Barrow AFCv Carlisle United FC (H) match thread

[Wintergreen]

Thanks for another 3 points lads!

We’ve been poor all season, but weren’t really threatened by yourselves for the majority of the match.

As an outsider looking at your team, it’s clearout time. Lot of names who’ve been around a while now (listen to Radio Cumbria a lot so familiar with your squad). Oh, if that Aquah is a L2 striker then I’m Lionel Messi, absolutely atrocious player.

Panic on the streets of Carlisle? I’d be looking to Hang the DJ lads!

See you next season!

Well don't say we never give you anything. Good luck.

[Jonty]

The reality is that we lack the resources to successfully compete at EFL standard for a prolonged period of time. Sure with good management and signings we can survive for a few seasons, but when standards drop our inherent weakness is exposed. This is nobody’s fault, it’s just the way things are. What’s more it’s always been the case.

In our previous time in the Football League, apart from three glorious years we were constantly facing re-election to maintain our status. If automatic relegation had existed from Division 4 we would have spent much of our time in Non-League. Our league position today is actually above that of our long term norm from those days.

Turning today, we are in a downward spiral. Our game consists of hoof ball, hit and hope. On those rare occasions when we do string a couple of passes together and create chances our strike force lacks the ability to convert anything like an acceptable proportion of those chances into goals. And why is that? It’s simply because we lack the resources to be able to afford the wages of a proficient L2 standard striker, which takes us back to the fundamental problem as to why we are struggling. Lack of resources.

I know this post will be met with hostility. I will be accused of being negative. However it’s not negativity it’s realism. We have to accept realism in order to make the best of what we’ve got.

You are spot on fella. And the reality is that unless this ownership model is strengthened with additional investment we really are skating along and hanging on. We must be the smallest club in terms of resources in this league with no footballing structure outside of the first team. Are we punching above out station? Well when you look at some of the clubs in L2 and the National League then I’d say we are. And you are right, it’s the way it is unless there is major change.

[bluessupporter]

Pity he didn’t show any sort of passion on the touch line!

From what I saw Whingy was sat down most of the time while Hughes on the other hand, was prowling up and down the touchline getting into his players.

He actually looked like a dejected figure on his own probably wishing he was back at Solihull!

[Mark Johnson]

Carlisle - the good news is you are now off the bottom of the table after beating us. The bad news is, you'll be back there in 2 weeks when Morecambe beat us

[HenneysKnee]

I’d agree to a point there but we have spent considerable amounts of money on the likes of Mahoney, Telford, Garner, Worrall and Proctor to name but a few, and we’ve been had.
Not all signings work out but none of our big name ones have for some time. Our best players are still a 38yr old who was released last summer, and Spence from non league who is one of the few bright sparks.

It’s not all about money it does help but you need to manage it well too, we haven’t. Mahoney and Kouyate contracted for next season good luck shifting them.

Always feels with a club like us your better going down the Accrington under John Coleman signings route; waifs, strays and lads from non league needing a chance in the EFL

Not sure how much the budget has changed this season, a fair amount I would guess but certainly last year we spent plenty, Hornby was always honest saying it was a top 10 budget then signing Stockton as well pushed us very close to FFP (or whatever the actual league 2 term is) limits

[Barrowvianbedlam]

I’d agree to a point there but we have spent considerable amounts of money on the likes of Mahoney, Telford, Garner, Worrall and Proctor to name but a few, and we’ve been had.
Not all signings work out but none of our big name ones have for some time. Our best players are still a 38yr old who was released last summer, and Spence from non league who is one of the few bright sparks.

It’s not all about money it does help but you need to manage it well too, we haven’t. Mahoney and Kouyate contracted for next season good luck shifting them.

Always feels with a club like us your better going down the Accrington under John Coleman signings route; waifs, strays and lads from non league needing a chance in the EFL

Not sure how much the budget has changed this season, a fair amount I would guess but certainly last year we spent plenty, Hornby was always honest saying it was a top 10 budget then signing Stockton as well pushed us very close to FFP (or whatever the actual league 2 term is) limits

Spot on about the accy route look at some of the characters of the last 15/20 years teams full of horrible scousers scrapping for everything

[russell_anderson]

Canavan bradford fans were right about you

They weren’t; he’s been great for us, but yes since he came back from injury this time he has been poor and it looks like age is catching up with him. Doesn’t help with Vassell injured who helps cover with his pace, and having to play Kyle Cameron who is bobbins

100% correct on all 3 players you mentioned.

[Wintergreen]

Carlisle - the good news is you are now off the bottom of the table after beating us. The bad news is, you'll be back there in 2 weeks when Morecambe beat us

Still bottom

[Mark Johnson]

Carlisle - the good news is you are now off the bottom of the table after beating us. The bad news is, you'll be back there in 2 weeks when Morecambe beat us

Still bottom

Oh yeah! I thought Morecambe were only 2pts ahead of them before the game last night

[russell_anderson]

I’d agree to a point there but we have spent considerable amounts of money on the likes of Mahoney, Telford, Garner, Worrall and Proctor to name but a few, and we’ve been had.
Not all signings work out but none of our big name ones have for some time. Our best players are still a 38yr old who was released last summer, and Spence from non league who is one of the few bright sparks.

