Back to the Top With Carlisle United

[Bagpuss]

February 2016

Liverpool at home was first up this month and we beat them 1-0 rather easily. James Kerr scored the goal for us with 4 minutes left as we got revenge for losing are unbeaten run by getting their manager sacked.

Bury at home was next and we got a easy 3-1 win over them. Kerr scored twice and Fletcher got the other as Kerr once more proves what a great player he is and that patience will get you their eventually.

Bristol City away was next and we got a 1-1 draw against them. It was a disappointing match really as we should of easily beaten them but only Reyes could find the net. Matthew Evans was once more very good for Bristol City in defence and still remains a target for us.

Real Madrid away in the Champions League was next and we were beaten 3-2. Reyes and Buxton scored for us in a game that a draw would have been a fairer result. Buxton also picked up a groin strain and is now out for a month.

Chelsea at home in the FA Cup was next and we beat them 2-0 in a game with few chances. Kerr and Brinkerman obviously took theirs well as they both scored for us as we made it into the Quarter Final once more.

Federico Nicolini joins from Sampdoria for £1.4 million and will prove to be a very capable defender.

Real Madrid at home in the Champions League was next and we thrashed them 3-0 avenging our away defeat. Reyes scored twice and Stevens got the third as we edged nearer to the Quarter Finals once more.

Sheffield Wednesday at home was next and we only got a 0-0 draw despite dominating the game. Wednesday keeper Dean Rimmer was very good in goal and has now immediately become a transfer target for us as he is only 22. We finished the month top 17 points ahead of Wolves.

[Bagpuss]

March 2016

Leeds away was first this month and we got a 1-1 draw in a tight hard fought match. Our goal was scored by Leeds cos they are stupid, but at least they could get it in the net even if it was their own unlike my lot.

Dave Phillips and Phillip Neville were both released on free transfers as they were both unneeded at Carlisle.

Anderlecht away in the Champions League was next and we managed to beat them 2-0 very easily confirming our spot in the Quarter Finals. Stevens and Nolan scored our goals today but Toure picked up an injury putting him out for a month.

Man City at home in the FA Cup Quarter Final was next and we beat them 3-1 easily with a under strength team too. Bella, Munteanu and Feijoo all scored as we made it to the semi once more.

Raul was released on a free transfer as he had become too old and slow to have much effect at this level.

Dortmund at home in the Champions League was next and we easily beat them 4-1 to be drawn against Juventus in the Quarter Final. Reyes scored twice and Molenaar and Kerr both scored too.

Charlton at home was next and we got a 2-2 draw against them. It was a disappointing game but with such a large lead a few lazy performances are fine. Fletcher and Brinkmann scored the goals for us. We finished the month top 15 ahead of Wolves with 8 games left.

[Bagpuss]

April 2016

Birmingham away was first up this month and we got a 1-1 draw in a game that Birmingham should of won really. James Kerr scored our goal and i think my lot were thinking about winning the Champions League this year not the League.

Juventus in the Champions League at home was next and we beat them 1-0 which was a fair result. We had 72% of the possession but where unable to break down their defences to get many shots in so we only had a Bella goal to show for our efforts.

Wolves at Ewood Park in the FA Cup Semi was next and we beat them 3-0 to remind them who was the better team and top of the table. Corbett, Reyes and Molenaar scored the goals as we were to face Burnley in the Final.

Chelsea at home was next and we once more stuffed them, this time 3-1. Corbett, McDonagh and Nolan scored the goals as we pretty much won the title today, one more win will do it for us.

Newcastle away was next and we ended up drawing it 0-0. This was a good result as we were struggling to hang on in the last 20 minutes. Still at least we never lost and still only need a win to win the title again.

Juventus away in the Champions League was next and we got a 3-2 win 4-2 on aggregate after a somewhat lazy performance. Reyes scored twice and Stevens got the third as we made it through to the Semi Final again.

Stoke away was next and we lost the game 2-1 after a pretty poor performance. Still due to other slip ups we retained the title with 4 games left to go and Reyes scored our goal today.

Nottingham Forest at home was the last match this month and we beat them 2-1 quite easily. Fletcher and Stevens scored the goals as we finished top by 10 points over Liverpool.

[Bagpuss]

May 2016

First up this month was Sporting at home in the Champions League final and we got a disappointing 0-0 draw. We had 70% of the possession 3 times as many shots but their keeper played a blinder.

Middlesborough away was next and we got a 1-1 draw despite easily dominating the match. Reyes scored our goal late on equalising Boro's earlier shot. The players seem to be on a bit of a wind down after retaining the title but there are still two more trophy's to win yet this season.

Sporting away in the Champions League Semi was next and we lost it 1-0 losing 1-0 n aggregate too. It was a close match with neither team deserving the win but some one had to lose and unfortunately it was us.

Burnley in the FA Cup was next and we got a simple easy 2-1 win over them. Stevens and Kerr scored the goals as we dominated the game from start to finish. That's two doubles in a row now, one with the league cup and one with the FA Cup.

Tottenham at home was next and we managed to beat them 2-1 in a comfortable match. Reyes and Molenaar scored the goals today as we neared the end of another great season.

Wolves at home was the last game this season and we had a fairly easy match resulting in a 1-0 win for us. Stevens scored the goal meaning we finished the season with a new record of 92 points for us.

[Bagpuss]

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">

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English Premier Division - Saturday 11th June 2016

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================================================================================================

2015/6 Table

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Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag Won Drn Lst For Ag Pts

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1st C Carlisle 38 16 3 0 34 11 12 5 2 35 11 92

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2nd Liverpool 38 12 5 2 28 12 9 8 2 14 8 76

3rd Wolves 38 12 4 3 25 13 10 2 7 28 22 72

4th Stoke 38 15 4 0 33 9 3 8 8 18 25 66

5th Arsenal 38 13 4 2 28 8 2 11 6 16 28 60

6th Newcastle 38 10 4 5 23 12 7 4 8 25 25 59

7th Tottenham 38 11 3 5 34 16 5 7 7 23 22 58

8th Leeds 38 6 9 4 20 15 9 4 6 23 23 58

9th Man Utd 38 9 6 4 24 13 6 6 7 16 18 57

10th Birmingham 38 7 9 3 22 16 5 5 9 13 18 50

11th Aston Villa 38 10 1 8 31 21 3 6 10 11 29 46

12th Bristol C 38 6 7 6 18 16 5 5 9 13 20 45

13th Darlington 38 7 6 6 19 19 4 6 9 14 21 45

14th Fulham 38 9 4 6 29 26 2 5 12 10 26 42

15th Chelsea 38 6 4 9 21 34 5 3 11 24 39 40

16th Middlesbrough 38 4 8 7 17 24 4 5 10 17 24 37

17th Nottm Forest 38 6 7 6 19 19 2 4 13 15 27 35

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18th R Charlton 38 7 5 7 17 17 1 6 12 15 33 35

19th R Sheff Wed 38 5 6 8 12 18 1 7 11 4 20 31

20th R Bury 38 3 10 6 22 26 2 2 15 11 37 27

</pre>

[Bagpuss]

Summer Transfers and Seasonal Expectations

Ronaldinho was released

Steven Gerrard was released

Stefano Bartoletti joins from Empoli for £2.3 million

Marcel Munteanu retires

James Hardy joins from Barnet for £3.1 million

Rui Simoes joins Arsenal for £7.25 million

The decisions to release Ronaldinho and Gerrard were easy in that both are old and unlikely to feature much this season, it also saves £4.5 mill a year on wages. Munteanu's retirement was a bonus really as he never looked like fitting in with the team. Rui Simoes sale to Arsenal was based on the offer and his lack of games to date plus i have better players ahead of him in the queue.

Stefano Bartoletti is a good Italian defender who can play any where at the back. James Hardy has been a long term target and was bought to avoid losing him to other teams he'll be good in a few years time as he is still only 18.

This season i am aiming to finish up the top end of the table once more and preferably do the double again. I am also aiming to avoid spending money unnecessarily so i can build up a large block of funds for when i need it. The youngsters i have are more than good enough and will be the back bone of my squad in a few years time.

[Bagpuss]

Carlisle Squad Review Season 2016/17

Goalkeepers

Stephen Blake 28 English Capped 3 Caps 451 Appearances

Stephen Blake had another very good season last year and has finally broken into the English team to in that he picked up 3 caps last season. Stephen is entering the prime of his career at the moment and will probably be here for the rest of his career.

Sebastien Frey 36 French 136 Caps 29 Appearances

Sebastien was signed from Roma 3 seasons ago too add a bit of depth and also to inspire Stephen Blake to work harder. For a cost of £3.9 million Sebastien is a more than capable backup to Stephen Blake but isn't really needed at the club even if he is the French Goalkeeper.

Eric Marquet 24 French 3 Appearances

Eric was signed from Auxerre on a bosman 5 years ago now and is a good back up keeper at the club. Eric will be more than able to cover Blake and as Frey is rather old now he's the number 2 keeper at the club these days..

Stewart Murphy 20 English 0 Appearances

Stewart joined through the youth ranks three years ago and so far has done well in the reserves but i am still not to sure he'll be a great keeper. Stewart is still doing ok in the reserves but isn't anything special as of yet and may well be allowed to leave in a year or so, don't get me wrong he will be a damn good keeper but probably not here at Carlisle.

Defenders

Stefano Bartoletti SW/D R/L/C 25 Italian Former Under 21 0 Appearances

Stefano joined us in the summer from Empoli for £2.3 million and looks like he is a very capable defender. The advantage of Stefano is he can play any where at the back allthough he does prefer his right foot.

Ken Bentley SW/D C 23 English 2 Appearance

Ken joined from the youth ranks 5 years ago and has managed only a few first team appearances so far. Ken is someone i want to watch for a few more years as at the moment as i am undecided whether or not he is any good for the club.

Steven Bird SW/D C English 23 Under 21 player 6 Appearances

Steven was signed from Tottenham for £1.9 million 3 seasons ago and so far has made 6 appearances for the club. Steven has the potential to mature into a very good defender and will be given more chances in the first team this season to show what he can do but so far it isn't looking too promising for him.

Glen Bowyer SW/D C 24 English 3 caps 54 appearances

Glen joined us from Leeds for £4.3 million 5 years ago now. In his first season Glen played a lot but the defense has been strengthened with older better players since then so Glen has had to abide his time with the reserves. Glen is still waiting for a good run in the first team but given time i reckon he could be a decent player for us.

Robert Corbett SW/D/DM C 21 English B International player 53 Appearances 3 goals

Robert joined us this summer for £1.2 million from Stoke and looks like he will be a very good player in a few years time. Robert played a lot of games last season, his first at Carlisle and already looks like the new defensive rock for the club..

Guillermo Feijoo D L/C 31 Uruguayan 48 caps 2 goals 117 Appearances 5 goal

Guillermo joined us from Atletico Madrid on a bosman three seasons ago and got a lot more games last season and probably will have a fair amount this season too. Guillermo is a useful player to have as he can easily make a cameo subs appearance and change the game.

James Hardy D C 19 English 0 Appearances

James was signed from Barnet in the summer for £3.1 million and will be a good defender in the future. He will remain in the reserves for a season or two mostly likely to continue imnproving as he is still rather young.

Federico Nicolini D R/L/C 25 Italian 1 Appearance

Federico was signed from Sampdoria last season late on and has the potential to become a key player for the club. Federico will have to wait a bit before making it into the first team regularly but once the older players retire he should be there in their place.

John O'Shea D C 35 Irish 91 caps 1 goal 640 Appearances 19 goals

John joined us 13 years ago from Manchester United and cost us a bargain £2 million. John is one of the key players at the club and along with Toure and Welsh make up part of the formidable defense. John is now beginning to lose his edge and will be retiring soon but he remains a class act.

John Reeves SW/D L/C 23 English Under 21 player 1 Appearances

John was bought last season from Wigan for £1.4 million and will prove to be a good player i hope. John looks like he might get a few games this season, especially in the dead matches, to further his footballing education. Things are looking god for John so far and hopefully he'll continue to improve.

