Two Years On: How Much Has Changed At Carlisle United Under Paul Simpson – Opinion

The 23rd of February marks an important day in the history of Carlisle United, as it was the day that Paul Simpson was re-appointed as manager of the club back in 2022.

It was not his first spell with the Cumbrian side, having been a player-manager during a stint between 2003 and 2006. In that spell, Simpson would achieve back-to-back promotions with the club, first winning the then-Conference National play-offs to return to the Football League and then going on to win the League Two title the following year.

Barring a disaster scoreline on the final day of the 2005/06 League Two season, Carlisle had the title all sewn up. Simpson would in fact play his final game of his career in their final-day game against Stockport County , before then being crowned champions later that day. That was also his last day with the club in a managerial capacity, as he would then go on to leave to join Preston North End in the summer.

Those achievements would be very hard to match and Simpson had already established himself as a club legend as a result. Having been born in Carlisle, the partnership was made only the more meaningful. It did however seem as if the now 57-year-old would return to his hometown club one day, and that is exactly what he would do, with the club annoucing the return of the ‘local hero’ on the 23rd of February 2022.

Simpson would re-join the club with 15 games left to be played of the 2021/22 League Two season and the job that he did during that final third of the year was nothing short of incredible. A point adrift of safety upon his arrival, the Cumbrians would get the new era off to a winning start, beating Leyton Orient on the road 1-0 which would be their first win in nine. After picking up 25 points from a possible 45 under Simpson, the Blues would finish the season in 20th, 15 points clear of the relegation zone.

It was a phenomenal achievement and Simpson had once again written himself into Cumbrian history. The story doesn’t end there though, and his CV would be further boosted the following season.

Surpassing all pre-season expectations, Carlisle would find themselves in the top-seven for the majority of the season. Although their performances may have not been as pretty as some of the top teams, they were continuing to grind out results and would eventually finish fifth in the League Two table. That was a stark contrast compared to the season before, and the manager had the fans dreaming of promotion once again.

Drawing Bradford City in the Play-Offs, the Cumbrians would keep themselves in the tie, losing 1-0 at Valley Parade. Back at a packed-out Brunton Park, Carlisle would arguably put in their best performance of the season, winning 1-0 to force the game to extra-time. The additional period saw Callum Guy’s outside of the box strike cancelled out by Matt Derbyshire early in to the second half of extra-time.

However Ben Barclay, who Simpson had brought in on loan from Stockport County that year, would find the winner to send the Cumbrian side to Wembley.

They’d face the aforementioned Stockport County in the final in what was a slog of a game. Once again, the two teams could not be separated in normal time, and penalties would have to decide the final. Despite being the underdogs, goalkeeping heroics from Tomas Holy as well as the rest of the team putting all five penalties away, would send Carlisle to League One.

At this point, Simpson arguably goes down as one of if not Carlisle’s greatest ever manager and rightly so given his achievements with the Cumbrian side.

This year, although always expected to be tough, has not gone to plan at all, with the Blues sat 12 points from safety at the time of writing with 14 games left to be played. The summer window was very much a struggle for the club given their relative size compared to other teams in the league and straight relegation back to the fourth tier does seem imminent bar a miracle.

However there are plenty of positives off of the pitch through the acquisition of the club by the Piatak family. Increased funding has greatly helped improve various areas of the club, and the American owners truly seem to be invested in the long run.

They also see Simpson as the man to lead the club despite this season and even if the club do go down. The Piatak’s certainly respect the job he has done so far and it is highly unlikely that the hometown lad will leave the club this season, and he’ll be given the summer to get the players he wants prior to a tilt at promotion back to League One.

Any Carlisle fan would’ve bitten your arm off if you had said they’d be playing in League One this season after the previous few years before Simpson took the helm. Yes, this season has been a tough one but there is no doubt that the club is in a far, far better place than before he came in two years ago.

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