Paul Simpson believes the transfer window puts undue pressure on clubs such as Carlisle United.

The Blues boss is continuing his efforts to bring in a new striker before Friday’s 11pm deadline.

But Simpson believes the limited timespan to do deals is counter-productive to clubs at United’s level.

He believes it puts a financial demand on clubs to do deals at a stage when they would normally manage their resources differently.

“This is the problem when you have a transfer window, and there’s a closing date. Everybody gets screwed up by this,” Simpson said.

“When it was just open and you could go right through to deadline day in March or April, these conversations didn’t go on.

“It does make it really tricky. I think it makes it tricky for us when we’re working to a tight budget, because you end up having to spend money on a group of players that are maybe not going to play, whereas in the previous circumstances you could keep budget back and go, ‘You know what, we need somebody next weekend, let’s go and get somebody now’.

“It’s just what the transfer window has done. I get why it works at the top end. I personally don’t think it works to the club’s benefit at the lower end.”

Simpson has said he is “sick” of talking about the transfer situation and will be glad when the window closes.

But he has conceded he and United are trying “desperately” to add a number 9 to their squad in the closing stages of the summer trading period, in light of the Blues’ early-season goalscoring struggles in League One.

Speaking after Saturday’s defeat to Port Vale, Carlisle’s manager said: “I don’t like doing things last minute, and we have done a lot of groundwork on quite a number of players.

“I want to try and get somebody in, but I want the window closed so we can just focus on what we’ve got.

“We are struggling to find our feet in terms of getting goals, everybody can see that. The goals for column tells you that, and we all know it.

“Supporters don’t need to keep saying it. We know it. We are desperately trying to do something.

“Years ago, a left-sided centre-back was the hardest position to fill. Now, at the moment, a No9, a proper striker, is the most difficult position to fill.

“Unfortunately we’re not having any luck or haven’t had any luck so far.”

Simpson added that he is not currently contemplating moves away from Brunton Park for any of his own squad.

He said he could change that approach if any player approached him and said they wanted to leave, but the Blues boss said that is not currently the case.

Carlisle will also be hoping the latter stages of the window pass without any late interest in star midfielder Owen Moxon, who was the subject of a failed bid from Blackpool in pre-season.