Ryan Shaw SW/D C 27 English 5 Caps 1 Goal 14 appearances 2 goals.

Ryan was bought from Fulham for £4.7 million last season and so far has provided some quality back up to the older key first team players. Ryan will get more games over the next few seasons and should easily establish himself as a key player for us.

Carlos de Souza Vieira D C 29 Brazilian 3 Caps 38 Appearances 2 goals

Carlos was signed on a bosman from Milan 3 years ago that cost us a mere £1.8 million for a good dependable player. Carlos still remains only a back up player to the first team squad and with younger players needing games will not become a key player.

[Bagpuss]

Midfielders

Simon Buxton D/DM L 27 English 20 caps 2 goals 274 Appearances 24 goals

Simon has been with us 9 years now and joined us from the youth team. Simon is a very good left back who is also happy to push down the wing as well as defend. Last season Simon had less games than normal due to having a few injuries but he still remains the left back at this club.

Theo Molenaar DM C 23 Dutch 26 caps 3 goal 119 appearances 16 goals

Theo is fast turning into my greatest signing ever in that he cost us £975k when he joined us from PSV on a bosman 3 years ago. Theo had a very good season last year and has established himself as a key first team player already.

Kevin Nolan DM C 34 English 53 caps 10 goals 522 Appearances 96 goals

Kevin joined us 10 years ago from Tottenham for £3.6 million and is probably the best signing i ever made. Kevin is at his best right now but is beginning to get worse from here on in his career. Kevin has a few years left on his contract by which time he'll take up his coaching role full time.

Danny Robertson D/DM R/C 21 English Under 21 4 Appearances

Danny was signed from Birmingham last season for £1.4 million and has the ability to become a decent player for us. Danny will have to wait his turn for a run in the first team but once their he should do fine.

Kolo Abib Toure D/DM R/C 35 Ivory Coast 41 caps 4 goals 381Appearances 12 goals

Toure was a very good signing from Arsenal for £2.3 million 8 years ago when he was struggling to get into their team. Toure is the right back in the defense and is perfectly happy going up the wing too. Toure is beginning to lose his edge now due to his edger and will be retiring in the near future to take up his coaching role full timelike Nolan.

John Welsh D/DM R/L/C 32 English 72 caps 2 goals 116 Appearances 2 goal

John joined us from Inter two seasons ago for £14.25 million and is a very very good player. John has boosted the defense a lot in one season and will be the rock of the defense for the next 2-3 years yet. Plenty of clubs are still trying to pinch but there is no way i am selling him.

Daniel Brinkmann AM R/C 21 German 6 Caps 20 Appearances 2 goals

Daniel was signed from Birmingham last season for £4 million and he has already established himself into the first team. Daniel looks like having a very good career here at Carlisle for the next decade hopefully.

Darren Fletcher AM R/C 32 Irish 78 caps 7 goals 452 Appearances 71 goals

Darren joined us from Manchester United 9 years ago for £3.7 million which was a bit of a bargain really. Darren is a very good winger and due to his lack of games at United was bought very cheaply. Darren is the subject of quite a few bids every season, including from United, but is not for sale.

John Foster AM L/C 24 English Under 21 player 39 Appearances 2 goals

John joined us from Wolves 5 years ago for £1.9 million and is beginning to become a good player. John will start to get a few more games each season now but i don't think he will feature that heavily in the team after the older players retire as there are better players in the reserves than him.

James Kerr D/S C 28 English 6 Caps 110 Appearances 31 goals

James joined us from Leicester for £3.5 million 4 years ago and James is one of those players it is hard to figure out where to play. James is a very good striker and defender but generally loses out to players who only play in one role. James had another good season last year and should do the same again this year.

Silvio Marcucci AM R/L 22 Italian 17 caps 4 goals 15 Appearances 0 goals

Silvio joined us from Aston Villa 4 years ago for £5 million which will rise to £10 million on appearances. Silvio is a incredibly good winger and that was why i paid over the top for him in the first place. Silvio is more or less on the verge of a first team place now but probably losses out due to my preferred formation.

Dean Stevens AM/F L/C 30 English 33 caps 3 goals 465 Appearances 152 goals

Dean joined us 13 years ago from Torquay for £1.2 million and at first only got a few games. After 6 or 7 years here Dean has become a key player at the club and is currently forming a good strike partnership with Reyes.

Jamie Tavares AM/F L/C 22 Portuguese 10 caps 1 goal 0 Appearances

Jamie joined us 5 years ago from Vit Guimaraes for £300k and is still playing in the reserves despite being a good player. Jamie will begin to make some progress towards a first team spot this season i hope as there are a lot less players competing in his position than before.

Strikers

Roberto Bella S C 25 Italian Under 21 5 Appearancea 3 goals

Roberto was signed last season from Milan for £3.7 million more as a back up striker but he does have the potential to be a very good player him self. Roberto will no doubt get more games this season and will hopefully establish him self in the first team.

Massimo Mariano F L/C 24 Italian Under 21 16 Appearances 2 goals

Massimo is on the verge of breaking through into the first team and when he does he looks like he will do very well indeed. Massimo joined us 5 years ago from Coventry for the paltry fee of £975k and generally plays in the reserves with the odd substitute appearance. Massimo is still one to watch for the future and with the lower number of strikers at the club now has the chance to stake a claim for a spot in the first team.

David McDonagh F R/C 23 Irish 13 caps 8 goals 7 Appearances 2 goals

David joined us last season from Notts County for £4.7 million but he looks to be a very good player indeed, lord knows why he was playing at Notts County in the First division. David will begin to get a few more games this season even if he somehow thinks that a team with 4 out and out strikers means he has too much competition for a place in the team.

Jose Antonio Reyes F L/C 32 Spanish 83 caps 17 goals 105 Appearances 33 goals

Reyes joined us 2 seasons ago from Dortmund for £11.25 million and is a wonderful player. Reyes is playing pretty much most of the time which may be a bad thing due to his age if i want to prolong his career as much as possible.

[Bagpuss]

August 2016

Liverpool in the Charity Shield was first up and we drew it 2-2 but lost 4-2 on penalties. Reyes and Fletcher scored the goals but a late 2 goal blast from Darren ****ing Bent ruined our day.

Tottenham at home was the first league game this season and we got a 0-0 draw. It was a strange match as we easily outplayed them but could not shoot on target today. Still it is the start of the season and not every one is match sharp yet.

Nottingham Forest away was next and we got another 0-0 draw. This one was just as bad as most of the shots were off target once more. Still we didn't lose and we usually finish the season of strongly.

Blackburn at home was next and we got yet another 0-0 draw out of it. This time it was a better performance but a tough goalkeeper to beat. We finished the month in 12th spot after those 3 draws.

[Bagpuss]

September 2016

Bolton away was first up this month and we got another draw but this time a 1-1 one. Robert Corbett scored our goal late on but Bolton snuck in an even later equaliser. The team looked more like scoring today too which helps.

Feyenoord at home in the Champions League was next and we finally got a win this season with a fine 2-0 victory. Kerr and McDonagh scored the goals in what was a easy win really.

Chelsea at home was next and we continued are winning run demolishing them 4-0. Buxton scored twice as well as Kerr and Fletcher as we easily took apart one of our main rivals.

Bayern away in the Champions League was next and we beat them 2-1 fairly comfortably. Corbett and Bella scored the goals today as we finally got into a decent winning streak.

Stoke away was next and we managed to get a simple 2-0 win out of it. Reyes and Stevens scored the goals in a game we were pretty damn well rubbish in to be honest, still a win is a win.

PAO at home in the Champions League was next and we got a 1-1 draw against them. John Foster got the goal for us as we edged the game yet failed to capitalise and get the win, still we are in a good position to qualify for the next stage. We finished the month in 5th spot.

[Bagpuss]

October 2016

Wolves at home was first up this month and we got a 1-0 win over them. Simon Buxton scored our goal in a game we should of won more convincingly really.

Birmingham away was next and we easily beat them 3-1. Two goals from Stevens and a third from Fletcher saw us climb up to top spot in the table a place hope we are come the end of the season although my priority this season is the Champions League.

Brian Burton joins from Sheffield Wednesday for £4.5 million rising to £8 millino on appearances. Brian looks like being a good wing back in the future and ahs the added advantage of playing on either the right or left wings.

Liverpool away was next and we got a 1-0 win over them. It was a scrappy game with 5 yellow cards between us and lots of fouls but James Kerr found time to score us a goal mid way through the second half.

PAO away in the Champions League was next and we got a 1-0 win more or less guaranteeing our spot in the next stage. Reyes scored our goal as we literally ran rings around them.

Leeds at home was next and we got another gritty 1-0 win that we have become good at getting. Nolan scored the goal as we once more should of won by more but only managed to score the one.

Feyenoord away in the Champions League was next and we managed to trounce them 4-0. Reyes scored a hattrick and McDonagh got the 4th as we made it through to the next stage quite easily.

Middlesborough away was next in the last match of this month and we got a entertaining 3-3 draw out of it. Kerr scored twice and Stevens got the third in a tight fast flowing end to end match. We finished the month top by a point form Newcastle.

[Bagpuss]

November 2016

Middlesborough away in the League Cup was first this month and this time we got beaten 3-2 after extra time. Reyes and Kerr scored our goals in another close match but some one had to win it and it wasn't us today.

Arsenal at home was next and we managed to beat our long term rivals 1-0. It was a James Kerr goal that got us the win today in what was actually a very close even match with few chances.

Bayern at home in the Champions League was next and we beat them 1-0 in a one sided match. Roberto Bella scored our goal early on in the second half in a game we never looked like losing.

Aston Villa away was next and we got a nice and easy 2-0 win over them. Kerr and Bella scored the goals which is good as they are going to be the key strikers in a few years time.

Wigan at home was next and we only got a 1-1 draw. It was a strange game which we dominated but it was a 88th minute goal from McDonagh that got us the point, still we are at the top still.

Juventus at home in the Champions League was next and we beat them 3-0 very easily. Kerr scored twice and Brinkmann scored the 3rd as we looked very impressive in Europe showing we mean business this season as i go for the cup.

Fulham away was next and we managed to get a 2-1 win over them. Buxton and Nolan scored the goals in a very close match but it was Molenaar's excellent performance that got us the win. We finished the month top by 3 points from Liverpool.

[Bagpuss]

December 2016

Newcastle at home was first up this month and we got a fine 2-0 win over them. Molenaar and Kerr scored the goals in a tough match we never looked like winning. It was a record attendance of 61674 today still a good way short of capacity.

Dortmund away in the Champions League was next and we got a 2-0 win despite being out played. There was an own goal and Kerr scored his 12th of the season to put us in a very good position in our group.

Darlington away was next and we got a very simple and easy 3-0 win over them. Stevens, Fletcher and Kerr all scored today as we settled down for a busy Xmas period. I also made a few bids for new players to boost us in the second half of the season.

Jimmy Walters joins from Bury on a bosman costing us £1 million and he looks like being a great little purchase for a striker.

Man Utd at home was next and we managed to beat our bitter rivals 1-0. Fletcher scored our goal with 5 minutes left which really made it a big win for us.

Leonardo Borghi joins from Juventus on a Bosman that cost us £3.4 million and he looks like another good striker.

Bristol City away was next and we picked up another 3 points with a scrappy 1-0 win. Stevens scored the goal today but it was set up by Borghi as we edged a bit further in front in the league.

Luis Neto joins from Burnley for £7.5 million and he is a very good young defender.

Blackburn away was next and we lost 4-1 after a dreadful goalkeeping display from Blake. Dean Stevens scored our goal before Blake decided he'd not touch the ball for the rest of the match.

Glen Bowyer joins Birmingham for £1.7 million after never really getting a look in to be honest.

Nottingham Forest at home was next and we beat them 2-0 very easily. They only had one shot on goal but Borghi was on fire for us with 11 shots two of which went in. We finished the month top by 4 points from Liverpool. 61789 people watched the match a new club record.

[Bagpuss]

January 2017

Stoke at home was first up this month and we stuffed them 3-0. Borghi scored another two goals and Fletcher got the third as we easily brushed Stoke aside on the way to another 3 points.

