The new season is now less than a week away and everyone is starting to tell us their predictions. With that being said a lot of predictions are very similar and can sometimes become boring to read so today I’m going to be picking four opinions of mine for this season that I’ve not seen anyone talking about so far this summer.
The four predictions will be a mixture of individual player’s performances and how the team will do as a whole.
Luke Armstrong – The Forgotten Man
I think Luke Armstrong got a raw deal when he joined the Cumbrians back in 2023. He was a lone striker a lot of the time with no service but he found some form when on loan at Motherwell last season and has been starting in pre-season for Mark Hughes and finding the back of the net. I think Luke Armstrong will be a first choice starter for Carlisle aligned Regan Linney up front this coming season.
Callum Whelan – Player Of The Year?
Whelan showed glimpses last season in a struggling team of what he can do. He’s great on the ball and takes set pieces so I think he will really fit in well this season and get lots of goal contributions. You add all of that with his experience at this level for Gateshead I think if Carlisle have a good season that Callum Whelan will be an integral part of that and could win our player of the year at the end of the season.
Sam Murray – A Class Above?
The 20-year-old full back has joined from Premier League club Manchester United and I think he could make that left-back position his own this season with question marks over Cameron Harper from last season. Harper will start the season but I think Murray will gradually replace him and become first choice quite quickly. The defender was highly regarded at Old Trafford and played lots of games at youth level but never got his chance in the first team. I think Sam Murray starts at left-back and thrives as this season progresses.
Aaron Hayden – First Name On The Team Sheet?
With a lot of central defenders to choose from this season I think Mark Hughes may has some selection dilemmas but the form Aaron Hayden showed towards the end of last season was a lot like the Aaron Hayden we all remembered in his first spell with the club. His experience with Wrexham in the National League will stand him in good stead and I think he’ll be one of if not the first name on the team sheet this season if he can stay fit.
Other Predictions
I know it would’ve been easier to come on here and make shouts for Gabe Breeze to keep the most clean sheets or Regan Linney to win the golden boot and I do think they are both a real possibility but I wanted to try go with things I’ve not really heard many people talking about so I hope that has really come through in this article.
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