Unlocking David Ajiboye: A Tactical Shift for Carlisle United

Rob Elliot thinks the key to unlocking David Ajiboye this season might be as simple as flipping the pitch.

The Carlisle United winger, so effective on the right in the second half of last season under Mark Hughes, has been trialled on the left throughout pre-season and is poised to start there against Worthing in today’s National League opener.

This isn’t a gimmick. It’s a plan.

A winger turned inside out

Elliot has seen enough in recent weeks to believe the 27-year-old could be even more dangerous cutting in from the opposite flank.

“David's left-footed crossing is excellent. So when he goes to the byline, he's got that opportunity,” the head coach told the News & Star, underlining one obvious weapon. But the real intrigue lies in what happens when Ajiboye comes inside.

“David naturally likes to drift inside the pitch. We just felt like coming onto his right foot [from the left], which saw him score a few goals in pre-season, really suits him.”

That dual threat is the point. From the left, Ajiboye can still attack the outside and whip with his stronger left, the classic winger’s route. Or he can roll his full-back, drive infield and open up shooting lanes on his right, the modern forward’s angle.

Switching flanks isn’t just about his starting position. It’s about giving him both doors to walk through.

Fluid front line

Elliot views the tweak as part of a wider shift in Carlisle’s attacking identity. Less rigid. More fluid. Harder to pin down.

“He's able to then open up the pitch on both sides,” Elliot said. “He can go down the outside and he can come inside.”

The rotation with Regan Linney has been a recurring feature of pre-season. When Linney has led the line with Georgie Kelly, Ajiboye has interchanged with him, drifting between wide and central roles, dragging defenders into places they don’t want to go.

“We also like the rotation with Regan. David and Regan have rotated in and out of those positions when Regan's played up front with Georgie.

“It gives that flexibility for our forward players to not be locked down to one position.”

That flexibility is designed for the inevitable lulls. The spells in games when a winger stops seeing the ball, when a full-back gets to grips with his man, when the pattern feels set.

“Hopefully, when you come up against teams when, for five or ten minutes, you might not get the effectiveness that you want – David might not find the ball or Regan might not find the ball or whoever it might be – it gives them the ability to move and rotate.

“That way we cause more problems and give teams less time to adapt to what we're doing.”

Ajiboye’s strong run on the right under Hughes last season showed what he can do when trusted. Elliot’s tweak is about making that threat less predictable, harder to prepare for.

Inside knowledge on Worthing

Ajiboye brings another asset into today’s opener: insight.

He knows Worthing boss Adam Hinshelwood as well as anyone in the Carlisle dressing room, having worked under him at three different clubs. Hinshelwood coached him in Brighton & Hove Albion’s academy, then signed him at Worthing and again at York City.

Elliot is ready to tap into that.

“We'll have a chat,” he said. “The way his [Hinshelwood's] teams play are clear, and you can understand they're going to want to dominate the ball.

“They're not going to put it at risk unless it's through being creative.”

Carlisle have already had a close-up view of a Hinshelwood side.

“We saw what his team at York did. They were a brilliant team to watch, played some fantastic attacking football. He's gone to Worthing and nothing's changed.

“They're going to be an excellent team. They're going to cause a lot of problems. So it's a really good test for us because we'll have to be on our mettle in terms of with the ball and without the ball.

“Hopefully with David, because he knows it, it'll give him that edge as well if he's on the pitch.”

Ajiboye is expected to shake off a back issue to feature. If he does, he’ll step out not just as a winger on the “wrong” side, but as a player perfectly placed to test both his new role and an old mentor on opening day.