It’s not all about money it does help but you need to manage it well too, we haven’t. Mahoney and Kouyate contracted for next season good luck shifting them.

As I've said since the start of the season, we only had 4 good players in Spence, Campbell, Canavan and Vassell. I'd add Gotts to that now as he's improved a lot this season in contrast to most of the team. IMO, Spence got fed up some time ago of flogging himself to death and watching little effort from so many others and has not been the same player this season and the same might be said of Canavan although, as somebody else posted earlier, it could be that father time is catching up with him or he has been brought back from a long injury without being fully fit. If you add the fact that Campbell has been missing through injury lately and now Vassell is out as well there is little left in terms of ability and fight. As others have said I would exclude Sam Foley from that criticism as for a 38 year old he still shows up many of the others and could never be criticised for lack of fight or effort.

[Matty]

The reality is that we lack the resources to successfully compete at EFL standard for a prolonged period of time. Sure with good management and signings we can survive for a few seasons, but when standards drop our inherent weakness is exposed. This is nobody’s fault, it’s just the way things are. What’s more it’s always been the case.

In our previous time in the Football League, apart from three glorious years we were constantly facing re-election to maintain our status. If automatic relegation had existed from Division 4 we would have spent much of our time in Non-League. Our league position today is actually above that of our long term norm from those days.

Turning today, we are in a downward spiral. Our game consists of hoof ball, hit and hope. On those rare occasions when we do string a couple of passes together and create chances our strike force lacks the ability to convert anything like an acceptable proportion of those chances into goals. And why is that? It’s simply because we lack the resources to be able to afford the wages of a proficient L2 standard striker, which takes us back to the fundamental problem as to why we are struggling. Lack of resources.

I know this post will be met with hostility. I will be accused of being negative. However it’s not negativity it’s realism. We have to accept realism in order to make the best of what we’ve got.

Good post.

I think it's very difficult for us to strike a balance between trying to be ambitious which keeps people interested and tempering expectations given our available resource. Mid table obscurity would be fine for the next 10 years if it would allow the infrastructure to catch up to where we find ourselves on the pitch, but that wouldn't be interesting to the floating members of the fanbase.

I was critical of Wild towards the end of last season with his "remember who we are" approach when in bad form. While he was right in terms of the size of our club in comparison to others, I saw playoff participation not as an opportunity to get promoted (we wouldn't have won them in my opinion), but a real money spinner for the club with the potential to hook a few new fans.

It's a difficult one which you could discuss it at length and you'll still have people with differing opinions.

[32mile_cul-de-sac]

Can we play you every week?

Hopefully twice next season ….

Aye In NL

[Main Stand SeasonTct]

The reality is that we lack the resources to successfully compete at EFL standard for a prolonged period of time. Sure with good management and signings we can survive for a few seasons, but when standards drop our inherent weakness is exposed. This is nobody’s fault, it’s just the way things are. What’s more it’s always been the case.

In our previous time in the Football League, apart from three glorious years we were constantly facing re-election to maintain our status. If automatic relegation had existed from Division 4 we would have spent much of our time in Non-League. Our league position today is actually above that of our long term norm from those days.

Turning today, we are in a downward spiral. Our game consists of hoof ball, hit and hope. On those rare occasions when we do string a couple of passes together and create chances our strike force lacks the ability to convert anything like an acceptable proportion of those chances into goals. And why is that? It’s simply because we lack the resources to be able to afford the wages of a proficient L2 standard striker, which takes us back to the fundamental problem as to why we are struggling. Lack of resources.

I know this post will be met with hostility. I will be accused of being negative. However it’s not negativity it’s realism. We have to accept realism in order to make the best of what we’ve got.

Good post.

I think it's very difficult for us to strike a balance between trying to be ambitious which keeps people interested and tempering expectations given our available resource. Mid table obscurity would be fine for the next 10 years if it would allow the infrastructure to catch up to where we find ourselves on the pitch, but that wouldn't be interesting to the floating members of the fanbase.

I was critical of Wild towards the end of last season with his "remember who we are" approach when in bad form. While he was right in terms of the size of our club in comparison to others, I saw playoff participation not as an opportunity to get promoted (we wouldn't have won them in my opinion), but a real money spinner for the club with the potential to hook a few new fans.

It's a difficult one which you could discuss it at length and you'll still have people with differing opinions.

Unless some fresh substantial investment had come in promotion would have been a financial disaster for the club. The gap both player wise and financially between league one and league two in order to just survive is a chasm these days.
We are a mid to lower table league two side who occasionally will punch way above our weight last wilds two seasons

[blue nige]

The estimated loss for most clubs in league 1 is at least £2 million

[McMark]

We still have some more than decent players in and amongst the clearly not so good and have to back them all to get us over the line. Constantly berating them definitely isn’t going to work. Everyone has a job to do management/players and supporters alike until we are safely over the line. Then do what you wish once our league status is guaranteed because it isn’t yet by any shape or form.