Look out for: Carlisle

Permission from Argyle Life to use image 

Players 

Changes will be made to the Argyle starting eleven which walked out onto the Madejski Stadium field on Tuesday evening, with Captain Luke McCormick, David Ijaha, Ryan Donaldson and Jimmy Spencer all looking for re-calls after being dropped in the defeat to Reading. After Derek Adams admitted that Reading ‘thoroughly deserved to win the match’ the Pilgrims will have to be on top of their game to get anything out of this fixture. Personally, Argyle are missing width in the game so I expect Adams to use the loan system to bring in further depth to the team in wider areas. Unavailable to Adams is central defender, Karleigh Osborne, who has yet to overcome a thigh injury which he sustained in the first week of pre-season.

Lifelong Argyle supporter Mark Ellis will lineup against the club when the Pilgrims visit Brunton Park on Saturday, as having previously played for Bolton Wonders; Torquay United; Forest Green Rovers; Crewe and Shrewsbury. With Ellis having seen out his contract at Shrewsbury, while on loan to Carlisle, he then signed a two-year contract with the club. Other players to take note of are; Jabo Ibehre, who has scored fifteen goals in thirty-six appearances since joining in June 2015; and Jamie Devitt, a skillful winger.

Managers

Having brought in fourteen players for the start of the new season, is it too early to start questioning the results? For me,  it is a tad early. I know we have had two bad results so far, as the new team players gel and get to know each other; no finger should yet be pointed at the management team. With the amount of players who departed last season, we all know it is going to take time for the team to synchronize.

Keith Curle has been in charge of the Cambrians since September 2014 following the departure of Graham Kavanagh. Over this time, Curle has overseen ninety-seven games with thirty-six victories, twenty-six draws and thirty-fives loses, with a win percentage of 37.1%. With the vast amount of managers coming and going Keith Curle stands at the twenty fourth longest serving managers in both the Premiership and Football League.

Tactics 

Following a second successive defeat at the home of Reading on Tuesday night, Derek Adams will be looking at changing the formation and tactics of the team, with regular first team players called back into the starting lineup.  For the past two fixtures, in the league and cup, Adams has gone with his favored 4-2-3-1 formation, so is it time for a change in tactics? As of last season, Argyle were able to rotate the formation of the squad rotating to a 3-5-2 with wing backs, Gary Sawyer and Kelvin Mellor, a possibility now Bulvitis is available as the third centre-back.

Opposition Tactics 

Carlisle, having drawn their season opener at Portsmouth and winning in the EFL Cup against Port Vale, have been tactically well drilled thus far. As an attacking side, they will look lively from kick off so Argyle will have to be wary to not be on the back foot too quickly on in the game. United also like to use long throw-ins so the newly formed Argyle back line will have to be astute when dealing with ball into the area from all corners of the pitch.

Head to Head 

Argyle and Carlisle have played each other thirty-seven times with the first meeting coming on 16th October 1965 in League Division Two, Argyle came out on top on this occasion defeating the Cumbrians 3-1, goals coming from Frank Lord and Mike Trebilcock (2).

Argyle slightly have the edge over Carlisle with the Pilgrims coming out with sixteen victories, eight draws and thirteen loses, with the last three points coming last season with Ryan Brunt’s free-kick and an own goal securing the victory at Ewood Park, Carlisle’s temporary home at the time.