Carlisle United boss on vocal Reading loan goalkeeper

The Blues boss says the vocal Icelandic keeper has already made his presence felt on the training ground.

And Simpson believes Reading loanee Andrésson, who joined the club in a season-long deal yesterday, will prove a “really good addition.”

Simpson said of the new recruit: “He’s athletic, a good size, he likes to dominate his 18-yard box, he’s a good shot-stopper, he’s incredibly brave and he’s a good talker and a good personality.

“In training this morning he’s never shut up right throughout the whole session.

“It makes people in front of [him] react and do things. He doesn’t let anybody rest. I don’t think he’s going to let anybody settle.

“There were goals going in today, and he’s screaming at players to do things differently…just trying to get good standards.

“I think he’ll be a real good addition to the group.”

Andrésson will be in United’s squad for Saturday’s League One trip to Oxford United.

His arrival ends Simpson’s search for a senior keeper to put pressure on first-choice Tomas Holy.

Tomas Holy will be challenged by the new arrival (Image: Barbara Abbott)

Simpson says the former Exeter City and Morecambe keeper has come in with the aim and challenge of dislodging Carlisle’s Czech No1.

And Holy’s own reaction to the new keeper’s arrival will also be key.

“I want to see how Tomas responds to that,” Simpson said.

“He’s a goalkeeper who played 46 games last season, kept a record number of clean sheets, and he deserves the opportunity to start the season.

“But I want somebody who is going to push him all the way and if any point I get to a stage where I think Tomas needs to come out, I have total confidence that Jokull will be able to go in and do that job.

“That’s why he’s been brought in and in no way am I being disrespectful to Gabe Breeze when I say that. Because Gabe has got a good future ahead of him. I just think at the moment we needed another goalkeeper into that group.”

Simpson confirmed that Andrésson will not be able to face his parent club when Carlisle take on Reading in the league on November 28 and March 2.

He added, meanwhile, that the keeper’s arrival could speed up attempts to secure a loan move for promising teenage Cumbrian Breeze, who has been on the bench for United’s first two games of the campaign.

“It certainly opens the door for that to happen but it has to be the right one for him,” said Simpson.

“He [Breeze] went on a loan last season [to Widnes] that wasn’t a good loan for him and didn’t work out.

“I think Gabe’s developing really well, he’s coming on, getting all the work with Dave [Timmins, goalkeeping coach]; Dave’s driving the standards with him.

“He just has to keep improving. If we can get the right sort of loan for him to go out and play, I’m sure that will help him.”