Carlisle United manager calls on team and fans to make Brunton Park 'horrible' for Rochdale

The Blues take on League Two’s bottom club (kick-off 3pm) hoping to secure back-to-back home league wins.

Simpson said supporters contributed to last weekend’s victory over Gillingham.

And he hopes team and supporters can combine to make it another positive afternoon on home soil.

READ MORE: Paul Simpson reflects on his first management job at Rochdale - 20 years ago

“We’ve got to make it really difficult for teams to come here,” the manager said.

“We know how difficult some of our journeys are, so we’ve got to make it horrible for teams to come here.

“Rochdale isn’t a long journey but we have to make it tough here. We can only do that with our performances because that will make it difficult for the opposition and lift our fans which makes it even trickier.

Fans played their part in the Gillingham win, Simmo said (photo: Barbara Abbott)

“Last weekend [Gillingham manager] Neil Harris made a point of saying how much the crowd affected our start to the second half.

“Hopefully we don’t have to get them grumbling at half time then turn it around – hopefully they can be positive and we can use it to lift our performance.”

Simpson has some welcome selection decisions today with striker Ryan Edmondson set to be back in the squad for a league game for only the third time this season.

Defender Paul Huntington is expected to overcome a calf issue and, with Morgan Feeney also firmly back in contention, the manager has more options than for several weeks.

Rochdale, under new boss Jim Bentley in a league game for the first time, could hand a debut to former Barrow striker Scott Quigley, who joined them on a season-long loan from Stockport County on transfer deadline day.

The Blues have taken seven points from their first five games and Simpson said the period in front of them now can set them up well if they take their chances.

“This can make an ok start into a really good start, if we can just get the results,” he added.

Ryan Edmondson, left, will be in the squad today (photo: Ben Holmes)

“This has been a good week for us with the three home games – the result last weekend was really pleasing, lots of the performance was pleasing on Tuesday but not the result [against Manchester United Under-21s in the Papa John’s Trophy].

“We have to follow it up now with a really good performance and result this weekend, then it sticks us into a nice position ready to have another week of recovery, a Central League Cup game [at Fleetwood Town to get players with match minutes on Tuesday, then working to prepare for the next one.”

Simpson had suggested there was a “nervousness” around Brunton Park last Saturday.

But he insisted it was the job of the team to get fans into happier spirits.

“What I was trying to say was the players were nervous, so maybe that transmitted onto the fans,” he said.

“I don’t blame the fans for any sort of nervousness. Players have to make sure they perform with a bit of freedom that expresses what they’re all about and gives fans something to cling onto.

“Our mindset must be to come into games and lift the supporters. If we’re really fortunate that we’re not great and the supporters lift us, that’s great.

“But let’s all, starting with us as the footballers and coaches, give the fans something to be positive about. If we can do that, we’ll all have a really good Saturday afternoon.”