Harrogate away in the FA Cup was next and despite playing a conference team i fielded a full team. We won 5-0 with hardly any trouble at all with Stevens getting a hattrick and Borghi and Buxton both scoring too.

Birmingham at home was next and we easily beat them 2-0. Borghi scored one and Buxton got the other with Borghi having scored 6 in 6 games for us now and will really have Juventus kicking themselves for allowing my to steal him for only £3.4 million.

Tottenham away was next and we only got a 1-1 draw after a tough match. Borghi scored our goal early on but Tottenham scored a equaliser very late on spoiling our day out in London.

Crystal Palace away in the FA Cup was next and we only managed to get a 0-0 draw. It was a tough hard fought match with quite a lot of chances but nothing went in. We finished the month top by 4 points over Liverpool.

[Bagpuss]

February 2017

Bolton at home was first this month and we beat them 2-0 in a pretty tough match really. Stevens and Kerr scored the goals for us but we also picked up a few injuries with Buxton out for a month with ankle trouble and Reyes out for a month with Knee trouble. A new record attendance of 61921 was set today too.

Crystal Palace at home in our FA Cup replay was next and this time we beat them 3-1 easily. Roberto Bella scored one and Massimo Mariano scored the other two but Nolan picked up a ankle ligament injury putting him out for 3 months.

Leeds away was next and we lost it 2-1. It was a odd result as we easily out played and out shot them but our inability to get it in the net cost us the 3 points. Molenaar scored our goal today.

PSG away in the Champions League was next and we got a 1-1 draw against them. Roberto Bella scored our goal but PSG got a very late equaliser from a 18 year old striker who looks **** hot and has gone on my target list.

Sheffield Wednesday in the FA Cup at home was next and we managed to beat them 3-1 very easily. Borghi scored twice and McDonagh got the third as we eased into the next round.

PSG at home in the Champions League was next and we beat them 1-0. It was a crucial match as the win meant we were more or less certain of reaching the Quarter Final once more, Daniel Brinkmann scored the winner for us. A new record of 63162 fans watched this match.

Middlesborough at home was next and we managed to scrap a 1-0 win over them. Jimmy Walters scored our goal as we ground out another win. Yet another new record crowd today this time 64433 turned up. We finished the month top by 5 points and a game in hand over Liverpool.

[Bagpuss]

March 2017

Chelsea away was first up this month and we only got a 1-1 draw against them. Still Kerr scored the goal and it did make it a 6 point gap at the top but there are still a lot of games left.

Wolves away was next and we lost it 2-1 in a very disappointing match. Reyes scored our goal but two late goals from Wolves saw them steal all three points from under our noses.

Juventus away in the Champions League was next and we lost it 3-1. Blake got sent off after 21 minutes so we were a man down for most of the match and with a back up keeper in goal. Molenaar scored our goal in the last minute and we still progressed due to other results going in our favour.

Man Utd away in the FA Cup was next and we got a 1-1 draw with them. James Kerr scored our goal early on but Arjen Robben scored a last gasp equaliser for United meaning we get a replay.

Dortmund at home in the Champions League was next and we finished the group of with a lazy 1-1 draw. Massimo Mariano scored our goal as we ended up 2nd in the group which may be a good thing. Its going to be Leverkusen in the QF and today was a new record crowd of 66991 people which is more or less full.

Stefano Bartoletti goes AWOL cos he dont like England the git i had high hopes for him.

Liverpool at home was next and we got a 2-2 draw against them. It was a fair result as the match had been pretty even. Brinkmann and Stevens got our goals today as the top two teams managed a draw leaving the title race right open still. A new record attendance of 66997 meant we were 3 short of max capacity.

Man Utd at home in the FA Cup replay was next and we beat them 3-1 rather easily really. Stevens scored two and Kerr got the third as we showed them how to play football. We finished the month top by 3 points from Liverpool.

[Bagpuss]

April 2017

Arsenal away was next and we only got a 1-1 draw against them. Molenaar scored the goal in a somewhat ***** match to be honest. David McDonagh decided to announce via the press he wanted to leave, rumours which i denied but he has ****ed of a lot of the squad now though.

Leverkusen at home in the Champions League Quarter Final was next and we stuffed them 4-2. Corbett scored two and Molenaar and Brinkmann both scored too as we set ourselves up nicely for a simple return leg.

Aston Villa in the FA Cup Semi at Kings Dock Liverpool was next and we eased past them 4-2 to earn us a place in the final against Blackburn. Molenaar, Brinkmann, Bella and Kerr all scored today which was a nice thing.

Fulham at home was next and we very annoyingly lost 1-0. It was odd that they only had one shot and it went in where as we had 13 and failed to score. David McDonagh was whining again today so he's listed and probably sold too as there is plenty of interest.

Newcastle away was next and we managed to get a simple 3-1 win over them. Stevens scored twice and Kerr got the third as we just about hung on to top spot in the table. It looks like a straight race between us and Liverpool with 5 games left and all square in points.

Leverkusen away was next in the Champions League and we managed to get a 1-1 draw against them winning 5-3 on aggregate. Nolan scored our goal for us as we booked a semi final against Barcelona.

Wigan away was next and we managed to beat them 3-1 after a tough match. Molenaar, Brinkmann and Kerr al scored in a bit of a struggle really. Still we increased our goal difference over Liverpool which helps.

Darlington at home was the last match this month and we only managed a 0-0 draw despite easily out playing Darlington. On the plus side Liverpool only drew 0-0 too meaning we finished the month tied for top spot on points but with a goal difference that was far better.

[Bagpuss]

May 2017

Barcelona away in the Champions League semi final was first up and we got a very easy 2-0 win over them. We stopped them from having any shots at all and had enough ourselves to get two away goals scored by Stevens and Bella.

Man Utd away was next and we got a 1-1 draw in a tight match. Molenaar scored our only goal in a match with few chances ruled by the defenders and with a few games left now it is getting close for the title.

Barcelona at home in the Champions League semi final was next and we got another 2-0 win over them meaning we faced Liverpool in the Final. James Kerr scored both the goals showing why he was voted Premiership Player of the Year.

Blackburn at Wembley in the FA Cup Final was next and we annihilated them 6-3 in an amazing performance. Borghi got two and Fletcher, Reyes, Molenaar and Walters all scored two as we finished the first leg of a possible treble.

Aston Villa at home was next and we took them apart winning 4-1. Reyes scored twice and Borghi and Nolan also scored as we went into the final league game level with Liverpool still but with a far superior goal difference (a 10 goal advantage to us).

Bristol City at home was the final League game and we beat them 3-0 winning our third successive title. Kerr got two of the goals and Stevens got the third as we held of Liverpool's challenge to get our third double in a row with the treble still on.

Liverpool in the Champions League final was next in the Amsterdam ArenA and we managed to win it 1-0. Amazing it was our turn to have one shot on goal that goes in and it was Roberto Bella who got it securing the Treble and more importantly to me the Champions League trophy!!

[Bagpuss]

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">

************************************************************************************************

English Premier Division - Tuesday 30th May 2017

************************************************************************************************

================================================================================================

2016/7 Table

================================================================================================

Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag Won Drn Lst For Ag Pts

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1st C Carlisle 38 13 5 1 30 5 9 7 3 31 19 78

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2nd Liverpool 38 10 6 3 15 4 12 6 1 21 6 78

3rd Man Utd 38 9 6 4 21 12 10 5 4 26 10 68

4th Stoke 38 10 8 1 34 14 7 5 7 19 22 64

5th Blackburn 38 10 4 5 23 16 6 8 5 23 21 60

6th Newcastle 38 9 7 3 23 16 6 7 6 18 23 59

7th Tottenham 38 7 6 6 23 19 8 4 7 19 19 55

8th Leeds 38 9 4 6 30 28 6 4 9 19 20 53

9th Arsenal 38 9 6 4 26 14 3 10 6 18 28 52

10th Bristol C 38 11 3 5 25 13 3 7 9 10 22 52

11th Birmingham 38 10 5 4 26 16 3 7 9 8 18 51

12th Fulham 38 9 4 6 23 17 5 5 9 14 21 51

13th Middlesbrough 38 8 6 5 27 26 6 3 10 18 26 51

14th Wolves 38 7 6 6 20 18 6 5 8 24 25 50

15th Nottm Forest 38 8 4 7 19 18 4 5 10 12 21 45

16th Wigan 38 5 7 7 13 19 5 4 10 16 31 41

17th Darlington 38 7 5 7 24 19 2 8 9 16 25 40

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

18th R Chelsea 38 7 5 7 20 20 4 2 13 19 34 40

19th R Aston Villa 38 5 6 8 19 22 0 4 15 12 37 25

20th R Bolton 38 2 5 12 18 39 2 2 15 12 31 19

</pre>

[Bagpuss]

Season 2017/8

Summer Transfers and Seasonal Expectations

David McDonagh moves to Wolves for £8.75 million

Ben Ramsey joins from Stoke on a bosman

Gianni Giovanni joins from Inter on a bosman costing £2.7 million

Rafael Pereira de Carvalho joins from Atletico Paranaense on a bosman for £325k

Yngvar Kaspersen joins from Fulham on a bosman for £2.8 million

Mario Celso Menezes joins from Milan on a bosman for £2.2 million

Sebastien Frey Retires

Marcio Antonio Pinto de Souza joins from Botafogo on a bosman for £140k

Alan Ashton joins from Nottingham Forest on abosman for £775k

Luis Manuel Martin joins from Birmingham on a bosman for £3.2 million

Steven Bird joins Bristol City for £3.2 million

This season with the squad i have i am expecting to win something this year. I dont think i can match last years treble but i'll give it a bash anyway. A lot of new players arrived this summer on bosmans and after this season quite a few players will leave so i am maintaining a good squad strength and ability with plenty of time for the squad to get accustomed to it. There are still a few targets i am after but they'll wait for now as i could do with generating some funds first before buying any more players.

[Bagpuss]

2017/8 Squad Review

Goalkeepers

Stephen Blake 29 English Capped 8 Caps 514 Appearances

Stephen Blake had another very good season last year and has remained in the English team as he picked up another 5 caps last season. Stephen is entering the prime of his career at the moment and will probably be here for the rest of his career.

Eric Marquet 25 French 1 Cap 6 Appearances

Eric was signed from Auxerre on a bosman 6 years ago now and is a good back up keeper at the club. Eric will be more than able to cover Blake and he's the number 2 keeper at the club these days.

Stewart Murphy 21 English 0 Appearances

Stewart joined through the youth ranks four years ago and so far has done well in the reserves but i am still not to sure he'll be a great keeper. Stewart is still doing ok in the reserves but isn't anything special as of yet but he does get good reports from my assistant and does actually look better than Marquet so he may get elevated to Number 2 status soon.

Defenders

Stefano Bartoletti SW/D R/L/C 25 Italian Former Under 21 0 Appearances

Stefano joined us last summer from Empoli for £2.3 million and looks like he is a very capable defender. The advantage of Stefano is he can play any where at the back allthough he does prefer his right foot. The disadvantage is he is highly strung and disappeared for several months last season. I am hoping a few games will help him settle down otherwise he'll have to go to avoid squad unrest.

Ken Bentley SW/D C 23 English 2 Appearance

Ken joined from the youth ranks 6 years ago and has managed only a few first team appearances so far. Ken is someone i want to watch for a few more years as at the moment as i am undecided whether or not he is any good for the club but on current form he'll be gone in a few years..

Robert Corbett SW/D/DM C 22 English 7 caps 109 Appearances 7 goals

Robert joined us two years ago for £1.2 million from Stoke and looks like he will be a very very good player in a few years time. Robert managed to break into the England team last season and has also blossomed into a very god player for us despite only being 22.

Guillermo Feijoo D L/C 32 Uruguayan 60 caps 2 goals 138 Appearances 5 goal

Guillermo joined us from Atletico Madrid on a bosman four seasons ago but he had fewer games alst season due to Corbett's breakthrough and a few others too. Guillermo is a useful player to have as he can easily make a cameo subs appearance and change the game.

