The Blues are going down to League Two, and the boss has touched on some of the factors they will be considering
Carlisle United manager Paul Simpson has revealed that he is pleased that Wrexham AFC, Stockport County, and Mansfield Town have all been promoted, and has made a major announcement concerning the club’s financial power this summer.
Carlisle had played their final home game in League One. Their season ended in typical fashion, with a trio of bad, and sometimes comedic, blunders leading to a 3-1 defeat at home to Wycombe Wanderers, dashed any hopes that the Blues would be sent off in style from the third level at Brunton Park.
The disparity in quality between United and the other 23 clubs in their soon-to-be prior level has been evident in the bulk of the games they have played. Only a couple of shock away performances against Bolton Wanderers and, less importantly, Peterborough United would have given some fans hope of avoiding relegation.
Those games were outliers of the season, and significant modifications on the field will be required. The boss seemed more comfortable with Carlisle’s return to League Two.
Paul Simpson’s League Two component includes Wrexham, Stockport, and Mansfield
Simpson has stated that he is relieved that Wrexham, Stockport, and Mansfield will not be in League Two next season, despite the fact that their fate has been confirmed for some time and was widely accepted by many in the Cumbrian fandom prior to official confirmation.
County will go to League One as winners after losing to the Blues in last season’s play-off final. The Hollywood-led Red Dragons have earned back-to-back promotions after winning the National League in 22/23. After years of being in and around promotion, the Stags have finally crossed the finish line.
The former Blues player expects United to operate on a “mid-table” budget.
He told BBC Radio Cumbria that despite having 18 players under contract, the club still has a budget to bring in new players. As Carlisle manager, I am excited to announce that we now have a budget that will likely place us in the middle of the table, rather than the bottom three or four.
“I understand that budgets may not always result in success, but they do provide a real opportunity to bring players in.
“We also need perhaps six, seven, or eight guys to join this group. Maybe players who are under contract should depart.
“But there’s going to have to be big changes because what we are seeing on the grass isn’t acceptable for what we want to achieve.”
He said, “It’s incredible the amount of money that’s being thrown around [in League Two].” To be honest, I’m thrilled that Stockport, Wrexham, and Mansfield have improved. I recently saw that Fleetwood Town and Port Vale have been demolished. They will be competitive.
“Once we get through next week and see how the league looks, we’ll be able to start planning and seeing what’s ahead of us.
“We’ve got a massive job on our hands, and we need to turn it around. But we’re in a position where I am certain we can turn things around. But there’s no point in my thinking about it; we’ve got to go and do it, and we have to show it when the first game comes around.”
The club’s chairman, Tom Piatak, wants the Blues to challenge for promotion next season with a budget better than a mid-table one. However, he does not know what a mid-table budget looks like.
The offensive midfielder appears like a great contender for the Blues to sign this summer.
Carlisle has one of the biggest summers in years ahead of them.
United enjoyed perhaps their most successful summer transfer window at the start of this season, but a number of variables conspired to turn what should have been a watershed moment for the club into one that finally wrecked the ship.
These arguments and excuses are not valid this time. The recruitment staff has a larger budget to work with, more time, and better tools to find players; they have everything they need to get this properly. But this is easier said than done.
The outgoings may be just as crucial as those coming into Brunton Park. This current batch of players clearly has a losing attitude. Carrying a similar group into the next season may present problems if things don’t go well.
In addition to the five outgoing loanees, nine other players are set to leave the Blues by the end of June.
| Carlisle players that are out of contract at the end of the season | ||
|---|---|---|
| Player | Position | Existing option to extend contract |
| Tomas Holy | GK | |
| Paul Huntington | DF | |
| Core Whelan | DF | |
| Max Kilsby | DF | |
| Josh Emmanuel | DF | |
| Kai Nugent | MF | Club option to extend by a year |
| Jordan Gibson | MF | |
| Anton Dudik | FW | |
| Sean Maguire | FW | |
Many would be surprised if more than a few of these players were offered new contracts, if at all.Carlisle must decide which players they do not wish to have under contract for the following season.
Making these modifications could have the same impact on the locker room as signing a few marquee players.
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