Carlisle United 0 Tranmere Rovers 1: The thrill ain’t again/We’re not excited/End twenty second and we’ll all be delighted. Perhaps Michael Knighton can rap that for us.
On a surreal but additionally greyly acquainted day at Brunton Park, Carlisle United continued their journey into the depths of League Two as one of the crucial controversial figures from their previous watched from on excessive.
An astonishing sight, all informed: the grey-bearded Knighton perched near present membership officers, again right here for the primary time in 20 years as this extremely restricted trendy model of his previous group got here up goalless and pointless for the fourth successive sport.
Knighton rapped on a single because the mid-90s United cruised to promotions and Wembley appearances. A number of years later and he was gone after some deeply troubled occasions. Think about being informed in 2002 that, come 2021, he’d be again in these seats, even only for one afternoon. Soccer. Bloody hell.
Additionally: United. Bloody hell. This present plight is greater than doubtless going to worsen earlier than it will get higher. The thought Carlisle are only a supervisor in need of a profitable operation is a laughable delusion. That isn’t far off being the least of their points.
Gavin Skelton, the caretaker, and Eric Kinder, his assistant, did their finest to get a shedding group into some type of form for the primary sport of the post-Chris Beech period. The group appeared, for this encounter with Tranmere, a minimum of to be clear of their organisation and plan.
For 48 minutes they stored an completed however not particularly potent travelling Tranmere at affordable bay. Then Rod McDonald’s own-goal fizzed into Mark Howard’s web and United’s limitations have been again in neon.
They couldn’t rating. They will’t rating. Six hours now with no purpose or some extent, 4 video games spent travelling from decrease mid-table into the relegation zone. David Holdsworth, the director of soccer, mentioned final Thursday that he didn’t need to ponder that r-word. Courageous. Or one thing else.
Let’s be clear. United don’t simply want a brand new boss however half a group, or a minimum of a bit of cluster of gamers who can add emphasis at each ends and, for pity’s sake, discover the online. With out the short-term assist of a free agent, ought to one be on the market, this appears to be like extremely more likely to be a case of making an attempt to remain in contact with third-bottom till January, at which level the newest salvation job can start.
What a bleak outlook. What a sorry option to suppose. What a completely reasonable manner of assessing what’s in entrance of us. Even possession “succession” – nonetheless on the desk, chairman Andrew Jenkins insisted on Saturday – may effectively come too late to avert issues in 2021/22.
United present their disappointment after Tranmere strike (photograph: Barbara Abbott)
With the image so gloomy, the element feels inevitable, even within the moments when United threaten to do one thing higher. Skelton despatched them out in a 4-4-1-1 and, apart from a Sam Foley offside purpose, Carlisle to start with stored Tranmere the place they may deal with them: tough in huge areas, toothless within the field.
Some early enterprise lower Zach Clough free for a United shot which Ross Doohan saved. Jordan Gibson put a sighter huge, Corey Whelan, at right-back, confirmed a measure of attacking intent and United tried a few new issues from set-pieces.
Tranmere recognized Callum McManaman’s means to harm United’s left defensive facet as an space of potential, and when Josh Dacres-Cogley overlapped in assist – not all the time tracked – this appeared a probable avenue. United, although, cleared strains safely and stored Howard, the skilled goalkeeping debutant, effectively sufficient protected.
The Blues performed determinedly, although sure of their attackers have been ineffective once more, and their plan to include and break appeared wise. Nil-nil at half-time was a minimum of a foundation for one thing after the concessions of earlier weeks. But Tranmere hit them early within the second half, darting at a deep defence, Kieron Morris and Sam Foley placing them in arrears and the latter’s cross diverted in by McDonald for Rovers’ first away purpose of time period.
United had put such balls into Tranmere’s field with out such a break, or the decisive thrust of a No9. Plus ca change. After Gibson did not put a Jack Armer cross previous Doohan from extremely tempting vary, Josh Hawkes glided by means of two blue shirts and was felled by Jon Mellish, just for Howard to save lots of Morris’s penalty.
A reprieve. An opportunity. A group with extra about them might need taken it. United, as an alternative, did nothing from right here to counsel that they had the map to purpose.
Mellish went shut from 20 yards. Brennan Dickenson was denied a hopeful penalty shout. Substitutions have been made. Howard denied the countering Foley. Tranmere’s centre-halves Tom Davies and Peter Clarke have been predictably resolute. A few scrambles failed to learn the Blues. The close to 900-strong visiting assist thumped their drum at full-time, and Knighton slipped away: United’s turbulent previous and troubling current married on one unusual autumn afternoon.