James Hardy D C 19 English Under 21 Player 8 Appearances

James was signed from Barnet last season for £3.1 million and will be a good defender in the future. He will remain in the reserves for a season or two mostly likely to continue imnproving as he is still rather young. James did get a few games but mostly as a sub for experience building purposes.

Luis Neto D C 22 Portugese 16 Caps 12 Appearances

Luis joined us halfway through last season for £7.5 million from Burnley and he looks like being a great centre back in a few years time. For now he'll have to make do with fewer appearances than he was used to but he is in a higher division than before.

Federico Nicolini D R/L/C 26 Italian 4 Appearance

Federico was signed from Sampdoria two seasons ago and has the potential to become a key player for the club. Federico will have to wait a bit before making it into the first team regularly but once the older players retire he should be there in their place.

John O'Shea D C 36 Irish 99 caps 2 goal 695 Appearances 19 goals

John joined us 14 years ago from Manchester United and cost us a bargain £2 million. John is one of the key players at the club and along with Toure and Welsh make up part of the formidable defense. John has now begun to lose his edge and is in his final season with us allthough i expect him to play for a few more years elsewhere..

John Reeves SW/D L/C 24 English Under 21 player 6 Appearances

John was bought from Wigan two seasons ago for £1.4 million and will prove to be a good player i hope. John looks like he might get a few games this season, especially in the dead matches, to further his footballing education. Things are looking good for John so far and hopefully he'll continue to improve.

Ryan Shaw SW/D C 28 English 12 Caps 2 Goal 32 appearances 2 goals.

Ryan was bought from Fulham for £4.7 million two seasons ago and so far has provided some quality back up to the older key first team players. Ryan will get more games over the next few seasons and should easily establish himself as a key player for us.

Carlos de Souza Vieira D C 30 Brazilian 5 Caps 47 Appearances 2 goals

Carlos was signed on a bosman from Milan 4 years ago that cost us a mere £1.8 million for a good dependable player. Carlos still remains only a back up player to the first team squad and with younger players needing games will not become a key player, in fact he is currently transferred listed as i don't really need him.

[Bagpuss]

Midfielders

Brian Burton D/DM R/L 19 English Under 21 15 Appearances 0 Goals

Brian was bought from Sheffield Wednesday last season for £4.5 million rising to £8 million on appearances. Brian is going to be a good little winger but due to his age will not get too many games just yet.

Simon Buxton D/DM L 28 English 25 caps 2 goals 314 Appearances 30 goals

Simon has been with us 10 years now and joined us from the youth team. Simon is a very good left back who is also happy to push down the wing as well as defend. Last season Simon had less games than normal due to having a few injuries but he still remains the left back at this club.

Luis Manuel Martin DM C 21 Spanish 21 Caps 0 Appearances 0 Goals

Luis joined us this summer from Birmingham for £3.2 million on a bosman after my repeated bids were turned down so once more i've gotten a great player on the cheap. Luis will somehow have to be fitted into a somewhat overcrowded midfield but with quite a lot of senior players leaving in the next few seasons i'm sure they'll be room.

Theo Molenaar DM C 24 Dutch 34 caps 4 goal 189 appearances 24 goals

Theo is fast turning into my greatest signing ever in that he cost us £975k when he joined us from PSV on a bosman 4 years ago. Theo had a very good season last year and has established himself as a key first team player. Theo has also progressed to Dutch Captain too over the last season a great honour for him.

Kevin Nolan DM C 35 English 56 caps 10 goals 564 Appearances 100 goals

Kevin joined us 10 years ago from Tottenham for £3.6 million and is probably the best signing i ever made. Kevin is beyond his best right now and is beginning to get worse from here on in his career. Kevin has a one year left on his contract by which time he'll take up his coaching role full time i hope.

Marcio Antonio Pinto de Souza D/DM L 21 Brazilian Under 21 0 Appearances 0 Goals

Marcio joined us this summer for £140k from Botofogo on a bosman and has the potential to be a great player i hope. Long term he should be Buxton's replacement and left back but for now will have a spell in the reserves learning English and the English way of playing.

Ben Ramsey D/DM R/C 26 English Under 21 0 Appearances 0 Goals

Ben was purchased from Stoke on a Bosman in the summer and looks like a good back up player. I doubt Ben will get many games here but he isn't here at anything more than back up status really.

Danny Robertson D/DM R/C 22 English Under 21 9 Appearances

Danny was signed from Birmingham two seasons ago for £1.4 million and has the ability to become a decent player for us. Danny will have to wait his turn for a run in the first team but once their he should do fine.

Kolo Abib Toure D/DM R/C 36 Ivory Coast 46 caps 4 goals 389 Appearances 12 goals

Toure was a very good signing from Arsenal for £2.3 million 9 years ago when he was struggling to get into their team. Toure has begun to lose his ability already and didn't get many games last season. He will not get a new contract when it expires this season but he wil hopefully become a full time coach.

John Welsh D/DM R/L/C 33 English 80 caps 2 goals 170 Appearances 2 goal

John joined us from Inter 3 seasons ago for £14.25 million and is a very very good player. John has boosted the defense a lot in since joining us and he will be the rock of the defense for the next 1-2 years yet.

Alan Ashton AM/F R 18 English 0 Appearances 0 Goals

Alan joined us this summer from Nottingham Forest on a bosman that cost us £775k. Alan has the ability to become quite a decent winger or striker but will be in the reserves for now.

Daniel Brinkmann AM R/C 22 German 14 Caps 3 Goals 79 Appearances 9 goals

Daniel was signed from Birmingham two seasons ago for £4 million and he has already established himself into the first team. Daniel looks like having a very good career here at Carlisle for the next decade hopefully as he is already a key player for us.

Darren Fletcher AM R/C 33 Irish 85 caps 7 goals 510 Appearances 78 goals

Darren joined us from Manchester United 10 years ago for £3.7 million which was a bit of a bargain really. Darren is a very good winger and due to his lack of games at United was bought very cheaply. Darren has two years left on his contract which is all he'll get unless i sell him off later this season as he is beginning ot lose it know.

John Foster AM L/C 25 English Under 21 player 47 Appearances 3 goals

John joined us from Wolves 6 years ago for £1.9 million and is beginning to become a good player. John will start to get a few more games each season now but i don't think he will feature that heavily in the team after the older players retire as there are better players in the reserves than him.

Yngvar Kaspersen AM R/L 32 Norwegian 28 Caps 2 Goals 0 Appearances 0 Goals

Yngvar was bought from Fulham in the summer on a bosman for £2.8 million. Yngvar is here to add a bit more experience to the club and also because i forgot i had him lined up for a bosman signing in case i didn't get other targets so he is unlikely to either play a lot or be here long.

James Kerr D/S C 29 English 13 Caps 163 Appearances 55 goals

James joined us from Leicester for £3.5 million 4 years ago and James is one of those players it is hard to figure out where to play as James is a very good striker and defender. I've been playing him as a striker for the last 18 months and he has been bloody great their getting 24 goals last season.

Silvio Marcucci AM R/L 23 Italian 25 caps 6 goals 20 Appearances 0 goals

Silvio joined us from Aston Villa 5 years ago for £5 million which will rise to £10 million on appearances. Silvio is a incredibly good winger and that was why i paid over the top for him in the first place. Silvio is more or less on the verge of a first team place now but probably losses out due to my preferred formation.

Mario Celso Menezes AM C 22 Brazilian 3 Caps 0 Appearances 0 Goals

Mario was signed this summer on a bosman from Milan that cost us £2.2 million. Mario looks like being a good AM C in the near future and will be given time to improve with the reserves at first.

Dean Stevens AM/F L/C 31 English 41 caps 5 goals 512 Appearances 170 goals

Dean joined us 14 years ago from Torquay for £1.2 million and at first only got a few games. After 6 or 7 years here Dean has become a key player at the club and is currently forming a good strike partnership with James Kerr.

Jamie Tavares AM/F L/C 23 Portuguese 10 caps 1 goal 0 Appearances

Jamie joined us 6 years ago from Vit Guimaraes for £300k and is still playing in the reserves despite being a good player. Jamie will begin to make some progress towards a first team spot this season i hope as there are a lot less players competing in his position than before.

Strikers

Roberto Bella S C 26 Italian Under 21 34 Appearances 11 goals

Roberto was signed two seasons ago from Milan for £3.7 million more as a back up striker but he does have the potential to be a very good player himself. Roberto has now gotten him self more into the first team with a good number of games last season but i don't think he'll ever make a regular player.

Leonardo Borghi F C 25 Italian Under 21 27 Appearances 12 Goals

Leonardo was signed from Juventus last season on a bosman for £3.4 million which was a bargain. Leonardo is a damn good striker and has gone straight into the first team squad.

Gianni Giovanni S C 25 Italian Under 21 0 Appearances 0 Goals

Gianni was signed from Inter on a bosman for £2.7 million this summer and is going to be a back up striker at the club most likely. He'll get quite a few games each season though to keep him up to match fitness levels.

Massimo Mariano F L/C 25 Italian Under 21 22 Appearances 5 goals

Massimo is on the verge of breaking through into the first team and when he does he looks like he will do very well indeed. Massimo joined us 6 years ago from Coventry for the paltry fee of £975k and generally plays in the reserves with the odd substitute appearance. Massimo is still one to watch for the future and with the lower number of strikers at the club now has the chance to stake a claim for a spot in the first team.

Rafael Pereira de Carvalho S C 21 Brazilian Under 21 0 Appearances 0 Goals

Rafael joined us in the summer on a bosman from Atletico Paranaense which cost us a paltry £375k. Rafael looks like being a great striker in a year or so and i'll be watching his progress closely.

Jose Antonio Reyes F L/C 33 Spanish 92 caps 22 goals 125 Appearances 44 goals

Reyes joined us 3 seasons ago from Dortmund for £11.25 million and is a wonderful player. Reyes is not playing as many games as he used to partly due to his abilities beginning to drop and partly due to younger better players coming along behind him, also he is in his last season here due to his contract expiring and me not having the need for him any more.

Jimmy Walters S C 23 English Under 21 5 Appearances 2 Goals

Jimmy was signed from Bury on a bosman last season for £1 million as i was after a few more young strikers then. Jimmy has great potential and will be given the opportunities to excel and impress me.

[Bagpuss]

August 2017

Liverpool in the Charity Shield was the first match this season and we lost it 1-0 but then it is only a glorified friendly. Neither team did much really and their were few shots as is to be expected

Arsenal at home was the first league match of the season and we managed to get a 1-0 win in it. It wasn't much of a match being so early on in the season but at least Daniel Brinkmann scored for us getting us 3 points.

Barnsley away was next and we got a disappointing 3-3 draw against them. Nolan scored twice and Brinkmann got the third in a match we should of won easily.

PSV in the European Super Cup was next and we got a fairly easy 3-2 win over them proving we are the best team in Europe. Corbett, Fletcher and Molenaar all scored in a impressive performance. We finished the month in 9th spot.

[Bagpuss]

September 2017

Sam Hudson joins from the Youth Academy and Roy Keane says he will be a good player, being Sam is a DM R/C and is only 16 but with decent skills already i kind of agree with him.

Darren Fletcher asks for a transfer as he wants a new challenge and being i was considering selling him anyway later this season i've listed him with plenty of interest too.

First up this month was Stoke at home and we managed to stuff them 4-2. It was an easy win with Welsh, Buxton, Fletcher and Brinkmann all scoring today as we began to settle down for the season.

Celtic at home in the Champions League was next and we managed to get of to a dodgy start with a 2-2 draw. It was a bad result really as we should of won it very easily but still Bella and Giovanni both scored today.

Darlington away was next and we stuffed them 3-0 very easily indeed. Leonardo Borghi scored all three goals despite not being fully recovered from a achilles injury. The one bad thing was Kerr picked up a injury putting him out for a month just when he was settling into the defence too.

Rapid Bucharest away in the Champions League was next and we got another dodgy draw this time 1-1. John Foster scored our goal but a late equaliser put paid to victory which we didn't deserve anyway.

