Carlisle United's Paul Simpson pledges to 'keep fighting'

Simpson’s comments followed a dismal 4-0 home defeat to Cambridge United as the Blues’ League One woes went on.

A seventh straight defeat increased calls from some supporters for change.

But Simpson said he would not be throwing in the towel.

“If other people decide I’m not the right person for the job then I have to totally respect that. But I believe I am. And I’m going to keep fighting to try and get some pride back into this group,” said Simpson.

Asked on BBC Radio Cumbria if he could envisage a point where he would no longer fight on, he said: “The honest answer is no, I’m not at that point where I think I’ve done all I can.

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“I’m going to keep fighting. I’m certainly not a quitter. I can absolutely reassure everybody of that – I’m going to continue to fight, I will continue to do what I think is the right thing.”

Carlisle are now 13 points from safety with 14 games left in an increasingly troubled season in the third tier, with relegation straight back to League Two looking inevitable.

Cambridge scored four without reply on another dismal Blues afternoon (Image: Barbara Abbott)

Just as concerning is the Blues’ worsening form from an already low point, with the thrashing against Cambridge extending the club’s worst losing run for 21 years.

Carlisle have not picked up a single point since the arrival of a host of January signings and the full-time whistle was booed by many supporters – with a number of others having long since left.

Simpson acknowledged that some in the fanbase would be calling for a change given the results.

He told the News & Star: “I totally get it, I have to accept that – that’s what people are going to think, because results and particularly the performance today, don’t reflect particularly well on me.

“But I still have got the fight.

• Carlisle United 0-4 Cambridge United - as it happened

“This is my football club, this is where I supported as a kid on that Warwick Road End, this is a job I want to turn around.

“I said when I came in [in 2022] that I wanted to make us a better football club. And I think we are. But unfortunately the performances and certainly results are not reflecting that at the moment.”

Simpson reiterated his determination to continue fighting to turn things around.

“Of course I will. Absolutely. That’s what I’m going to do, I have done all season,” said the 57-year-old.

“I’ve done it the whole time here and I will continue to do it.

“Maybe people want to see me fighting and throwing things around but that’s not my personality, I’m not going to try and be something that I’m not.

Jenna Piatak, far right, and Nick DeMasi, second right, from the ownership family, pictured with guests in the directors' box at the Cambridge game (Image: Barbara Abbott)

“I think we’ve got a group of players here who are not playing to the level of ability that they’re capable of. I don’t think they’re showing the desire that I think they’ve got.

“Everybody has to have a long, hard look within themselves to come up with a solution. That’s staff and players.”

Simpson went on to say that everyone involved must honestly assess his own performance.

“This is not me passing the buck here – last season we were successful because of the players, not because of me,” he added.

“As much as the Carlisle fans liked me last season, we did well because of the players.

“Now you could say we haven’t got a strong enough group here, and I have to totally accept that. But I’m doing all I possibly can to prepare. I’m doing the same preparation we were doing last season, when we got ourselves promoted.

“We have to ask the question are the players doing everything they possibly can? Have they got a togetherness, have they got a professionalism about them, are they doing everything right for the 90 per cent or maybe even the 80 per cent of the time they are away from this football club?

“If they can all say definitely they are, 100 per cent, then maybe I’ve got to look at what we’re doing in the 20 per cent we have them together.”