Paul Simpson insists Carlisle United must still find the answers within – despite their search for new faces.

Manager Simpson has added to his strikeforce today with the arrival of Fulham loan man Terry Ablade.

But the Blues boss says the Cumbrians cannot pin all their hopes on a new face or two.

He says their progress in League One also depends considerably on those already in the ranks stepping up.

“The solutions have to come from us because we will not get one player who ticks all the boxes, because we don’t have millions of pounds,” said Simpson, whose side go to Port Vale on Saturday.

“We have to find somebody who will be the catalyst for everybody else to raise their game – that’s what we have to find and that’s what we’re trying to do.

“I’ve said this before, I don’t believe in just bringing bodies in just to accumulate a group of players, we have to get players who are going to make us better.

“We’ve got to have a right good push. We’ve got to be seen to be trying to make improvements. I think the supporters want that.

“We’ve gone up, we deserved to go up, now we have to do everything we possibly can to stay up.”

United have taken two points from their first four games, with Owen Moxon having scored both their goals in the league so far.

They now prepare to take on their play-off winning predecessors, Vale having gone up through that route in 2022.

The second away game of the league campaign will be another early barometer for Carlisle’s progress.

Simpson said: “We look forward to every game. We’ve earned the right to be in League One.

“We know it’s tough. I actually felt it was tough in League Two last season. And I look at the League Two teams and think it’s even tougher this year.

“We’re enjoying being here but we need to make sure we improve and we enjoy it even more.”