Carlisle United manager Mark Hughes has admitted that his squad are ‘a little bit fragile’ as the former Bradford City boss gears up for a crucial League Two clash against Bromley.
Hughes was appointed as Mike Williamson’s successor last month, tasked with helping the club avoid a second successive relegation. He did initially see results improve, embarking on a four-game unbeaten run from February 15th which put them back in survival contention.
The Cumbrians hard work has been undone over the last fortnight though, first losing 1-0 at Harrogate Town before going down 2-1 to AFC Wimbledon at Brunton Park last weekend. However, with Tranmere Rovers securing back-to-back wins, Carlisle now find themselves nine points from safety with 10 games remaining.
Hughes Delivers Scathing Verdict
Throughout the late 90s and early 00s, Carlisle were a club that constantly flirted with relegation to non-league. They constantly found themselves in a scrap for survival at the bottom of the fourth tier, eventually dropping out of the league in 2004. They bounced back immediately though before immediately earning a second promotion to League One a year later.
Carlisle fans would have been forgiven for thinking that those fights to salvage their League Two status were behind them, but there is now an inevitability that they will be plying their trade in the National League next season. To stand any chance, they need to start winning games, something they have only done on six occasions this season.
Ahead of the clash with Bromley on Saturday, Hughes appeared downbeat, saying his squad have been ‘feeling sorry for themselves’. Speaking to The News & Star, he said:
“When confidence is what it is, with the lads and with the crowd, we’re obviously giving ourselves a mountain to climb.
“Confidence is a huge thing in football. Everybody knows that. [On Saturday], with the goal we conceded so early, I just thought that was a real blow to us. We were a little bit fragile, maybe, but we’ve got to shake ourselves out of that.
“I think a number of them have felt sorry for themselves for quite some time. You can’t have that. You’ve just got to dust yourself down and go again.
“It’s not easy. But when things go against you, you’ve just got to show your character, your personality and dig in and do something about it.”
Writer’s View
There’s not much Hughes could have done with this squad upon his arrival. Although his appointment did come as a shock, it was an amazing decision to change the manager so soon after the transfer window, especially with the number of new players they brought in. It appears as if they are now playing for pride, with some of the squad perhaps playing for their futures. Carlisle will be in the National League next season, although some of the players won’t be.