Bristol City at home was next and we maintained our impressive league form with another 4-1 win. Today Buxton, Fletcher, Borghi and Bella all scored as we began to score freely once more.

Sporting away in the Champions League was next and we managed to get a 1-0 win over them. It wasn't a good game really as they should of won but i'll take my win thanks to a Roberto Bella goal.

Birmingham away was next and we managed to lose too them 2-1. If our strikers had actually been on target more today we'd of won but then i also played 3 former Birmingham players and that never worked either, Bella did score though for the 3rd match running. We finished the month in 3rd spot 6 points behind Liverpool but with a game in hand.

[Bagpuss]

October 2017

Nottingham Forest away was next and we managed to get a 1-1 draw against them despite having loads of shots. It was a fair result i suppose being they had most of the possession and we only got a draw thanks to Giovanni's late equaliser.

Sheffield Wednesday at home was next and we got a scrappy 3-2 win over them. It wasn't a great match but at least we did get all 3 points. It was down to an Own Goal plus strikes from Buxton and Borghi.

Sporting at home in the Champions League was next and we managed to pick up another 1-0 win over them. This time Giovanni scored the goal and my policy of resting him for the European matches seems to be working so far.

Newcastle away was next and we got a 3-2 win over them on a very wet day. Kerr, Stevens and Luis Manuel Martin scored the goals today as we edged up the table a bit setting ourselves for a late charge.

Celtic away in the Champions League was next and we managed to lose 2-1. It was a dreadful performance from us and we didn't even score the goal as it was another own goal.

Sunderland at home was next and we managed to beat them 4-2 in a easy game for us. Fletcher scored twice and Borghi and Bella also scored today as we bounced back from a bit of a bad run lately. We finished the month in 2nd spot 3 points but a game in hand behind Liverpool.

[Bagpuss]

November 2017

Liverpool away in the League Cup was first this month and we were beaten 3-0. It was not a fair scoreline even if the defence was some what useless as we had twice as many shots as them. In fact Massimo Mariano, Silvio Marcucci and Rafael, on his debut, all had good games.

Tottenham away was next and we beat them 1-0 in a dodgy match. There were lots of chances today but most were wasted in a rather poor example of finishing but at least Brinkmann found the net for us getting us the win.

Rapid Bucharest at home in the Champions League was next and we got a simple 3-0 win over them. Leonardo Borghi scored all 3 goals for us as we made it to the next stage yet again.

Liverpool away was next and we lost a close match 3-1. Bella scored our goal but we once more struggled against them and again failed to score enough after a lot of chances.

Juventus away in the Champions League was next and we lost it 2-1 in a close match with very few chances. Bella scored our goal at the end of the first half but two goals in a minute from Juve mid way through the second half finished us off.

Wolves at home was next and this time we managed to hold out for a 1-1 draw. Giovanni scored our goal late on equalising an earlier effort from Rob Clare. We finished the month 3rd 5 points behind Liverpool but with a game in hand.

[Bagpuss]

December 2017

Corinthians in the Intercontinental Cup was first up and we easily beat them 4-0 showing that Europe was still the dominant football force. Rafael scored his first for us and Buxton, Corbett and Bella all also scored.

Leeds away was next and we used our Intercontinental success to easily outclass them 2-0. We should of won by more but shots were again a bit wasteful, still Corbett and Molenaar both scored and Rafael continues to impress.

Lokomotiv Moscow at home in the Champions League was next and we easily beat them 3-0. Corbett, Molenaar and Bella all scored for us today with Corbett having a run of 3 goals in 3 matches now.

Man Utd at home was next and we got a dull 1-1 draw against them. Bella scored for us his 10th of the season so far. The draw meant that Liverpool edged a bit further away from us but at least we aren't losing any more.

Wigan at home was next and we managed to win our game in hand 1-0. Bella again scored the goal maintaining his run of form a bit longer but several players are getting worried about our poor league position now.

Fulham away was next and we got a nice and easy 3-1 win over them which was good as it is always busy in December. Stevens scored twice and Brinkmann got the third as we rested a few players.

Blackburn at home was next and we cruised to a easy 3-0 win with a mostly second XI squad. Rafael scored today along with Ryan Shaw and Luis Manuel Martin as we maintained a decent run of form at last.

Wigan away was next and we got another comfortable win with a 3-2 victory. Bella scored twice and Luis Manuel Martin got the third as we moved into a 3 way tie for top spot with only goal difference separating us.

Barnsley at home was next and we managed to thrash them 4-0. Luis Manuel Martin scored a goal and Rafael got a hattrick proving what a good buy he is for a meagre £375k fee. We finished the month 2nd behind Man Utd on goal difference.

[Bagpuss]

January 2018

Arsenal away was first up this month and we got a disappointing 0-0 draw against them. We should of scored at least one goal as we had 19 shots but their defence was very good for a change.

Middlesborough at home was next and we got a fine 3-0 win over them. Nolan, Toure and Borghi all scored goals today in what was a simple route to 3 points despite quite a lot of changes to the team.

Stevenage at home in the FA Cup was next and we won it 4-0 very easily which being Stevenage are a second division club and i played a full team was hardly surprising. Corbett, Borghi, Stevens and Bella all scored for us today.

Swansea sign Carlos de Souza Vieira for £475k which is good as he was gonna be released in the summer when his contract expired anyway.

Nottingham Forest at home was next and we got a lazy 2-0 win over them. Bella and Massimo Mariano scored the goals as we moved back up to top spot in the league once more.

Stoke away was next and we were beaten 1-0 by a surprisingly good Stoke team. Well actually i think it was more down to a awful display from us really but still we lost which is all that matters.

Sunderland at home was next in the FA Cup and we got a simple 3-1 win over them. Corbett, Borghi and Stevens got the goals today as we eased safely into the next round again. We finished the month top by a point from Man Utd.

[Bagpuss]

February 2018

Shrewsbury sign John O'Shea for £40k. John has gotten a bit to old now for us but he will undoubtedly remain one of the clubs all time greatest players. He was sold to get a bit of money and also to save a little on the wage bill too.

Bristol City away was first up this month for us and we got a 1-1 draw against them. It was a tough scrappy match and we were lucky to get a point really with Stevens goal saving our blushes once more.

Darlington at home was next and we got a very easy 4-1 win against them. Molenaar, Marucci and Bella all scored as well as a own goal as we continued a frenzied tussle with Man Utd for the title this season.

Birmingham at home was next and we managed to only get a 0-0 draw against them despite very easily out playing them. The Birmingham keeper had a very good game blocking all our shots preventing us from getting the win we deserved.

Bayern at home in the Champions League was next and we picked up a nice 1-0 win over them. Silvio Marucci scored the only goal as we edged a bit nearer to retaining our trophy.

Wimbledon in the FA Cup at home was next and we got a very disappointing 0-0 draw against them. It wasn't a full strength team but then it was only Wimbledon and we did have more than enough chances to win just none went in today.

Bayern away in the Champions League was next and we got beaten 2-1 in a very close match. Molenaar scored our goal but a late Bayern goal scuppered are hopes for a draw.

Sunderland away was next and we picked up an easy 3-1 win over them. Buxton, Stevens and Bella all scored today as we maintained position in the race for the title.

Wimbledon away in the FA Cup replay was next and this time we beat them 3-1. It was a odd result in that i actually fielded more second team players this time around than first time but it was a win with goals from Menezes and two from Giovanni. We finished the month 2nd 3 points behind Man Utd and one ahead of Liverpool.

[Bagpuss]

March 2018

Newcastle at home was first up this month and we got a careful 2-0 win against our Northern rivals. Stevens and Rafael scored the goals as we edged nearer to Man Utd in our race for a 4th successive title.

Juventus at home in the Champions League was next and we got a 4-1 win which pretty much guarantees us a spot in the Quarter Finals for the 8th year running. Kerr, Luis Manuel Martin, Stevens and a own goal were the scorers today.

Lincoln at home in the FA Cup Quarter Final was next and we got a 2-0 win over them using the second team once more. Fletcher and Rafael scored the goals whilst several reserve players turned in very good performances today.

Lokomotiv Moscow away in the Champions League was next and we lost 1-0 in a very disappointing performance from the team. It means we have failed to make the Quarter Finals for the first time in 8 years and also we won't be defending our title any more either.

Sheffield Wednesday away was next and we were beaten 2-0 mostly due to our inability to hit the target despite numerous shots. The Wednesday keeper and defence played well too as we enter yet another slump this season. We finished the month in 2nd 7 points behind Man Utd and level with Liverpool.

Ken Bentley joins Chelsea for £1.7 million after coming through the youth team but never breaking into the first team.

[Bagpuss]

April 2018

Man Utd at Ewood Park in the FA Cup Semi Final was next and we lost yet another match this time 2-0. This is a pretty disastrous slump this time pretty much wrecking our chances at winning anything this season.

Wolves away was next and we ended our 3 game losing steak with a ncie 2-0 win over them. Brinkmann and Molenaar scored the goals and with a Man Utd defeat there is still hope of a 4th title in a row.

Tottenham at home was next and we lost it 3-0 after a stunning inept last 10 minutes of the match. Gary Barton a 18 year old sub managed to score all 3 goals in a 5 minute spell right at the end of the match after the defence went home early by the looks of things.

Middlesborough away was next and we managed to sneak a 1-0 win against them. Dean Stevens scored our goal mid way through the first half and we managed to hang on for the rest of the match to get all 3 points.

Leeds at home was next and we got another boring 1-0 draw but at least it was a win for us. Robert Corbett scored our goal more or less immediately after coming on as a sub.

Blackburn away was the last match this month and we got a 2-1 win over them. It wasn't a indicative scoreline as we should of won by a lot more but still Giovanni and Bella scored leaving us 2nd at the end of the month 4 points behind Man Utd with 3 games left to play.

[Bagpuss]

May 2018

Fulham were first up this month and we managed to beat them 3-1 at home quite easily despite not having much of the ball. Shaw, Bella and Brinkmann all scored today as we maintained a slim chance of retaining the title but with Liverpool and Man Utd to play in the last two games it will be very hard.

Liverpool at home was next and we out kicked the scouse gits 2-0. Borghi and Giovanni scored our goals but Fletcher went off injured after only 13 minutes after receiving quite a lot of hard cynical challenges. All down to the final game now away to Man Utd a win gets us the title.

Man Utd away for the title was the last match of the season and with such importance the very dull ***** 0-0 draw was to be expected really. It wasn't a very good performance by either team but at least they got the title meaning we'll have everything to fight for next season.

[Bagpuss]

Some how i forgot to make a copy of the table but Manchester United finished 2 points ahead of us

Seasonal Expectations and Summer Transfers

Jose Antonio Reyes joins Wolves on a bosman

Federico Nicolini joins Birmingham for £2.1 million

Guillermo Feijoo joins Malaga for £2.2 million

Stefano Bartoletti joins Crystal Palace for £825k

Billy Ward joins from Everton for £2.5 million

Gianni Giovanni joins Juventus for £8.5 million

Arnaud Bennetier joins from PSG on a bosman that cost £4 million

Darren Fletcher joins Liverpool on a bosman that earns us £2.9 million

Kevin Nolan leaves on a free transfer

Kolo Abib Toure retires but remains a coach

Peter Price joins from Middlesborough on a bosman that cost us £2.6 million

Jamie Tavares joins Tottenham for £3.9 million

Reyes and Nolan left the club because they were both old and Toure stopping playing football for the same reason but continued coaching. Nicolini and Feijoo were sold as they are both old and/or useless, Bartoletti left because he was a whinger and i wanted shot of him. Giovanni left to go to Juventus for triple what i bought him for last season as to be honest i have no need for him with Bennetier joining the club.

Fletcher left as he has been wanting a new challenge for most of the season but no on made an offer for him until the end of the season. Price was signed as he is a damn good defender and was available on the cheap. Tavares was sold for being a bit of a whiner too and not waiting his turn quietly.

