Put simply, Carlisle United shouldn’t be a National League side. Since their admission to the Football League in 1928, they have only dropped into non-league for one season. Now, after a disastrous campaign, they find themselves there again.
The season started with several free agent signings, perhaps most notably Charlie Wyke from Wigan Athletic and Aaron Hayden from Wrexham, and the signs looked positive that Paul Simpson could repeat the feat from two years ago to send The Cumbrians back into League One.
But that negative momentum from being in the third tier in the previous campaign, where they finished rock bottom, carried over into the next season.
Simpson was gone just five games into the season, having only won their derby match against Barrow. The owners decided to spend on his successor Mike Williamson, paying a fee believed to be in the region of £200,000 to release him from MK Dons, where the signs were heading towards his own sacking in Buckinghamshire.
What followed next is arguably the reason why Carlisle have been relegated; with 14 losses in 26 matches saw United five points adrift and ultimately Mark Hughes’ appointment could not see them overcome the odds.
So, with Mark Hughes having reaffirmed his commitment to the club whilst not fully agreeing to a new contract just yet, is ‘Sparky’ the man to repeat the feat of 20 years ago and bring Carlisle United back into the EFL?
Source Of Inspiration
Mark Hughes’ CV speaks for itself. Premier League experience with Manchester City, Stoke City and Blackburn Rovers, let alone what he achieved in his playing career. It is a level of experience that non-league has not seen in a long time, with Phil Brown the only man to have done so in recent memory. Whilst his time at his previous club, Bradford City, never recovered from the loss in the playoff semi-final at the hands of Carlisle, he showed that he has still got it after a lengthy spell away from the game.
His appointment immediately galvanised the squad, but most importantly, the fans. He picked up points in 11 of his 18 games at Brunton Park and had the club feeling they could beat the drop, even if they did fall short on the final day. In a season where finger-pointing became the norm across the fanbase, Hughes provided a rock that everyone, from owner to supporter, could rally around.
Major Restructure Happening
Up to 11 players are already out of contract this season at Brunton Park, so an overhaul of the squad is already expected, but off the field there is a similar process going on. The Piatak family, who will have to firm some burden of responsibility for the relegation, have promised an overhaul of the backrooms at the club, insisting there are no sacred cows. The sporting director role looks most under threat and may not continue into next season.
A new change of culture can allow for a major reset after the past two years of failure and is desperately needed if they want to regain their EFL membership. But investment needs to come this season. The bottleneck between League Two and the National League has been plain to see for some time, and the successes of Stockport County, Wrexham and even Chesterfield this season show that the top of the fifth tier is near enough the level of the top of League Two. Carlisle United may come into this season already at a disadvantage by that evidence.
Can Hughes Do It?
Sparky has a major task on his hands. The expectations will be to regain promotion at the first time of asking, but it is crucial that there is no underestimating what the top National League sides are capable of. Oldham Athletic, Rochdale, Forest Green Rovers, Southend United and York City all have EFL pedigree and all but one of them will be Carlisle’s direct competitors for promotion.
With a manager like Hughes, owners who want to change the club’s structure after what was a poor season for them and a fanbase that will back their manager, the signs are there. It is all up to recruitment, and with the retained list still yet to be released, it is hard to get a picture of who will stick around for next season. But the lure that can be brought by both club and manager, they may have the best player pull in the fifth tier. Whether all of this can translate into a National League title win or playoff promotion may not be clear just yet, there should be some cautious optimism that they could do it.
