehow worked miracles but all miracles are not sustainable.
Any of our current squad likely on move on for a fee ?
Dark days ahead but lets hope for another miracle and a sudden turn up in form.
But is that just delaying something that feels inevitable if there's no investment in the squad ?
New owner who's prepared to invest ? I cant see it if it hasn't already happened.
New Management and Coaching Staff ?
Who would come in currently ......
4700 "fans" off to Anfield.
3000 crawling out of the woodwork.
I know ....that's how it goes.
Let's see where the revenue for that game goes and I am praying that the score line has modicum of respect.

Re: Carlisle away
 

Not very attractive..."I told you so..." Yet still there are those who don't get it. ...didn't then, doesn't now. ....Investment in the squad is an interesting phrase......That's what we had under Coley in League 1....and it rarely works....and Andy is still paying for the losses incurred in those years.....
It didn't then and is unlikely to work know. People call for it...but it's always someone else who is expected to do the investing. So unless all you investors out there are lining up "to invest".....it's either "put-up" or "shut-up" in my book.......

Re: Carlisle away
 

Spot on, CG.
Stanley (i.e. the owner) is still paying wages for inherited ‘investment’ that has yet to kick a ball this season.

Re: Carlisle away
 

I would just like to point out that I'm not attacking Coley in my comments above about the way the "teams" were set up or "recruitment" happened. Everyone at the club from Top to Bottom were part of the set-up. They tried something and it didn't work-out.......I believe the new "team and recruitment" system is better controlled.