Are Carlisle United suffering from a confidence crisis at Brunton Park?

Peter Murphy joins Chris Lumsdon, Mark “Skip” Boyd and Dylan McGeouch as the lads analyse Carlisle’s frustrating draw with Kidderminster and the problems holding Rob Elliott’s side back at home.

They discuss Carlisle’s cautious passing, lack of attacking runs, Regan Linney’s late penalty miss and whether the players are becoming too concerned with taking the safe option. Murph explains how Kidderminster frustrated Carlisle and why changing the tempo is essential when an opposition team refuses to press.

The conversation also turns to footballers’ social-media activity following poor results. Should players be posting nights out and lifestyle content when performances on the pitch aren’t good enough, or is it simply part of modern football?

Elsewhere, a heated debate breaks out over where Celtic and Rangers would finish in the English Championship before Murph selects the greatest XI he played against.

His team includes Joe Hart, Harry Maguire, Kyle Walker, Tom Huddlestone, Ross Barkley, Adam Lallana, Rickie Lambert, Glenn Murray and Lee Trundle with stories explaining exactly why each player made the cut.

Also featuring:

• Would Celtic finish in the Championship’s bottom half?
• The incredible intensity of Celtic versus Rangers
• Should Carlisle’s singing section return to the Warwick Road End?
• Why Carlisle look afraid to attack at home
• Regan Linney’s missed penalty
• Have Carlisle’s players become too cautious?
• Players using social media following poor results
• Does Rob Elliott need an experienced coach alongside him?
• Murph’s greatest opposition XI
• Facing a young Harry Maguire and Ross Barkley
• Glenn Murray’s extraordinary improvement
• The brilliance of Lee Trundle
• Why Carlisle must increase their passing tempo
• Who Am I?
• Carlisle Sunday League round-up

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Murph returns and the lads discover padel
02:22 Welcome to Episode 37
02:50 Clubhouse Property
04:31 Celtic versus the English Championship
07:50 The intensity of Celtic and Rangers
08:26 Listener messages and unusual chocolate combinations
11:13 The lads try pineapple Dairy Milk
12:27 Football’s “exceptional human being” obsession
14:00 Should players challenge managers after being dropped?
18:18 Lummy and Murph recall being left out
21:07 Carlisle United and the singing section
23:19 Why negativity dominates after Carlisle lose
24:16 Carlisle’s cautious home performances
25:21 Murph breaks down Carlisle United's formation
26:31 How Kidderminster frustrated Carlisle
28:18 Carlisle player ratings and Azeez’s potential
30:12 Footballers, haircuts and social-media pressure
32:10 Should players post nights out after poor results?
35:59 Does Rob Elliott need an experienced coach?
38:36 Should Carlisle attack towards their own supporters?
40:17 Regan Linney’s missed penalty analysed
42:35 Who Am I?
49:55 Murph selects his ultimate opposition XI
50:08 Joe Hart
51:16 Harry Maguire
53:01 Richard Dunne and Colin Hendry
55:18 Kyle Walker and Tom Huddlestone
57:08 Ross Barkley
58:47 Adam Lallana
01:00:04 Rickie Lambert
01:01:18 Glenn Murray’s remarkable rise
01:03:49 The brilliance of Lee Trundle
01:05:09 Why Carlisle’s passing is too slow
01:09:07 Is a chocolate biscuit a biscuit or chocolate?
01:11:40 Charity raffle update
01:13:17 Carlisle Sunday League round-up
01:15:02 Clubhouse Property
01:16:25 Murph’s next move and the Celtic trip

This episode is sponsored by Clubhouse Property, a property investment network helping people grow their portfolios and supporting athletes preparing for life after sport. Visit their website and Instagram page for more information.

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Are Carlisle United finally turning their season around?

Chris Lumsdon, Mark “Skip” Boyd and Dylan McGeouch return to discuss Carlisle’s two crucial away wins and the dramatic change in performances following the defeat at Woking.

The lads praise the commitment, physicality and defensive improvement shown against Fylde and Aldershot—but ask whether this is a genuine turning point for Rob Elliott’s team or simply a short-term reaction to mounting pressure.

They also debate the possible punishment facing Manchester City. Could City really be relegated, should their players lose their medals, and has the Premier League made it impossible for ambitious clubs to challenge the established elite?

Dylan then selects the greatest XI he played against, featuring Rangers and Celtic stars alongside Steven Gerrard, Kaká, Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo. He also reveals what it was like standing alongside Ronaldo in the tunnel before facing Real Madrid.

Plus, the lads rank Britain’s best and worst chocolate bars, take on another round of Who Am I? and discuss the clubs and managers they would most like to have played for.

Also featuring:

• Carlisle United’s two vital away victories
• Has Rob Elliott finally changed his approach?
• The warning Carlisle players received from their agents
• Can Carlisle still challenge for promotion?
• Could Manchester City be relegated?
• Should City’s players lose their medals?
• Dylan’s greatest opposition XI
• Facing Cristiano Ronaldo and Real Madrid
• Steven Gerrard, Kaká and Karim Benzema
• Who Am I?
• What’s the Crack?
• Wrexham’s rise and unforgettable Las Vegas celebrations
• Meeting Gazza, Snoop Dogg and other famous faces
• Carlisle Sunday League results
• The best and worst chocolate bars

The charity raffle is now open again, with tickets costing £5. Prizes include signed Carlisle United and Manchester United items, match hospitality, football shirts and more.

