GIVEN Liverpool skipped the League Cup second round due to playing in Europe this season, and the fact you’d expect many of the minnows to be out by now, a home tie against Carlisle United — positioned 10th in League Two — is in theory about as good as it could have got for the Reds.
That was certainly the feeling when the draw was made, with Liverpool on seven points out of nine in the Premier League and riding high. Since then Carlisle have won three and drawn one from their four league games, scoring 10 goals in the process, while Liverpool have, well, yeah…
The Cumbrians suddenly look a lot more tricky, Liverpool look a lot more nervy and I’m reading sentences like “Carlisle United are the top scorers in all four divisions”, which, frankly, I can do without. The main reason for this is Jabo Ibehre, who has scored 10 in 10 this season and sounds like a cross between Alan Shearer and George Weah.
They’ve also got a Columbian midfielder, who I’ve decided must be brilliant, and a French playmaker with a name suspiciously like Henry,
But it’s still only Carlisle, isn’t it?
A team who have never beaten us on the eight occasions we have played them. Two of those were in the 1974-75 season when Carlisle had their only season in the top flight. Despite winning their first three games of that season, they still managed to finish bottom and Liverpool won both games to nil.
In the cups the last occasion we played Carlisle was in 1989 on the way to an emotional FA Cup win, triumphing 3-0 in the third round at Brunton Park. You can see the footage of the goals here, although I prefer another grainy video when you can hear the Carlisle supporters cheering every tackle.
So how good are they? Ever since I went to watch Liverpool play Bolton Wanderers in a FA Cup Third Round replay under Graeme Souness in 1993 and expected them to be tripping over the ball, only to see them beat us 2-0, I have struggled with the true level of the lower leagues compared to Liverpool.
A clue might be in our loan players. The fact that Sergi Canos is a million miles away from our first team but was voted man of the match for Brentford at the weekend suggests to me that we should be able to use any players at our disposal and win the game. But then I read that Joe Maguire can’t get a game at Leyton Orient, and I’m back at square one.
A TAW listener with a soft spot for Carlisle messaged us and said they shouldn’t be underestimated and would have a real go, as they did in beating QPR away from home in the previous round.
But then our friend Iain MacIntosh, who has seen them live this season, spoke to Neil yesterday and said we should, and I quote, “piss it”. So conflicting emotions there, too.
Basically, it usually comes down to this in these cup ties: Put a decent team out, and approach it properly, and you should go through.
I actually think picking fringe players helps fight complacency, as they are keen to prove their worth more than established first-team players.
I’d be looking to find a way to get Jordan Rossiter, Joe Gomez, Jordon Ibe, Adam Lallana, Divock Origi and Roberto Firmino in the team.
All of those could do with minutes and all of those should have far too much quality for Carlisle United. I’ll let the rest sort themselves out.
KICK OFF: 8pm. Tickets still available from Anfield. TV highlights, Channel 5, 11pm.
ODDS: Liverpool 1-5, Draw 77-10, Carlisle United 20-1
LAST MEETING: Carlisle United 0 Liverpool 3 (Barnes, McMahon 2). FA Cup Third Round, January 7, 1989.
READ: Liverpool, Carlisle United and the ghosts of Anfield past
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Prediction: 4-0, easy win. Even our fringe players are internationals and they’re up against a side only a few places above non-bloody-league. We’re also on our own pitch, so no sloppy cow field leveller tonight.
Our players should be faster, stronger, fitter (like Lee Majors) and have far better ball skills, regardless of who starts. The ref will be awful, though.
Nice prediction!! ;-)
Nothing but an easy win should be acceptable here.
Let’s stop the excuses for mediocrity and start demanding better.
I’m from Carlisle and the general level of excitement in the town has been building ever since the tie was announced. They’ve sold just shy of 6,000 tickets and requested more but were declined. It feels like everyone who lives here, except for me, is going tonight and a lot of lads I know fancy getting a result.
To give you some insight, Carlisle is made up of people who support Carlisle, or, Carlisle and either Liverpool or Man U because basically Carlisle are total dog shite to watch. So there will be folk there who want to see Carlisle win for Carlisle and to stick it to local lads who support a prem team, want to see Liverpool lose for their allegiance to Utd or aren’t quite sure what to do with themselves because really they support Liverpool. But they will be well behind the team, this game is a big deal for the city.
The last time I went to Brunton Park was a 0-0 against Tranmere one Valentines Day (My Mrs was well chuffed with that one!) but this season seems there seems to be more optimism than in the past, basically because they are scoring goals, but they really can’t defend.
I expect 1-1 with us (Liverpool) to scrape it in extra time or even pens.
There are a lot of Carlisle fans with tickets in the home end as well. They are almost guaranteed to be knob heads, so be forewarned.
You can tell if they are from Carlisle as they will finish every sentence with either ‘eh’ or ‘like’.
On a personal level at least I am interested in a League Cup game for a change!
Thanks for that. Interesting stuff. Glad to hear it’s a big game for some! JG
Pretty good prediction!! ;-)
“I expect 1-1 with us (Liverpool) to scrape it in extra time or even pens.”
DING DING DING!
Ended up going the game. A mate rang at 4 and said ticket office had plenty on general sale so sacked off work and flew down. Was pleased to see what was a historic night – at least for the lads in blue. Its given a lot of people from this town a huge lift even in defeat.
So much wrong with Liverpool though. So much tension in our attacking play. I love watching Coutinho shift and shoot as much as the next man, but when that’s all you’ve got in your locker your in trouble.
Oh, and GUTTED I didn’t put a bet on!
Dear FSG,
The joke is over… Please rid us of this fake charlatan. You are forking out 80k a week on an under qualified no-mark. I am not new on the bandwagon, I was devastated on day one of his tenure. Please do the honourable thing and save us from further humiliation. I have an 18 year old son at the game who cannot believe just how inept we have become under this fake, self preservational, mediocre, no mark. He has fleeced us of our dignity and £290m on transfers and his weekly salary. You have paid him over £15m in salary.. Please cut your losses for all our sakes.
Maybe you are in the delusional camp too, but time to take down the tent and come back to reality. You have been had!!!.. He is a shit manager, a bullshit merchant with no pedigree and you fell for it. Ok, we have all made mistakes, but please save us all from further embarrassment.
I know that I am in the majority here.
Please, please, please.. I am begging you!!
Do FSG subscribe to TAW then?
Well that was fucking painful!!!
I love me these famous Anfield nights.
Jesus wept. Was like against Chelsea going for the title that. But against a League 2 outfit. And half an hour longer on a weeknight. If they’re gonna keep us that long at least go all out and make it funny like Middlesbrough last year. When the pens went to the Anny Road End I actually thought Brendan might be on the receiving end of his very own Northampton 2010. Frightening.
Deathly slow with no movement. Millions of fucking shit shots. Could not actually believe what I was watching with the strength of the team put out. Really want to slaughter Lovren for their goal as well, but I’m not sure how hurt he is so I’ll leave it.