What the numbers tell us about Carlisle United pre-season

We have taken a look at their seven friendlies and totted up who got the most minutes, appearances, 90-minute outings and more, as Paul Simpson shapes up his side for the big kick-off…

MOST MINUTES

For the second summer in a row, Jon Mellish is Carlisle’s leading outfield player when it comes to pre-season minutes.

The defender totted up 395 minutes in United’s friendlies in July.

Jon Mellish has been on the pitch more than any Blues player in pre-season (Image: Barbara Abbott)

Mellish is known for his fitness and durability and this is reflected in the 25-year-old’s leading status among all Carlisle’s players for time on the pitch.

Second place in terms of minutes is Jordan Gibson, with the attacking midfielder getting plenty of time to make his first-team case.

He featured in 381 minutes of United’s friendlies, often in an attacking role as Simpson looked at his tactical options.

Others in the first-team front line got plenty under their belts in the friendlies.

Goalkeeper Tomas Holy got 361 minutes, defenders Jack Armer and Paul Huntington received 359 and striker Ryan Edmondson got 354.

MOST APPEARANCES

Even as Simpson rotated his selection frequently, as is the norm in pre-season, four Carlisle players appeared in every single game they played.

Their seven matches against Annan Athletic, Gretna 2008, Workington Reds, Livingston, Newcastle United’s Under-21s, Chorley and Dundee United all featured outings for Jack Ellis, Taylor Charters, Jordan Gibson and Ryan Edmondson, whether from the start or from the bench.

Taylor Charters has been involved in every friendly, along with three of his team-mates (Image: Barbara Abbott)

A cluster of Simpson’s squad then featured in all but one of their games.

Playing six times in their friendlies were Tomas Holly, Paul Huntington, Callum Guy, Joe Garner, Jack Armer, Ben Barclay, Jon Mellish, Jayden Harris, Owen Moxon and Alfie McCalmont.

THE 90-MINUTE MEN

As pre-season gathered pace, Simpson was keen to ensure many of his players got a full 90 minutes under their belts, in some cases more than once.

Some seven members of his first-team squad played two full games. They were: Tomas Holy, Sam Lavelle, Paul Huntington, Jordan Gibson, Jack Armer, Corey Whelan, Jon Mellish and Jayden Harris.

Jack Armer is among the group to have played two full games in pre-season (Image: Barbara Abbott)

Those who got one full 90 minutes were Jack Robinson, Max Kilsby, Callum Guy, Ben Barclay, Owen Moxon, Alfie McCalmont, Ryan Edmondson and Dylan McGeouch.

Those who did not play a full game were Jack Ellis, Taylor Charters and Joe Garner, plus the mid-pre-season signing Dan Butterworth and the very recent arrival Fin Back, along with trialists Dan Langley and Stephen Walker, young keeper Gabe Breeze and youth players Romeo Park and Jake Allan.

WHAT WOULD BE CARLISLE’S STARTING XI IF IT WAS BASED ON MOST PRE-SEASON MINUTES?

If Simpson was selecting his side purely based on who had been out there the most in pre-season, the team would look like this:

Holy, Lavelle, Huntington, Mellish, Ellis, Armer, Guy, Charters, Gibson, Harris, Edmondson.

Safe to say it probably won’t look entirely like that – Owen Moxon, for one, is surely a starter against Fleetwood Town, while Alfie McCalmont also has a strong case – but in many other cases it’s clear enough how Simpson has shaped things up the longer pre-season has gone on.

GOALSCORERS

Carlisle netted 16 goals in their seven friendlies.

Three players picked up two goals in that time – Ryan Edmondson, Jordan Gibson and Alfie McCalmont – while the Blues also benefited from two own-goals.

Ryan Edmondson scored two goals in pre-season (Image: Barbara Abbott)

Also scoring one each were Jack Armer, Joe Garner, Jack Robinson, Jack Ellis, Jayden Harris, Kai Nugent, Romeo Park and trialist Stephen Walker.

PRE-SEASON MINUTES BY PLAYER

Here’s a list showing how many minutes United’s squad have in the tank after pre-season.

JON MELLISH – 395

JORDAN GIBSON – 381

TOMAS HOLY – 361

PAUL HUNTINGTON – 359

JACK ARMER – 359

RYAN EDMONDSON – 345

SAM LAVELLE – 344

TAYLOR CHARTERS – 341

JAYDEN HARRIS – 340

CALLUM GUY – 334

JACK ELLIS – 331

ALFIE MCCALMONT – 314

OWEN MOXON – 310

COREY WHELAN – 301

BEN BARCLAY – 300

JOE GARNER – 275

DYLAN MCGEOUCH - 251

DAN LANGLEY (Trialist) – 245

JACK ROBINSON – 241

MAX KILSBY – 241

DAN BUTTERWORTH – 159

KAI NUGENT – 90

ROMEO PARK – 90

STEPHEN WALKER (Trialist) – 90

FIN BACK – 45

GABE BREEZE – 24

JAKE ALLAN – 24