Carlisle United manager reveals his transfer wishlist

The manager admits those are key traits missing from his goal-shy strikeforce early in the League One season.

Simpson said two players with those qualities would be his “ideal wishlist” before the window closes at the end of this month.

He warned, though, that sourcing players who can help the Blues won’t be easy.

Asked if he wanted two such frontmen, he said: “If we could, it would be great.

“It’ll probably leave us in a position where some players are going to be left out, but if that’s what’s going to make us better we’ve got to look to try and do that.

“I don’t want to stand still as a football club. I don’t want to sit and be satisfied that we’re now in League One and let’s have a little rest. I want to push on.

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“If we can’t get any help we’ll make sure we keep working with what we’ve got and make sure they come to the party.

“But in the ideal world it would be good if we can get some more in to come and help us with that.”

Simpson said he will be trying to bring in a new face before next weekend’s trip to Port Vale.

Sub Dan Butterworth has an effort on goal against Exeter (Image: Ben Holmes)

But he has also warned that United may have to wait until the final stages of the window to get more players in.

“We know that we need to strengthen our squad, we are really trying to strengthen the squad,” said Simpson, whose side have scored two goals in five games so far this term, both by midfielder Owen Moxon.

“We’ll have another push to try and do it this week. We’re going to keep working at it and hopefully we can get people in that can come and help the group.

“We’ve got the staff who can do it. It’s actually getting the right players, it’s having the funds to do it, it’s having the clubs who are prepared to let them come.

“There are all sorts of things that go into the mix. We are all trying to do it, myself, Gav [Skelton], Greg [Abbott], the directors are backing us to do it, we just have to try and find the right ones and get the right funds for it.”

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On a pacy player and a target man, the Blues boss added: “That would be my ideal wishlist. But that’s not easy – it’s something we’ve been looking at since the end of last season when we knew we were going to be in League One.

“I think we’ve got players who give us good variations – Luke Plange was lively again when he came on, Sean Maguire was lively, we all saw what Jordan Gibson brings to it on Tuesday night, Dan Butterworth gives us something, we’ve got Joe Garner in there…we’ve got players who can do it.

“We just need a little bit of assistance, maybe even a fresh face, maybe somebody the fans can go and cling to as well.

“But I’ve got to say I thought the fans were outstanding in the way they stuck with us [against Exeter]. That’s what I’m appealing for – everybody stick together.

“I’ve said that to the players, we have to stick together and make sure we keep working to try and get it to turn.”