The aims this season are to win something preferably the league but anything will do. It will be hard as the team is still in the process of changing dramatically. With a load of older players leaving the wage bill has dropped somewhat and there is a fair amount of money to spent too not that i intend too though, well not if i can help it anyway.

[Bagpuss]

2018/9 Squad Review

Goalkeepers

Stephen Blake 30 English Capped 17 Caps 574 Appearances

Stephen Blake had another very good season last year and has remained in the English team as he picked up another 9 caps last season. Stephen is entering the prime of his career at the moment and will probably be here for the rest of his career.

Eric Marquet 26 French 6 Cap 6 Appearances

Eric was signed from Auxerre on a bosman 7 years ago now and is a good back up keeper at the club. Eric will be more than able to cover Blake and he's the number 2 keeper at the club these days although it may not be for much longer.

Stewart Murphy 22 English Under 21 Player 0 Appearances

Stewart joined through the youth ranks four years ago and so far has done well in the reserves but i am still not to sure he'll be a great keeper. Stewart is still doing ok in the reserves but isn't anything special as of yet but he does get good reports from my assistant and does actually look better than Marquet so he may get elevated to Number 2 status soon.

Defenders

Robert Corbett SW/D/DM C 23 English 17 caps 157 Appearances 14 goals

Robert joined us three years ago for £1.2 million from Stoke and looks like he will be a very very good player in a few years time. Robert has managed to maintain a presence in the England team and has also shown a good tendency to score goals too.

James Hardy D C 21 English Under 21 Player 12 Appearances

James was signed from Barnet two seasons ago for £3.1 million and will be a good defender in the future. He will remain in the reserves for a season or two mostly likely to continue improving as he is still rather young. James did get a few games but mostly as a sub for experience building purposes.

Luis Neto D C 23 Portuguese 21 Caps 24 Appearances

Luis joined us 18 months ago for £7.5 million from Burnley and he looks like being a great centre back in a few years time. For now he'll have to make do with fewer appearances than he was used to but he is in a higher division than before.

Peter Price D R/C 23 English 13 Caps 0 Appearances

Peter joined us in the summer from Middlesborough for £2.6 million via the bosman system after several attempts to sign him. Peter looks like being a very dependable defender and should fit right into the team straightaway.

John Reeves SW/D L/C 25 English Under 21 player 7 Appearances

John was bought from Wigan three seasons ago for £1.4 million and will prove to be a good player i hope. John looks like he might get a few games this season, especially in the dead matches, to further his footballing education. Things are looking good for John so far and hopefully he'll continue to improve but at the moment he won't sign a new contract.

Ryan Shaw SW/D C 29 English 21 Caps 2 Goal 65 appearances 4 goals.

Ryan was bought from Fulham for £4.7 million three seasons ago and so far has provided some quality back up to the older key first team players. Ryan has begun to settle down into a more permanent role in the team getting a lot more games last season.

Billy Ward D L/C 25 English Under 21 Player 0 Appearances

Billy was signed from Everton for £2.5 million in the summer and should proove to be a good long term buy. Billy may or may not go straight into the team but given a year or two he'll of settled in nicely.

[Bagpuss]

Midfielders

Brian Burton D/DM R/L 20 English Under 21 17 Appearances 0 Goals

Brian was bought from Sheffield Wednesday two seasons ago for £4.5 million rising to £8 million on appearances. Brian is going to be a good little winger but due to his age will not get too many games just yet and in fact hardly featured last season.

Simon Buxton D/DM L 29 English 34 caps 4 goals 363 Appearances 35 goals

Simon has been with us 11 years now and joined us from the youth team. Simon is a very good left back who is also happy to push down the wing as well as defend. Last season Simon continued to show his class in the Premiership and for England.

Sam Hudson DM R/C 17 English 0 Appearances

Sam joined us last season from the youth team and arrived with a note from Roy Keane saying this is a kid to watch for in the future. Sam will probably still only play in the reserves this season but given a few years he may well be getting quite a few games for us.

Luis Manuel Martin DM C 22 Spanish 21 Caps 1 Goal 38 Appearances 5 Goals

Luis joined us last summer from Birmingham for £3.2 million on a bosman after my repeated bids were turned down so once more i've gotten a great player on the cheap. Luis will somehow have to be fitted into a somewhat overcrowded midfield but so far he has done very well for us slotting in most of the time.

Theo Molenaar DM C 25 Dutch 42 caps 6 goal 243 appearances 31 goals

Theo is fast turning into my greatest signing ever in that he cost us £975k when he joined us from PSV on a bosman 5 years ago. Theo had a very good season last year and has established himself as a key first team player. Theo has also progressed to Dutch Captain too over the last season a great honour for him.

Marcio Antonio Pinto de Souza D/DM L 22 Brazilian Under 21 0 Appearances 0 Goals

Marcio joined us last summer for £140k from Botofogo on a bosman and has the potential to be a great player i hope. Long term he should be Buxton's replacement and left back but for now will have a spell in the reserves learning English and the English way of playing which he is struggling with so far.

Ben Ramsey D/DM R/C 27 English Under 21 1 Appearances 0 Goals

Ben was purchased from Stoke on a Bosman last summer and looks like a good back up player. I doubt Ben will get many games here but he isn't here at anything more than back up status really.

Danny Robertson D/DM R/C 23 English 2 Caps 29 Appearances

Danny was signed from Birmingham three seasons ago for £1.4 million and has the ability to become a decent player for us. Danny will have to wait his turn for a run in the first team but once their he should do fine as he is already getting more games each season.

John Welsh D/DM R/L/C 34 English 84 caps 2 goals 227 Appearances 3 goals

John joined us from Inter 4 seasons ago for £14.25 million and is a very very good player. John has boosted the defense a lot in since joining us and he will be the rock of the defense for the next season before probably leaving the club as his contract is up in the summer.

Alan Ashton AM/F R 19 English 1 Appearances 0 Goals

Alan joined us last summer from Nottingham Forest on a bosman that cost us £775k. Alan has the ability to become quite a decent winger or striker but will be in the reserves for now with the odd occasional appearance now and then.

Daniel Brinkmann AM R/C 23 German 25 Caps 4 Goals 115 Appearances 16 goals

Daniel was signed from Birmingham three seasons ago for £4 million and he has already established himself into the first team. Daniel looks like having a very good career here at Carlisle for the next decade hopefully as he is already a key player for us.

John Foster AM L/C 26 English Under 21 player 63 Appearances 4 goals

John joined us from Wolves 7 years ago for £1.9 million and is beginning to become a good player. John will start to get a few more games each season now but i don't think he will feature that heavily in the team after the older players retire as there are better players in the reserves than him.

Yngvar Kaspersen AM R/L 33 Norwegian 34 Caps 2 Goals 0 Appearances 0 Goals

Yngvar was bought from Fulham last summer on a bosman for £2.8 million. Yngvar is here to add a bit more experience to the club and also because i forgot i had him lined up for a bosman signing in case i didn't get other targets so he is unlikely to either play a lot or be here long.

James Kerr D/S C 30 English 22 Caps 3 Goals 210 Appearances 57 goals

James joined us from Leicester for £3.5 million 5 years ago and James is one of those players it is hard to figure out where to play as James is a very good striker and defender. I played him in defense mostly last season but the season before he was up front and gt 24 goals.

Silvio Marcucci AM R/L 24 Italian 29 caps 6 goals 28 Appearances 2 goals

Silvio joined us from Aston Villa 6 years ago for £5 million which will rise to £10 million on appearances. Silvio is a incredibly good winger and that was why i paid over the top for him in the first place. Silvio is more or less on the verge of a first team place now but probably losses out due to my preferred formation.

Mario Celso Menezes AM C 23 Brazilian 3 Caps 3 Appearances 1 Goal

Mario was signed last summer on a bosman from Milan that cost us £2.2 million. Mario looks like being a good AM C in the near future and was given time to improve with the reserves at first but is now on the fringes of the main squad.

Dean Stevens AM/F L/C 32 English 50 caps 6 goals 562 Appearances 180 goals

Dean joined us 15 years ago from Torquay for £1.2 million and at first only got a few games. After 6 or 7 years here Dean has become a key player at the club and is currently leading the strikers and excelling in his role.

Strikers

Roberto Bella S C 27 Italian Under 21 82 Appearances 30 goals

Roberto was signed three seasons ago from Milan for £3.7 million more as a back up striker but he does have the potential to be a very good player himself. Roberto has now gotten him self more into the first team with a good number of games last season but i don't think he'll ever make a regular player.

Arnaud Bennetier S C 19 French 6 Caps 0 Appearances

Arnaud was signed from PSG for £4 million on a bosman in the summer after several bids were turned down. So far he is struggling with the life style but i hope he sorts himself out quick as he is a bloody awesome striker.

Leonardo Borghi F C 26 Italian 1 Cap 69 Appearances 125 Goals

Leonardo was signed from Juventus two seasons ago on a bosman for £3.4 million which was a bargain. Leonardo is a damn good striker and has gone straight into the first team squad where he has been giving us a bit of Italian flair.

Massimo Mariano F L/C 26 Italian Under 21 29 Appearances 6 goals

Massimo is on the verge of breaking through into the first team and when he does he looks like he will do very well indeed. Massimo joined us 7 years ago from Coventry for the paltry fee of £975k and generally plays in the reserves with the odd substitute appearance. Massimo is still one to watch for the future and with the lower number of strikers at the club now has the chance to stake a claim for a spot in the first team.

Rafael Pereira de Carvalho S C 22 Brazilian 2 Caps 20 Appearances 7 Goals

Rafael joined us last summer on a bosman from Atletico Paranaense which cost us a paltry £375k. Rafael looks like being a great striker in a year or so and i'll be watching his progress closely, he has already improved a lot and should make a great partnership with Bennetier.

Jimmy Walters S C 24 English Under 21 6 Appearances 2 Goals

Jimmy was signed from Bury on a bosman two seasons ago for £1 million as i was after a few more young strikers then. Jimmy has great potential and will be given the opportunities to excel and impress me but i don't think at present he'll fit in.

[Bagpuss]

August 2018

ManUtd in the charity shield was the first match of this season and we lost it 2-0 after the usual dull lazy start to the season we suffer from. Perhaps it is time to play a bunch of friendlies before the season starts to get us all match sharp.

Gary Barton joins from Tottenham for £2.5 million and he should become a great striker in a few years.

Nottingham Forest away was next and we lost it 1-0 after a pretty rubbish performance. The defence actually played well it was the rest that let us down today but it is still early in the season.

Tottenham at home was next and we managed to get a 1-0 victory. Massimo Mariano scored the goal for us with ten minutes left in the match.

Man Utd away was next and we lost it 1-0 but actually played very well today. It was just hard to score against them and with a spot of squad tinkering as well as trying to find a new formation things aren't gelling that well yet. We finished the month in 15th spot which isn't good but pretty much normal for us at the start of a season.

[Bagpuss]

September 2018

Emilio Castellano joins from Jaen for £220k and looks to be a promising D/AM R. John Welsh joins Birmingham for £675k but also saves £4 million a year on the wage bill. Bristol City sign Luis Neto for £3.7 million rising to £4.3 million on appearances which is quite a loss but also necessary as he was turning into a whinger.

Bury away was next and we managed to get a 2-1 win over them. Stevens and Rafael scored our goals whilst Shaw got sent off for two yellows in a tough hard fought match.

Alexander Farneraud joins us on a free transfer for the rest of the season putting paid to the squad complaining about too few players and also adding a bit more experience to the team too.

David Kelly joins from the Youth Team and he is a 17 year old AM C who comes recommended from Coach Billy Barr so i'll be keeping an eye on him for the future.

Valencia at home in the Champions League was next and we got a nice 2-1 win over them as we started this seasons campaign off with a win. Buxton and Luis Manuel Martin scored the goals today.

Club Brugge away in the Champions League was next and we managed to get a easy 2-0 win against them. Foster and Brinkmann got the goals as we continued to ease our way through Europe once more.

Birmingham away was next and we got a simple 1-0 win against them. Luis Manuel Martin scored the goal for us as we slowly began to build up a good run of wins which will hopefully continue for quite some time.

