Paul Simpson has revealed the major focus in training this week as Carlisle United aim to bounce back from defeat.

The Blues manager says the players’ “mentality” was unusually found wanting at Stevenage last weekend.

And Simpson said the importance of the right mindset has been underlined as Carlisle bid to respond against Gillingham at Brunton Park.

“The big area for me was mentality,” said Simpson, asked about the key message in training.

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“That’s the big thing we needed to focus on. That’s where we let ourselves down last weekend.

“We didn’t work hard enough, compete as well as have been.

“It’s been about the mentality and getting back to having a real desire to do the things properly that we’ve done since June 22 when we started back.

“The players’ attitude has been first class. I wanted them to get back to that and that’s exactly what we’ve done.”

Simpson said the analysis of the 2-1 Stevenage defeat – United’s first of the League Two season – offered some clear conclusions.

He added: “In terms of our running stats it was the longest of season, and in terms of competing, when we reviewed the game, I showed them the lead up to the first goal, and talked about the number of first contacts we didn’t win, and the number of second contacts we didn’t get on ball.

“If you’re not running and not winning any challenges, first or second contacts, chances are you’re going to be unsuccessful.

“That’s what led to the first goal, and also played a part in the second goal. You just can’t do it.

“We’ve also talked about bits we did really well and what we need to keep going.

“The starting point is you have to earn the right to be in a game, and that’s by running…once you’ve earned the right, your ability can come through.”

Simpson has also shed light on one particular way he is attempting to keep standards high in training.

He has introduced a forfeit system for players who are on the losing side.

“We’re now starting to add things in where if you lose one of the games in the session, there’s a forfeit,” he said.

“I don’t want losing to be acceptable, or where there’s a mentality that it doesn’t matter.

“It really does matter, it matters to everybody. Winning is the mentality we have to have in every area of the club.

“The forfeits are things that everybody would rather not do. It also creates a bit of banter. We had one team [on Thursday] who had to do ten press-ups every time they lost, and unfortunately for them I think they lost four or five times.

“One of the comments from them was to ask if they didn’t have to do the upper body gym session in the afternoon, because they’d done it all on the training pitch, but we weren’t having any of that.

“There has to be a real aversion to losing. It creates a little bit of a competitive edge and you must have a winning mentality in everything you do.

“I’m not saying we’re going to win all the time because I don’t think we’re in a position where we’re ready to do that.

“We’re all going to have to accept that somewhere down the line we will lose, but I want them to want to win.

“It has to be our start point. We didn’t get it for 35 minutes last Saturday, and that’s why I want to see a reaction.”