Carlisle preview

We've signed another player, and the shock news is that it's a semi-permanent signing, not a loan. I say semi-permanent inasmuch that it's only for 3 months, with a view to making it longer if all parties agree at the end of that time. The player concerned is a left-sided defender, 19-year-old Louis Laver, a Watford academy graduate who was released by the Hornets in the summer.

The Glovers entertain Carlisle tomorrow in another match that would be regarded as a six-pointer if it was April. As it's October however tomorrow's game is in fact just another run-of-the-mill bottom of the table clash. The bookies make Yeovil favourites at 7/5, the draw is priced at 23/10 and a Carlisle win at 19/10. My fiver's going on the home win. Running total: +£2.50p.

As far as team selection for tomorrow is concerned then Skivo has an embarrassment of loan player riches to call upon. With six loanees on the books and only five eligible for the match-day squad it doesn't take a rocket science or a mathematician to work out that one of our starlets will be kicking their heels on the sidelines tomorrow. Which one would you drop? For what it's worth I have a feeling that Ryan Mason may miss out on the starting XI, though still be on the subs bench. I base that opinion on nothing more scientific than the fact that he played a full game in midweek for England u-19's and has travelled a fair distance as well and might be knackered. The unlucky player to miss out altogether could well be Craig Davies, simply because he's only here for another couple of weeks and we've still got Dean Bowditch to come back in the fairly near future.

My team for tomorrow then (in a 4-2-3-1 formation):

Alex McCarthy,
Craig Alcock, Steven Caulker, Terrell Forbes, Nathan Smith,
JP Kalala, Shaun MacDonald,
Scott Murray, George O'Callaghan, Andy Welsh,
Sam Williams

Subs: Richard Martin, Andy Lindegaard (or Danny Hutchins) Nathan Jones, Stefan Stam (if fit), Ryan Mason, Gavin Tomlin, Jon Obika,

What, I hear you say, have you completely lost the plot Taff? Obika on the bench? No Gavin Tomlin? O'Callaghan in the Ryan Mason/attacking midfielder/second striker role? Yes, yes, yes. Williams has been playing well lately, albeit without scoring. Tomlin has had his chance as the second striker and on the whole hasn't delivered, or at least not consistently. O'Callaghan is an attacking midfielder by preference and deserves to keep his place after a decent display last week against Brighton - give him the chance to impress in the position he prefers. Obika hasn't appeared as sharp lately and to my mind doesn't deserve to supplant Williams as the main striker on current performances. On the bench we have the likes of Mason, Tomlin and Obika to bring on if Plan A doesn't work. Sorted.

Skivo's been complaining to the press about the rumours surrounding Scott Murray's position in the squad this season, saying that reports of him falling out with the Scot were always nonsense and that it was purely the winger's tendonitis that kept him out of the team and anyone saying anything else is a shit-stirring scumbag who doesn't know what he's talking about (I may have exaggerated Skivo's actual words there, but that was the gist). To which I would say, yes, you're probably right gaffer. But the only reason rumours like those surrounding Murray spread is because of a lack of communication from the club. If there had been regular updates on Murray's condition then there would have been no controversy, no stories of people falling out with each other. But all we had was silence, and rumour loves a vacuum. It's dead simple: Proper and open communication leads to everyone knowing the truth and rumour-mongering dead in the water. Communicate, communicate, communicate!

Muffwatch: Loans are being called in, the bank wants it's money back, the end is nigh. There's a cracking article on twohundredpercent that sums up the whole sorry mess that is Weymouth FC as well as anything else I've read. There comes a time when one wonders if Muff fans wouldn't be better off cutting their losses and starting again from scratch. AFC Weymouth anyone?