Keith Curle: What Hartlepool United can learn from Carlisle United

Curle’s side lost 3-1 on his return to Brunton Park.

And the man who led Carlisle from 2014-18 feels his current side should be more like Paul Simpson’s team in aspects of the game.

He referred to the way the Cumbrians mix things up in an attacking sense.

“If you have a look at them, yes they’ve got some good interplay, but when they get in that middle area, they’re not averse to sometimes just putting the ball in good areas with good quality,” said Curle.

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“Sometimes in the first half we tried forcing a pass that wasn’t on.

“If you haven’t got a forward pass on, leave the ball in a good area, make them deal with it.

Curle on the touchline at Brunton Park (Image: Ben Holmes)

“They’re happy to go up, put the ball out of play. We need to get better at that.

“Sometimes they were asking us questions and there’s a reluctance for us to do the right thing – we look to take a touch, take another touch, find the right pass, and then we cause ourselves problems.”

Curle’s side felt there were basic areas where his side were at fault in the goals they shipped at Brunton Park.

Morgan Feeney stabbed home Carlisle’s early opener after a corner, before the prolific Kristian Dennis converted two clinical finishes either side of the break.

It meant Josh Umerah’s first-half effort was a consolation for the third-bottom Monkey Hangers.

Asked about his biggest frustration of the night, Curle told BBC Tees: “The nature of the goals. They are basics, fundamentals.

“The first goal is from a set piece, which gives them a head start.

“The second goal was a good bit of interplay from them to get down the side, and it’s always difficult when they get down the side of a back three, it’s one of those things that you try and eliminate.

“Our shape and awareness of their movement wasn’t quite right and that enabled them to have the space to get in behind us.

“There was then a miskicked clearance, and when you’re up at the top it lands straight to a man who’s coming in – composed finish [from Dennis] and it goes in.

“The third goal was disappointing [in terms of] spotting danger. I thought we were having our fair share of it until that point but the goal flattens you.

“It was a good cross from the kid [Owen Moxon], and good movement. We did enough to delay the play from the counter but didn’t deny the crossing angle.”

While his former club are one point outside the automatic promotion places, Curle’s team are two points above the relegation zone.

The Pools manager added that Carlisle are further forward in terms of constructing an effective team.

“They [Carlisle] are bringing in players, not many players, to bring into their team. We’re trying to bring in players to build a team,” he added.