Rob Elliot's Plan to Transform David Ajiboye into Carlisle United's Key Winger

Rob Elliot is convinced a simple switch of wings could turn David Ajiboye into Carlisle United’s next major attacking weapon.

The winger, so dangerous off the right in last season’s run-in under Mark Hughes, has been operating from the left throughout pre-season and is in line to start there against Worthing in today’s National League opener.

A left-wing tweak with right-foot rewards

This isn’t tinkering for tinkering’s sake. Elliot has seen something in Ajiboye’s game that he believes can be unlocked from the opposite flank.

“David's left-footed crossing is excellent. So when he goes to the byline, he's got that opportunity,” the Carlisle boss told the News & Star.

The message is clear: from the left, Ajiboye can still hug the touchline, hit the outside, and whip in with his stronger left.

But that’s only half the plan.

Ajiboye, 27, has always liked to drift inside. On the right, that tendency often took him into traffic. From the left, it opens up the pitch and the goal.

“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,” Elliot said.

The pressure he applied in those friendlies has clearly stayed in his manager’s mind. Carlisle want a winger who can go old-school to the byline one moment and cut inside like a modern forward the next. Switching flanks gives Ajiboye both doors to walk through.

Fluid front line

Elliot isn’t just moving one piece. He’s trying to change the whole picture of Carlisle’s attack.

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

That dual threat feeds into a broader plan: a front line that doesn’t stand still, doesn’t sit in lanes, and doesn’t let defenders settle.

“We also like the rotation with Regan [Linney],” Elliot added. “David and Regan have rotated in and out of those positions when Regan's played up front with Georgie [Kelly].”

That rotation is deliberate. The idea is to make Carlisle’s forwards impossible to pin down. One minute Ajiboye is wide on the left, the next he’s drifting into central pockets while Linney pulls out into space. Kelly, meanwhile, offers the reference point up top.

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

Managers talk a lot about “problem-solving” in games. Elliot’s solution is movement. When the ball won’t find Ajiboye or Linney, when a spell of play goes flat, he wants his forwards to change the picture.

“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.”

Inside knowledge on Worthing

Ajiboye’s importance today is not just tactical. It’s also tactical intelligence.

The wide man is expected to shake off a back issue to feature, and if he does, he’ll face a very familiar figure in the opposite dugout. Worthing boss Adam Hinshelwood has coached Ajiboye at three different clubs.

First at Brighton & Hove Albion’s academy. Then at Worthing. Then again at York City.

That shared history means Carlisle have a player who knows exactly what is coming.

On whether he would lean on Ajiboye’s insight, Elliot said: “We'll have a chat.”

“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.”

Elliot has seen it up close. He watched Hinshelwood’s York side play with ambition and control.

“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.”

A winger on the “wrong” side. A manager backing his instincts. An opening day against a side that loves the ball.

If Elliot’s gamble with Ajiboye pays off, Carlisle’s season could start with a statement from the left touchline.