New Carlisle United head coach Mike Williamson has urged his team to remain focused as he prepares his side for the visit of Grimsby Town tomorrow.
The 40-year-old gave up his post at League Two rivals MK Dons earlier this month to take the vacant managerial position at Brunton Park. Paul Simpson had departed the club just over two weeks prior following the Blues’ dismal start to the campaign.
Carlisle found themselves back in the fourth tier after a brief spell in League One. Determined to recover from their dismal campaign, which saw them finish bottom, this season started in dreadful fashion, losing six of their opening seven league fixtures.
Williamson’s arrival has seen an immediate upturn in fortunes. They travelled to fellow strugglers Swindon Town last weekend, emerging with a 2-0 victory to end a run of four consecutive defeats.
Grimsby will provide the opposition tomorrow as the new boss takes to home soil for the first time. However, the former defender is not one to rest on his laurels and knows that the Mariners will be ready to punish any lapse in concentration. Speaking to the News & Star ahead of the game, he said:
“I think that they’ve just got a good blend of the way they play.
“They’ll play out from the back. They’ll work patterns; in terms of 4-1-4-1 or 4-3-3, it’s negligible. But the detail will be there, they’ll be disciplined and they’ll just be relentless in what they do and they’ll keep putting the pressure on us.
“Again, a lapse in concentration, or if our detail in our own play is not there and it’s not clean, then we’ll get punished for it, so we’ve got to make sure that we’re focused for 95-100 minutes.”
Grimsby returned to winning ways against Bromley last time out, but Williamson is hoping the Carlisle fans can play the role of the 12th man as he looks to make it two wins from two:
“Momentum is a huge word in football, but it’s our job, the coaches’ job, to get our lads to understand that at any moment, one action can flip momentum and it can create momentum.
“So, as much as we want the crowd behind us and we want this place rocking and the noise and the energy, we’ve just got to stay really present and focused on what we’ve got to achieve in that one action.
“And that creates its own momentum and it becomes a bit of an animal – it embodies itself rather than us thinking about it, because I think as soon as you start thinking about momentum, you lose it.
“And that’s what football is. If we can just be really focused and detailed of what we’ve got to achieve in that one moment, in possession, out of possession, whatever that may be, then I think the momentum creates itself.”
Writer’s View
Carlisle’s start to life in League Two did come as somewhat as a shock. They did appear to be suffering a relegation hangover and something needed to change quickly. Paul Simpson is rightly regarded as a hero in Cumbria and the impact he has made at the club will never be forgotten. Williamson has big shoes to fill, even after what has been a tough 12 months for the club on the pitch.
Early signs last weekend were good and back-to-back victories would instil some confidence into the players and supporters. Grimsby can provide a dangerous opposition on their day, but the ex-MK Dons manager will be quietly confident that he has enough in his locker to bring the cheers back to Brunton Park once again.
Head of Writing
