Carlisle United and Walsall could not be separated in Saturday’s tight 0-0 draw – but what did we learn from the game? Let’s take a look…
1 Fortress Brunton...myth or reality?
The Walsall manager Michael Flynn attracted a little derision from some Blues fans when he bemoaned the length of the journey from the Banks’s Stadium to Brunton Park.
“Carlisle are a good team, they’ve got a great home record, and I’ll take a point away from home all day long especially on a long journey like this,” he said.
Long journey? If only, Mike. The return trip, Carlisle to Walsall, is United’s 12th shortest on the League Two calendar in 2022/23.
Perhaps it was manager-speak to help present a 0-0 draw in the best possible terms. Or perhaps it pointed to something Carlisle must continue to make the most of.
They have certainly been strong at home since Paul Simpson’s return, and have only lost once in nine league games at Brunton Park this season.
Only five teams in the division have stronger home records, and many have worse, and there is certainly no harm in Carlisle attracting an image as a remote and unforgiving place, even if that image is over-egged at times.
Flynn may have hammed up a straightforward M6 coach trip of three hours, yet if United are regaining a certain reputation at home, so much the better.
2 Quick on the draw
In many ways Saturday underlined how far Carlisle have come and the distance still to cover on this gradual journey under Paul Simpson.
United are eighth after 18 games, a point outside the play-off places, and that reflects good work and a general growth after last season’s traumas.
The Blues are certainly not losing many – only leaders Leyton Orient have lost fewer games in League Two – but they are also now officially the division’s draw specialists.
Eight of their 18 fixtures have ended all square, Saturday’s goalless battle the latest.
Only three clubs in the whole of the EFL have drawn more often than Carlisle so far.
They have split these encounters equally – four at home, four away – and Saturday was one of those occasions when, as the home side with a natural expectation to take the initiative, they couldn’t quite manage it.
Walsall defended strongly and creditably, as had Crewe in the stadium’s previous goalless draw.
Finding ways to crack that sort of tough nut – with more of their attacking options coming back to availability – is the challenge if United are to upgrade their solid efforts into truly successful ones.
3 Shooting in the dark
From an early stage on Saturday it felt like a low-scoring or no-scoring game, and at no point did things truly unfold in a creative sense.
The statistics bear out how difficult Carlisle found it to create chances. Their overall expected goals (xG) for the game was 0.55; among their lowest of the season.
Their ability to get key players into dangerous areas was also limited. According to WhoScored.com data, Ryan Edmondson had one shot in the game and Jordan Gibson none.
Callum Guy - a worthy man-of-the-match for a strong midfield performance - topped their individual shot count with two, while the Blues got only one attempt on target.
Their best chance, for Taylor Charters late in the first half, cleared the crossbar, and it is fair to say that whatever United attempted, with personnel and tactics, it didn’t unsettle or penetrate Walsall very much.
Too often the likes of Charters were left to fight losing battles with the Saddlers’ big back three.
United looked better late on for the introductions of Kristian Dennis and Jack Stretton, whose ball-retention and movement respectively added a bit of zip.
But it was not enough – nor could 11 corners unlock the door – and Simpson’s analysis will surely focus on how the Blues can better outwit a strong and highly organised visiting defensive set-up.
4 The Armer outlet
In the first half in particular, there was further evidence of what an important player Jack Armer is to this Carlisle side.
Often it seemed the left wing-back was their most likely outlet when it came to finding ways around Flynn’s back line.
Armer showed his ability both in a touchline-hugging sense and with an instinct of when to move inside.
Evidence for both, respectively, when he supplied an excellent cross for Fin Back to test the Walsall keeper, and then when he broke down the middle onto Jordan Gibson’s pass, only to be brought down by Liam Bennett (fairly, reckoned the referee, a decision much debated).
This came on the back of a fine assist for Ryan Edmondson at Harrogate four days earlier.
Armer is still only 21, but is already on 97 appearances for the Blues. He is looking indispensable to this developing side, and evolving all the time in the wing-back role.
United are not overburdened with alternatives in his position, so here’s hoping Armer can stay fit and firing for the fullness of 2022/23.
5 The right-sided question
Fin Back or Jack Ellis?
It isn’t, perhaps, a question that was top of most supporters’ agendas early in the season.
Back, the Nottingham Forest loanee, started the campaign extremely well. He appeared a real find by the Blues.
That remains the case. Yet the debate is more alive than it has ever been, on account of Ellis’ fine recent displays in Back’s absence, and the latter’s performances against Harrogate and Walsall which have not quite been up to his highest standards.
Back is a young player too, only just 20, and without vast league experience. This can be taken into account when he has the odd game, like Saturday, when things aren’t clicking as normal.
He has earned the right to be regarded as Carlisle’s top choice at right wing-back over the full piece. And yet…
Ellis did himself nothing but credit with his performances against Tranmere Rovers in league and cup. Paul Simpson may not yet be ready to rely on the young Cumbrian on a weekly basis, but his case is suddenly stronger than ever.
Simpson’s judgement has got Carlisle this far, and he will have had credible reasons for Back’s swift recall. At the very least, though, there is serious and genuine competition on that side of United’s XI - and a more convincing argument for Ellis than ever before.
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