PSV at home in the Champions League was next and we picked up another win with a fine 2-0 victory. Rafael scored both goals with the only two shots in the entire game as both of us went for a defensive shutdown style of play.

Newcastle at home was next and we got a easy 2-0 win over our Northern rivals. Bella and Borghi scored the goals today as we eased back up towards the correct end of the table once more. We finished the month 3rd 3 points behind the leaders but with a game in hand.

[Bagpuss]

October 2018

Reading at home was the first match this month and also the first time we had played them for 15 years. We managed to beat them 1-0 in a somewhat unconvincing manner especially as it was an own goal.

Stoke away was next and we managed to lose it 1-0. It wasn't a good performance today and a few little injuries early on didn't help things limiting any changes i could make.

PSV away in the Champions League was next and we lost it 2-1 in a closely fought end to end match. Arnaud Bennetier scored our goal his first for us and hopefully to be followed by many more.

Middlesborough at home was next and we lost it 1-0 after trying out a sweeper formation. Whether or not the formation switch was to blame for the defeat is moot as we dominated the game yet failed to score once more.

Valencia away in the Champions League was next and we managed to get a 1-0 win putting us into the next stage. Borghi scored the goal as the sweeper experiment continued.

Yngvar Kaspersen leaves to join Oldham for £525k as he was rubbish and a mistake.

Arsenal away was next and we lost this one 1-0 too but i think it is down to a case of the team getting used to the new formation before we start to score once more. We finished the month 10th spot 10points behind the leaders Liverpool but with a game in hand.

[Bagpuss]

November 2018

Newcastle at home in the League Cup was next and we managed to get a 2-1 win with a weaker team than normal. Arnaud Bennetier scored both our goals but is still struggling to settle in to English life.

Alexandre de Silva joins on a free transfer and he is a vastly experienced Brazilian AM/F L/C who is 31 and he is here on a two year contract.

Blackburn at home in the league was next and we managed to get a 1-1 draw as the new formation was beginning to take effect. Bella scored the goal today as we reversed recent dodgy league form at last.

Club Brugge at home in the Champions League was next and we got a 1-1 draw. It was a bad result really as despite giving several younger players a game 17 shots got us a single Arnaud Bennetier goal.

Liverpool away in the league was next and we got a very nice 1-0 win over them continuing our recovery in the league. Buxton scored the goal for us as the Sweeper system seems to be a good way forward for now.

Darlington at home was next and we got another 1-0 win after a dominant performance again. Kerr scored the goal today as it looks like some of the advantages of the sweeper system is a greater ability to rotate the players around a bit.

Porto at home in the Champions League was next and we got a scrappy 1-1 draw against them. Rafael scored the goal for us and after Arnaud Bennetier came on as a sub with 20 minutes left the two of them formed a very good partnership.

Wigan away was next and we picked up a point with a 1-1 draw. It was a fair result as the Wigan keeper was awesome today meaning we could only get a single goal thanks to Theo Molenaar's wonderful free kick.

H Lock joins us from Illovo for £180k and he looks like being a decent Malawian keeper. It also allows me to sell Eric Marquet to Racing Genk for £1.9 million being he was demanding first team football.

Blackburn at home in the League Cup was next and we beat them 2-0. Rafael scored both goals one of which was a rebound form a penalty he missed. Just into the second half i went for all out attack with 4 strikers on at the same time and it worked. We finished the month in 5th spot 9 points behind Liverpool but still with our game in hand.

[Bagpuss]

December 2018

Bristol City at home was first up this month and we got a very comfortable 1-0 win against them. Molenaar scored our goal as i switched back to the old tried and tested 4-3-1-2 formation for a spell.

Nantes away in the Champions League was next and we lost 1-0 to a lucky late goal. It was a good performance actually and a lucky strike snuck them the win where as i thought i had the draw in the bag and a fair chance of getting a late winner ourselves.

Sheffield Wednesday away was next and we got a nice and easy 2-0 win against them. Bella and Rafael scored the goals for us today as we edged a bit nearer Liverpool and the top of the table.

Fulham away in the League Cup Quarter Final was next and we managed to ease past them 3-2. It was a tough match but we got the win in the end thanks to a pair of goals from Molenaar and one from Rafael who is really looking excellent now.

Emerson Mosquera joins from Salamanca for £1.1 million and should add some Colombian flair to our attacking options being he is a 29 year old AM/F L/C. Steve Porter joins from Birmingham for £775k and he is a 22 year old D R/C who should be quite good in a few years time. Jairo Restrepo from Zaragoza also joins us for £775k and he is a 32 year old Colombian DC who is here for the next 18 months.

Nottingham Forest at home was next and we got a simple 1-0 win over them. Rafael scored the goal for us his 9th of the season so far. The team is getting on great with the sweeper system but i still use the old 4-3-1-2 formation occasionally to keep the opposition guessing.

Roberto Bella moves to Barcelona for £20 million as i decided the offer they made was too good to refuse and its not as if i have a shortage of strikers anyway. The money will be used in the future to get new players but this time carefully after several years of overspending. Also i think the board have most of it earmarked for a further stadium expansion as i just asked for one.

Wolves away was next and we were outplayed yet managed to get a 1-0 win. Rafael scored the goal but it was Restrepo's first game for us and his match winning performance that got us the win.

Grimsby at home was next and we got a nice 2-0 win over them. Rafael and Buxton scored the goals with Rafael's goalscoring run continuing. Also Bennetier is looking good alongside him once more which is also a good thing.

Tottenham away was next and we were easily beaten 3-0. It wasn't that bad a game but we lost because Blake got sent off after 13 minutes meaning we played with only 10 men for most of the match and more importantly without Rafael. We finished the month in 3rd spot 8 points behind Liverpool but still with the game in hand.

[Bagpuss]

January 2019

Man Utd at home was first up this month and we lost it 2-1 thanks to another sending off. Corbett tripped Robben getting a second yellow and a penalty which was duly scored making it a defeat when we should have had a draw at least.

Southport away in the FA Cup was next and we er lost 2-1 to a third division club despite dominating the match. Billy Ward scored our goal as we surprisingly lost the match, and i had played a mostly full strength team, perhaps the sweeper system is ineffective against lower division clubs.

Fulham at home in our catch up game was next and we drew it 0-0 despite easily dominating the game. The Fulham goalkeeper had a good game and was probably responsible for us not scoring.

Fulham away was next and this time i reverted to the old system and got a nice simple 2-1 win against them. Emerson Mosquera scored both the goals in his first appearance for us.

Bury at home was next and we got a simple 2-0 win over them. Kerr and Borghi scored the goals as we edged a touch nearer the top end of the table.

Charlton away in the League Cup Semi Final was next and we got a scrappy 0-0 draw against them. It wasn't a great match but at least we never lost it. We finished the month in 3rd spot 5 points behind the leaders.

[Bagpuss]

February 2019

Reading away was first up this month and we lost it 1-0. It was a disappointing match really with a very poor performance that saw us lose to a lucky late goal. Still we should of played better and beaten them really.

Stoke at home was next and we got a 1-0 win in another crap display. It was a rubbish match to be honest and we never deserved the win but i'll take the 3 points as we need them in our race for the title, Bennetier scored the goal for us. The stinking FA fined us for our poor disciplinary record too the *******s.

Middlesborough away was next and we got a simple 2-0 win over them after reverting back to the old tested formation once more. Rafael and Bennetier scored the goals for us as i ditched the sweeper style of play for a bit.

Lazio at home in the Champions League was next and we picked up a point with a 1-1 draw. We remain bottom of our group and only got the point due to a injury time equaliser from Massimo Mariano.

Lazio away was next in the Champions League and this time we actually beat them this time. A nice 2-1 victory with goals from Buxton and Borghi saw us jump up to 2nd but it will still be a fight to get into the knock out stages.

Birmingham at home was next and we picked up a draw against i suppose what you would call are main port of call for players. It was another dodgy match but the defence excelled themselves for a change preventing them from scoring.

Charlton at home in the League Cup Semi Final was next and we lost it 2-0. We shouldn't of lost the match really as we are far better than them but the defence was rather rubbish today. We finished the month 3rd but now 6 points behind Liverpool.

[Bagpuss]

March 2019

Newcastle away was next and we picked up a fine 3-2 win over them. Kerr, Rafael and Bennetier scored with Rafael and Bennetier playing exceptionally well together today.

Jimmy Walters joins Tottenham for £4.5 million after being deemed unuseful.

Porto away in the Champions League was next and we annihilated them 4-0. Brinkmann, Borghi, Bennetier and Rafael all scored today as we edged a bit nearer to the Quarter Final stage.

Nantes at home in the Champions League was next and we got a 0-0 draw against them. It was a nice match but we just failed to score a goal and with Lazio winning we ended up 3rd once more missing out on the knock out stages.

Arsenal at home was next and we got a fairly simple 1-0 win over them. Borghi scored the goal for us as we pushed Arsenal down to bottom spot whilst also closing the gap at the top a lot too.

Bristol City away was next and we got a 1-1 draw against them. It was a bad result really as we should of won the game easily but we just couldn't score. Borghi got the goal for us as we finished the month in 3rd spot 3 points behind Man Utd.

[Bagpuss]

April 2019

Liverpool at home was first up for us and we got a brilliant 1-0 win over them. Rafael scored our goal as we moved up to 2nd spot and also avoided having a player get booked at all which is a change.

Blackburn away was next and we managed to get a simple 3-0 win over them. Shaw, Bennetier and Mariano scored the goals today, but Rafael twisted his ankle and will be out for a month now.

Wigan at home was next and we only got a 1-1 draw against them despite dominating the game. Bennetier scored our goal before going off with a minor injury leaving us limited up front.

Darlington away was next and we got a nice 2-0 win over them. Borghi and Menzes scored the goals as we maintained pressure on Man Utd at the top of the table. 3 games left now and it is very close still.

Sheffield Wednesday at home was next and we beat them 3-1 rather easily. Bennetier scored twice and Luis Manuel Martin got the third as we walked all over them. We finished the month 2nd 2 points behind Man Utd with 2 games left to play.

[Bagpuss]

May 2019

Grimsby away was first up this month and we beat them 3-1 despite both Rafael and Bennetier carrying injuries. Bennetier scored two of the goals and Kerr got the third as we remained 2 points behind Man Utd.

Wolves at home was the last game of this season and we needed to win it and hope Man Utd lose. Naturally we dominate the game but manage to lose 3-1. Buxton scored our goal as Blake obviously thought the season had already ended as he spent most of the game asleep.

[Bagpuss]

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">

************************************************************************************************

English Premier Division - Wednesday 19th June 2019

************************************************************************************************

================================================================================================

2018/9 Table

================================================================================================

Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag Won Drn Lst For Ag Pts

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1st C Man Utd 38 15 4 0 37 5 9 4 6 20 16 80

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2nd Carlisle 38 12 4 3 21 9 11 2 6 24 15 75

3rd Liverpool 38 11 5 3 24 8 8 8 3 20 10 70

4th Wolves 38 8 6 5 23 18 9 6 4 25 12 63

5th Reading 38 10 7 2 24 12 5 8 6 15 22 60

6th Stoke 38 5 11 3 14 11 7 10 2 20 10 57

7th Tottenham 38 9 5 5 21 14 5 8 6 20 21 55

8th Sheff Wed 38 8 5 6 16 16 4 10 5 15 18 51

9th Newcastle 38 6 7 6 21 19 6 6 7 17 21 49

10th Birmingham 38 8 5 6 24 16 3 10 6 9 13 48

11th Grimsby 38 6 8 5 15 16 5 6 8 19 21 47

12th Bristol C 38 7 8 4 22 18 4 5 10 12 19 46

13th Darlington 38 8 7 4 21 17 3 6 10 14 26 46

14th Nottm Forest 38 8 4 7 23 21 2 10 7 15 25 44

15th Bury 38 7 4 8 26 28 4 5 10 14 29 42

16th Fulham 38 5 8 6 19 19 4 6 9 14 19 41

17th Blackburn 38 5 8 6 15 16 4 5 10 11 21 40

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

18th R Arsenal 38 8 5 6 14 15 1 3 15 8 32 35

19th R Middlesbrough 38 5 5 9 16 24 3 4 12 14 33 33

20th R Wigan 38 4 10 5 12 12 2 4 13 8 25 32

</pre>

[Bagpuss]

Squad Review 2019/20

Goalkeepers

Stephen Blake 31 English Capped 22 Caps 629 Appearances

Stephen Blake had another good season last year but also made a few big errors too. Stephen is still a very good keeper but i think its time to have some good younger challengers waiting behind him.

