Jon Mellish on Carlisle United's gruelling pre-season - and the position he wants to make his own

The versatile player has, at different times in his three-year Blues career, scored goals from midfield and led the line in attack.

He signed, though, as a defender – and under Paul Simpson that’s where he returned. And Mellish is happy for it to stay that way.

“I don’t really mind, and I just want to play anywhere as long as I’m playing, but going forward I want to really cement a position,” he says.

“That’s the one I want – on the left of the back three. So it feels nice to finally have a gaffer in who’s going to put me there and keep me there, and progress with it and make that position my own.”

Mellish in action at Workington last weekend (photo: Ben Holmes)

Mellish has had one of the more adaptable Carlisle careers in recent memory. Signed by Steven Pressley as a centre-half, he started the 2019/20 season at left-back before moving back inside.

Under Chris Beech, he was recast as a goalscoring midfielder, firing 16 in a remarkable run in 2020/21. He stayed in that position last season until Beech’s departure. Under Keith Millen, he was pressed into attack for some crucial winter games.

Then along came Simpson, sending Mellish back into a three-man defence in his first game in charge at Leyton Orient. Carlisle’s season was duly salvaged and Mellish, 24, returns to his original position with a range of experiences.

“There’s been a lot of ups and downs and I’ve played in a lot of positions – I’ve been all over the pitch – but it’s done me good in terms of experience and knowing the league,” he says.

After playing a strong part in United’s survival under Simpson, Mellish hopes for a leading part in better times. There are good vibes around the Blues on account of the manager’s hugely-popular presence – and in spite of what has, so far, been a gruelling pre-season.

Mellish says Paul Simpson's pre-season is the toughest he has experienced so far at Carlisle

“This is my fourth one now here, and I don’t remember any of them being this hard,” Mellish says. “I’ve been getting home and I can hardly walk…

“But it’s exactly what we need and maybe what we haven’t had in previous years. It will only get us more ready for this year. But it’s definitely been the hardest one I’ve had.

“It’s just the intensity and the workload. We’ve been doing more and he’s been really pushing us, and that’s what he wants – to test us, see how much he can get out of us, so when it gets tough during the season we remember these days, remember how hard it was and we can get through it.”

Mellish’s engine, fitness-wise, is right up there at Brunton Park. One telling image from pre-season, posted by the club recently, showed the entire squad undertaking a running drill – other than Mellish, who had already hit the necessary targets and was able to sit on the grass and watch the others suffer. “It seems to be the only thing I can do – just run,” he laughs. “I don’t really think about it, I just run. I don’t mind it, it’s part of my game and I just like to work hard.”

Mellish was turned into a goalscoring midfielder by Chris Beech, but is now back in defence (photo: Barbara Abbott)

Successive managers have trusted in his attributes and the player himself clearly enjoys life under Simpson.

“He’s been nothing but good for me – putting me in that position, putting belief in me and letting me express myself on the pitch,” he says.

“When a gaffer gives you confidence it can only make you feel better and play better.

“The whole way he’s gone about everything has been perfect – even off the field, with having a baby, he’s always been there [Simpson allowed Mellish the time he needed ahead of the birth of his son Oakley in March].”

The Simmo factor is considerable at Carlisle. Needless to say, it does not go unnoticed by the players.

The buzz this summer, Mellish says, “is much different [to before]. It’s my fourth season here coming up, and since I’ve been here we’ve been down at the bottom end and right up at the top.

Mellish is surrounded by Bradford defenders in last season's final game (photo: Richard Parkes) (Image: Richard Parkes)

“But I think that time since the gaffer came in last season was the highest point we’ve been at in terms of that buzz around the place, being behind each other, pushing each other on.

“Hopefully we can take it into a full season, after a full pre-season, and see where we can go.”

United’s pre-season so far has seen victories at Penrith, Kendal Town and Workington Reds, ahead of a behind-closed-doors game against Greenock Morton yesterday. This weekend the level ramps up as Bolton Wanderers, from League One, visit Brunton Park.

“It’s nice to play the local teams and get ourselves going again, but these are the sort of friendlies you want,” Mellish says of the visit of Ian Evatt’s team. “You really want to test yourselves and see where you actually are come the start of the season.

“This is where we’ll find out where we’ve at and how well we’ve trained, and what we can improve on.

“I think the games have gone pretty well so far. We’ve only conceded the one goal [in the first three]. Saturday at Workington probably wasn’t as good as we can be, but I think we’ve been good with the ball and we just need to be a bit more clinical in the final third, and be better with that last ball.”

Mellish says he will be "forward-thinking" from defence for United (photo: Ben Holmes)

Mellish has not been shy in breaking out from defence in United’s friendlies so far; another sign of Simpson’s encouragement and willingness to use the defender’s particular traits.

“I think the manager just wants us to be forward-thinking and if I can take that first touch forward I will,” he says. “Whenever I play in defence I like to get on it, go forward and get us playing.”

United have five new signings bedding in. Mellish says that process has been smooth while, as Carlisle’s longest-serving player, he is also keen to be a more senior figure than before.

“They’ve settled in perfectly straight away; everyone’s getting on with each other, there’s a real good feeling around the place,” he says of the fresh faces. “There’s no groups or anything, nobody who doesn’t really know anyone. Everyone’s settled in nicely.

“As for myself, I’m in a position where I need to help people in the team, and be more of a leader.”

United are two-and-a-half weeks away from the big kick-off. The club have started a social media campaign designed to boost the opening-day crowd against Crawley – while any repeat of the Simmo-inspired atmospheres witnessed last term will add to Carlisle’s armoury for a hopefully better 2022/23.

“With the way it went with the gaffer at the end of the season I think it’s shown that we can really get going,” Mellish says. “We were playing well and we beat some good teams, so if we can get going again like that this year who knows what can happen?”