The money raised will support Rosehill Care Home, helping its staff and residents with improvements including the garden and wet-room facilities. Check our social media pages for the donation link and full prize information.

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 The charity raffle is back
04:20 Could Manchester City be relegated?
07:51 Welcome to Episode 36
08:26 Carlisle United win twice in one week
11:25 Has Rob Elliott changed Carlisle’s style?
15:34 The pressure of playing at Brunton Park
17:40 Carlisle’s goals and potential new signings
18:47 Agents warn Carlisle’s players
20:10 Can Carlisle still reach the play-offs?
22:47 Jack Ellis, target men and Gary Hooper
25:38 Scottish Masters football gets heated
26:05 Dylan’s epic Scottish Cup away trip
29:36 Weekend stories and a traumatised ball boy
31:21 Things grown men should never do
32:44 Dylan names the greatest XI he faced
43:13 Benzema, Gerrard, Kaká and Ronaldo
44:35 What Cristiano Ronaldo was really like
45:40 Ranking the best and worst chocolate bars
52:35 Who Am I?
59:05 The viewers’ football challenge
01:00:15 Quick-fire football quiz
01:04:11 What’s the Crack?
01:04:25 Clubs the lads wish they had played for
01:06:10 Inside Wrexham’s incredible rise
01:08:00 Meeting Gazza, Snoop Dogg and famous faces
01:11:39 Carlisle Sunday League round-up
01:14:00 Harry McKirdy retires at 29
01:15:15 Charity raffle and final messages

Subscribe to 3 In The Middle for weekly episodes featuring former professionals Chris Lumsdon and Skip Boyd, current player Dylan McGeouch and special guests from across football.

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Chris Lumsdon, Mark “Skip” Boyd and Dylan McGeouch return for an explosive episode covering Carlisle United’s alarming form, the standard of Scottish football and whether supporters need to have played the game to understand it.

The lads react to another damaging Carlisle performance and ask whether the players are still fighting for Rob Elliot. They analyse the missed chances, defensive mistakes, lack of fitness and worrying number of players losing individual battles.

There’s also an honest discussion about Carlisle players posting on social media while the club struggles near the National League relegation zone. Should players stay offline after poor performances or should supporters separate their football from their personal lives?

Attention then turns to the club’s ownership, Mark Tierney and the Carlisle United Supporters’ Trust. The lads question the continued silence around the club and discuss which players should be moved on if Rob Elliot is allowed to rebuild the squad.

Dylan also defends Scottish football as the lads debate where Celtic, Rangers, Hearts and Hibernian would finish in the English pyramid. Would Celtic and Rangers survive in the Premier League, compete in the Championship or struggle against England’s biggest clubs?

Plus, should supporters who have never played professionally have their football opinions taken seriously? The lads discuss what fans understand about performances—and what really happens behind the scenes with contracts, transfers, dressing-room politics and career-changing injuries.

Also featuring:

• Have Carlisle’s players stopped playing for Rob Elliot?
• Footballers using TikTok after heavy defeats
• Carlisle’s fitness and defensive problems
• Which players should leave the club?
• The Carlisle United Supporters’ Trust
• Does Rob Elliot deserve more time?
• The latest 3 In The Middle charity raffle prizes
• Skip’s best-ever opposition XI
• Wayne Rooney at just 14 years old
• Gary McAllister’s unbelievable ability
• Jamie Vardy before the Premier League
• Who Am I? and football trivia
• Celtic and Rangers in the English pyramid
• An awkward Anthony Gordon encounter
• Do football supporters understand the game?
• Carlisle Sunday League results

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Introduction and subscriber challenge
00:42 Carlisle’s players, TikTok and supporter frustration
03:28 Looking like a footballer before playing like one
03:51 Have the players stopped playing for Rob Elliot?
05:10 Analysing Carlisle’s defensive mistakes
06:44 Missed chances and players letting the manager down
07:45 Do Carlisle need another mini pre-season?
09:09 The lads’ biggest social-media icks
10:24 Lummy’s Malta holiday story
11:35 The most romantic marriage proposal ever?
13:38 Charity raffle update and new prizes
14:48 Which Carlisle players should be moved on?
16:39 Mark Tierney and Carlisle’s recruitment problems
16:59 Is the Supporters’ Trust representing the fans?
17:47 The silence surrounding Carlisle’s ownership
20:24 Understanding difficult decisions behind the scenes
23:38 Carlisle’s must-win trip to Fylde
28:24 Has Rob Elliot finally lost patience with his players?
31:27 How Neil Lennon analysed poor performances
34:24 The financial cost of supporting Carlisle United
37:24 Can Carlisle grind out an ugly victory?
38:26 Skip selects his best-ever opposition XI
39:12 George Pilkington and Danny Shittu
41:50 The brilliance of Gary McAllister
43:25 Facing Wayne Rooney at just 14
44:30 Jamie Vardy before Premier League stardom
45:59 Quiz Corner
53:59 Which football boots did the legends wear?
55:17 Where would Celtic and Rangers finish in England?
59:29 Mistaking Anthony Gordon for an old friend
01:01:59 Do supporters understand football?
01:04:30 What fans don’t see behind the scenes
01:06:55 The career-changing risk of football transfers
01:08:30 Carlisle Sunday League results
01:11:26 Final thoughts and the Fylde prediction

Subscribe to 3 In The Middle for weekly episodes featuring former professionals Chris Lumsdon and Mark “Skip” Boyd, current player Dylan McGeouch and special guests from across football.

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