Tom Davis 17 English 0 Appearances

Tom joined us at the start of this season from the youth team and has not played a game yet. Tom may or may not prove to be a good keeper but he des at least allow me to ditch some of the older unneeded ones.

H Lock 28 Malawian 23 Caps 2 Appearances

Lock was signed last season to act as back up to Blake in case he got injured as Murphy wasn't turning into a good a player as i thought. Lock may well leave the club soon now as i've bought Richardson now.

Keith Richardson 22 English Under 21 player 0 Appearancea

Keith joined us this summer with the task of challenging Blake for the number one spot. Keith will be playing reserve matches for now but will get his chances covering for injury or suspension breaks.

Defenders

Robert Corbett SW/D/DM C 24 English 26 caps 1 goal 211 Appearances 14 goals

Robert joined us four years ago for £1.2 million from Stoke and he is a very very good player. Robert has managed to maintain a presence in the England team and has also shown a good tendency to score goals too, although he failed too last season.

Steve Porter D R/C 23 English 0 Appearances

Steve was signed from Birmingham to provide some back up to the defence and also because i believe he could be a decent player for us. Steve has done nothing so far to show me he is capable of staying here but he'll get another year or so.

Peter Price D R/C 24 English 20 Caps 1 goal 46 Appearances

Peter joined us last summer from Middlesborough for £2.6 million via the bosman system after several attempts to sign him. Peter looks like being a very dependable defender and has already slotted into the first team squad.

Jairo Restrepo D C 32 Colombian 6 Caps 4 Appearances

Jairo joined us last season to provide some experienced back up to the defence and will be here for this season only before leaving. Jairo is not here to play a lot of games but to provide good cover for the rest of the squad.

Ryan Shaw SW/D C 30 English 29 Caps 5 Goal 114 appearances 5 goals.

Ryan was bought from Fulham for £4.7 million four seasons ago and so far has provided some quality back up to the older key first team players. Ryan has settled down into a permanent role in the team getting a lot of games last season.

Billy Ward D L/C 26 English Under 21 Player 17 Appearances 1 goal

Billy was signed from Everton for £2.5 million last season and should prove to be a good long term buy. Billy has only played in a few games so far but will probably get a few more this season..

[Bagpuss]

Midfielders

Brian Burton D/DM R/L 21 English Under 21 30 Appearances 0 Goals

Brian was bought from Sheffield Wednesday three seasons ago for £4.5 million rising to £8 million on appearances. Brian is going to be a good little winger but due to his age will not get too many games just yet and in fact hardly featured last season.

Simon Buxton D/DM L 30 English 42 caps 5 goals 407 Appearances 40 goals

Simon has been with us 12 years now and joined us from the youth team. Simon is a very good left back who is also happy to push down the wing as well as defend. Last season Simon continued to show his class in the Premiership and for England.

Sam Hudson DM R/C 18 English 0 Appearances

Sam joined us last season from the youth team and arrived with a note from Roy Keane saying this is a kid to watch for in the future. Sam will probably still only play in the reserves this season but given a few years he may well be getting quite a few games for us.

Luis Manuel Martin DM C 23 Spanish 30 Caps 2 Goal 70 Appearances 9 Goals

Luis joined us two years ago from Birmingham for £3.2 million on a bosman after my repeated bids were turned down so once more i've gotten a great player on the cheap. Luis will somehow have to be fitted into a somewhat overcrowded midfield but so far he has done very well for us slotting in most of the time.

Theo Molenaar DM C 26 Dutch 47 caps 6 goal 289 appearances 35 goals

Theo is fast turning into my greatest signing ever in that he cost us £975k when he joined us from PSV on a bosman 6 years ago. Theo had a very good season last year and has established himself as a key first team player. Theo has also progressed to Dutch Captain too over the last few seasons a great honour for him.

Marcio Antonio Pinto de Souza D/DM L 23 Brazilian 3 Caps 1 Appearances 0 Goals

Marcio joined us two seasons ago for £140k from Botofogo on a bosman and has the potential to be a great player i hope. Long term he should be Buxton's replacement and left back but for now will have a spell in the reserves learning English and the English way of playing which he is struggling with so far.

Ben Ramsey D/DM R/C 28 English Under 21 9 Appearances 0 Goals

Ben was purchased from Stoke on a Bosman two seasons ago and looks like a good back up player. I doubt Ben will get many games here but he isn't here at anything more than back up status really, in fact he's now on the transfer list with a bit of interest.

Danny Robertson D/DM R/C 24 English 5 Caps 1 goal 57 Appearances

Danny was signed from Birmingham four seasons ago for £1.4 million and has the ability to become a decent player for us. Danny will have to wait his turn for a run in the first team but once their he should do fine and last season he got a lot more games than normal.

Alan Ashton AM/F R 20 English 1 Appearances 0 Goals

Alan joined us two seasons ago from Nottingham Forest on a bosman that cost us £775k. Alan has the ability to become quite a decent winger or striker but will be in the reserves for now with the odd occasional appearance now and then.

Daniel Brinkmann AM R/C 24 German 32 Caps 7 Goals 166 Appearances 18 goals

Daniel was signed from Birmingham four seasons ago for £4 million and he has already established himself into the first team. Daniel looks like having a very good career here at Carlisle for the next decade hopefully as he is already a key player for us.

Emilio Castellano D/AM R 20 Spanish Under 21 1 Appearance

Emilio joined us last season from Jaen for £220k and should be a good winger in a few years time when he improves with age. For now he'll stick in the reserves but may get the odd cup match too.

John Foster AM L/C 27 English 1 Cap 76 Appearances 5 goals

John joined us from Wolves 8 years ago for £1.9 million and is beginning to become a good player. John will start to get a few more games each season now but i don't think he will feature that heavily in the team after the older players retire as there are better players in the reserves than him.

David Kelly AM C 18 English 0 Appearances

David joined us from the youth team last season and so far has only played in the reserves but given time will begin to break through into the first team squad.

James Kerr D/S C 31 English 31 Caps 8 Goals 263 Appearances 61 goals

James joined us from Leicester for £3.5 million 6 years ago and James is one of those players it is hard to figure out where to play as James is a very good striker and defender. I played him in defense mostly last season.

Silvio Marcucci AM R/L 25 Italian 37 caps 6 goals 38 Appearances 2 goals

Silvio joined us from Aston Villa 6 years ago for £5 million which will rise to £10 million on appearances. Silvio is a incredibly good winger and that was why i paid over the top for him in the first place. Silvio is more or less on the verge of a first team place now but probably losses out due to my preferred formation.

Mario Celso Menezes AM C 24 Brazilian 3 Caps 21 Appearances 2 Goal

Mario was signed two years ago on a bosman from Milan that cost us £2.2 million. Mario looks like being a good AM C in the near future and was given time to improve with the reserves at first but is now on the fringes of the main squad where he got quite a few games last season.

Emerson Mosquera AM/F L/C 29 Colombian 16 Caps 2 Goals 4 Appearances 2 Goals

Emerson joined us last season from Salamanca for £1.1 million and he is here mostly as a back up to the rest of the squad but also here to add a bit of South American flair to the occasional match too.

Dean Stevens AM/F L/C 33 English 59 caps 6 goals 585 Appearances 181 goals

Dean joined us 16 years ago from Torquay for £1.2 million and at first only got a few games. After 6 or 7 years here Dean has become a key player at the club and is currently leading the strikers and excelling in his role, Dean is in his last season with us as he isn't as good as he was at his peak.

Alexandre da Silva AM/F L/C 32 Brazilian Under 21 2 Appearances

Alexandre joined us last season from Benfica and is also here to boost the squad mostly as back up. Alexandre will begone at the end of the season as he is a short term measure really.

Strikers

Gary Barton S C 20 English Under 21 0 Appearances

Gary joined us last year from Spurs for £2.5 million and is one for the future really. Gary looks like being a great player in the future but for now will be in the reserves.

Arnaud Bennetier S C 20 French 11 Caps 3 goals 32 Appearances 14 goals

Arnaud was signed from PSG for £4 million on a bosman last season after several bids were turned down. Arnuad had a very good first season with us and is already valued at £16.5 million with several bids being made at the end of the last season. Arnaud is still struggling with the lifestyle but will hopefully settle down this season.

Leonardo Borghi F C 27 Italian 1 Cap 108 Appearances 33 Goals

Leonardo was signed from Juventus three seasons ago on a bosman for £3.4 million which was a bargain. Leonardo is a damn good striker and has gone straight into the first team squad where he has been giving us a bit of Italian flair.

Massimo Mariano F L/C 27 Italian Under 21 42 Appearances 9 goals

Massimo is on the verge of breaking through into the first team and when he does he looks like he will do very well indeed. Massimo joined us 8 years ago from Coventry for the paltry fee of £975k and generally plays in the reserves with the odd substitute appearance. Massimo is still one to watch for the future and with the lower number of strikers at the club now has the chance to stake a claim for a spot in the first team.

Rafael Pereira de Carvalho S C 23 Brazilian 7 Caps 66 Appearances 22 Goals

Rafael joined us two seasons ago on a bosman from Atletico Paranaense which cost us a paltry £375k. Rafael looks like being a great striker in a year or so and i'll be watching his progress closely, he has already improved a lot and should make a great partnership with Bennetier.

Wayne Rooney S C 33 English 64 Caps 15 Goals 67 Appearances 21 Goals

Wayne rejoins us for a single season after spending the last 4 seasons with Real Madrid. Hopefully this time Wayne will score the goals he never looked like scoring last time he was here.

[Bagpuss]

August 2019

Everton away was the first match this season and we managed to beat them 3-1. Brinkmann, Shaw and Luis Manuel Marin scored the goals for us today as we started the season off with a nice easy win for a change.

Ben Ramsey joins Oldham for £2.2 million after being selected for culling.

Fulham away was next and we won it 2-1. Rafael and Molenaar scored the goals today as we totally dominated the game. Hopefully we can maintain a decent run of form at the start of the season for a change.

Man Utd at home was next and we got a 1-1 draw against them. It was a even match with both of us getting quite a few shots in. Bennetier scored the goal for us as we set a new record attendance of 74255 people. We finished the month in 2nd spot 2 points behind Blackburn.

[Bagpuss]

September 2019

Peter Campbell joins from Grimsby for £975k and will be a great little winger in the future.

Lazio sign Silvio Marucci for £10.75 million after he decided to leave for a new challenge. He wasn't really getting that many games and it was a good offer.

Daniel Vila joins from Villarreal for £1.6 million and will be a good back up cover for the right back position.

Porto away in the Champions League was next and we lost it 3-1. It was a poor performance from the strikers as we had more than enough shots and possession to win the game. Brinkmann scored the goal for us.

Birmingham at home was next and we managed to lose another match. This time we lost 1-0 and it was a fair result unlike the last match. No one really played well or even average really just one of those games i suppose.

Celtic at home in the Champions League was next and we easily beat them 3-1. Rafael scored twice and Borghi got the third as we easily beat a very poor Celtic side. It was a new record attendance of 76887 fans too.

Blackburn away was next and we managed to get a 0-0 draw against them. It was another poor match in that we once more failed to capitalize on having far more shots on goal.

Nantes at home in the Champions League was next and we got a 1-1 draw against them. Borghi scored the goal as we once more had loads of shots yet failed to score enough with them.

Wolves at home was next and we lost it 1-0. It was a fair result really and having a defender sent off did not help things either. We finished the month in 9th spot 7 behind leaders Newcastle.