Paul Simpson has called on his Carlisle United players to “show they’ve got the fight for this football club.”

The Blues are preparing for their latest game in an increasingly troubled season at the foot of League One.

Carlisle head to Bristol Rovers this weekend desperate to end a seven-game losing run which has made relegation look all but inevitable.

The drop looks certain with bookmakers William Hill now offering odds of 1/250 for United to go down.

Manager Simpson, who this week pledged to “fight on” in the bid for a turnaround, says Carlisle are first and foremost playing for pride – and to show there can be better times ahead.

“I just want them [the players] to show that they’ve got the fight for this football club,” Simpson said.

“We all want this club to be bigger and better, and I honestly believe in the long run it will be.

“I hope I’m part of it. I said when I came back in two years ago I wanted the club to be in a better place.

News and Star: Josh Emmanuel, centre, is close to a returnJosh Emmanuel, centre, is close to a return (Image: Richard Parkes)

“I think we are, even though the league table and our footballing performances are not reflecting that.

“There are lots of things that are positive going on at the club, but as I keep saying, the football has to get positive as well.”

Simpson, in the wake of last weekend’s 4-0 home thrashing by Cambridge United, stressed that he was “not a quitter” in the face of growing criticism.

He is considering further changes to his team at 12th-placed Bristol Rovers and has also said he is reassessing United’s system ahead of the game.

Josh Emmanuel could bolster the manager’s options for the trip to the Memorial Stadium with Sean Maguire also hoping to return from an ankle problem.

Carlisle’s problems have deepened as this campaign has gone on and, asked if it would take another major transfer window overhaul to put things right, Simpson said: “The thing is, in the summer, there are a lot of players who are out of contract anyway. And there are six or seven loan signings who are here, who will all go back to the parent clubs.

“We've had a tough time this season with some injuries in terms of Jokull Andresson fracturing a scapula that neither Reading nor our medical team have ever experienced before. We've got Terry Ablade who was brought in because he's got sheer pace about him – he goes in, then he's out for long periods.

“We've got JJ Kayode who dislocated his shoulder in his first game. So we have missed these players who were brought in to try and help us and we've not been able to get them out in the grass enough.

“But I still think in many, many games, we've had enough about us to try and get results. But it's easy for me to say that because we haven't got results.

“Eleven games we've lost by the odd goal. We've had some hidings as well, with Blackpool, with Reading away, with Cambridge, with Bolton. And we've had some tough games as well.

“We're in a real tough period at the moment. I am. I'm feeling it. But all I know is that I want to keep working. And I want to try and turn it around.”