Tonight could go a long way to defining our season - a win for us and a draw \
defeat for Millwall and it is back in our own hands. The other way round and we
can almost kiss automatic promotion goodbye.
Our record at Carlisle is actually quite good - we beat them there this year in
JPT, we beat them in the league last year, and obviously we beat them in the
play off semi - they only seem to have a hold over us at ER although they were
the first to beat us (away) in the - 15 season. But lets face it past results
don't really have much influence. We are a team, hopefully, with renewed
confidence and belief after 2 victories and are starting to find our form
again. They are mid table with nothing to play for and also no real pressure
and that affects teams in different ways - sometimes they play with freedom
(how often does a relegated team win the game after relegation ?) sometimes
they look like they want to be on their holidays and put no effort in. Our
problem tonight is the friction that exists between the 2 sets of fans and the
2 clubs - Bates took the piss out of them after JPT final loss and obviously we
reported them to FA after the semi. Also
it is still their 'cup final' with our end now sold out and them expecting the
highest gate of the season.
Grayson has a couple of major decisions to make and our future may depend on
him getting them right. Does he start with Parker and move Hughes to right
back and give us some real balance at the back and a decent attacking threat
there - or is Parker, after so long out, going to be a risk in such a big game.
Then the big one - does he persevere with Beckford, knowing that a goal - even
the proverbial in off his backside - could kick start his season and lead to
him getting another 4 or 5 in the coming games, or does he stick with Gradel
and Becchio as we finished on Saturday - a partnership that got two goals in
30mins ? Or finally does he revert to the tried and tested (and successful for
the most part) B&B combination up front and either drop Gradel after two good
games or maybe start him in midfield in place of Howson. His decision on this
,will, for me, be the deciding factor in the result tonight and I am glad I am
not the one making the decision
(I will praise or criticise his decision after I know what he has done and how
well \ badly it worked !!
A long long day for me - leaving home at 3pm and not back till 2am or so - so
as I was quoted the other season on here - let me hope my morphine patches and
various tablets do the business off the pitch and the players do it on the pitch
Dave
PS for what its worth ,I think I would like to see him keep Beckford and Gradel
up front and hope their pace causes problems for Harte - but be ready to bring
on Becchio if either Beckford is not getting the ball \ looking interested or
if the defence and midfield don't realise our strikers cannot head it and
resort to hoof ball
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