What we've learned from Carlisle United's friendlies so far

1 NEW BOYS

Seven summer signings have had their share of early action in the Blues’ three games to date.

These are of course the early days, and performances come with the caveat of the work in progress, fitness and team-wise, that we always see at this point of pre-season.

Partnerships and likely combinations for the League Two season are also difficult to gauge so soon. Time enough for all that to materialise.

Terell Thomas (Image: Ben Holmes)

Individually, at least, there has been a chance to observe Paul Simpson’s latest additions. At the back, Terell Thomas appears a dominant figure: a centre-back of stature who also looks comfortable on the ball. Simpson has rotated the captaincy so far...don't be surprised if Thomas is near the front of the queue come August 10.

Cameron Harper appears a mobile and attack-minded wing-back on the left while Ethan Robson is a ball-player in midfield.

Those two, and Thomas, were involved in good attacking moments against Penrith and Kendal, while Archie Davies has looked an energetic customer on the right in Carlisle’s most recent two games.

Aaron Hayden is also working his way back into life in United’s defence, a little rust evident with the error that almost gifted Workington’s Steven Rigg a goal on Saturday.

Also at the defensive end, Jude Smith, the goalkeeper, has not been tested greatly yet, though he was called into action a couple of times at Kendal with a shot to save and a venture out of his box that almost backfired.

Plenty of time for all to settle in further. And then there’s…

2 WELCOME BACK, WYKE

If Carlisle are to enjoy any success in 2024/25 then the productivity of their major summer signing is going to be key.

Charlie Wyke, in his second spell at the club, promises a reliable goals return - provided the service is on point.

In the short term it was reassuring to see the striker get back into the old habit with a couple of composed finishes at Kendal, the latter when deftly served by Robson.

Charlie Wyke (Image: Ben Holmes)

That came in between a bruising start at Penrith and a frustrating 45 minutes at Workington.

Wyke has the aura of someone who has been there and done it at higher levels ever since he left Brunton Park seven years ago. United's frontline will clearly be better for his presence.

Exactly how all the pieces are going to fit together remains to be seen. First time around, Wyke was proficient about converting the deliveries of Nicky Adams and Danny Grainger.

The current Blues’ work in wide areas, whether from open play or set-pieces, needs, then, to be good in the remaining weeks of pre-season, as well as adding more of the dynamism in the final third from which Wyke can benefit in that No9 position.

The coming weeks could be crucial in that regard.

3 QUESTION OF STYLE

United will be a wing-back team in 2024/25. Or at least that’s how Plan A is looking.

Simpson has recruited with this system in mind given the qualities, in particular, of Harper and Davies in the wing-back positions.

Carlisle were not completely wedded to this formation along 2023/24’s struggles but 3-5-2 brought United promotion success two campaigns ago and the Blues boss clearly favours it as a supposed way forward in League Two again.

Harry Lewis on the ball (Image: Ben Holmes)

United, amid these early offerings, have tried to build from the back, in particular through keeper Harry Lewis feeding the centre-halves. Lewis is a footballing goalkeeper and this press-inviting aspect of the game will need to be honed carefully if Carlisle are to profit from it.

Breaking quickly onto teams, the next part of the plan, is something that worked well enough against a side at Penrith’s level, and to an extent at Kendal.

Carlisle, though, found difficulty in breaching Workington’s containment strategy and it was disappointing, and perhaps revealing, to see a certain lack of invention in this particular game.

United continue to lack an attack-minded player with genuine pace and flair: someone who could have broken those deep lines with some imagination and devilment, stretched organised and stubborn hosts, created space for strikers such as Wyke and Luke Armstrong more often to be where they prefer.

Such a player appears to remain on Simpson’s summer shopping list. If United currently have varying qualities in terms of effort, ball-play and so forth, someone with additional zest could really make a difference to the side being built - and see them move further away from last season's sterility.

4 YOUNG GUNS

The earliest friendlies are traditionally to the young players’ benefit and in United’s case there have been some lively showings by some of their teenagers.

Freddie O’Donoghue, a second-year youth team forward, has looked bright and purposeful in his showings so far.

It may be too soon for him to be considered a lasting part of the first-team furniture but the youngster from the Isle of Man has certainly shown an appetite for things, as well as some quality, and could be one to watch.

Freddie O'Donoghue scores at Penrith (Image: Ben Holmes)

Sam Hetherington, too, has been bright; at times United’s leading threat in the struggle at Borough Park, and also scorer of an attractive goal against Penrith.

It would not surprise should Workington be interested in bringing Hetherington back for another loan spell, and that might be the best course of action for the teenager right now.

But in these glimpses so far it has been easy to see why United wanted to back his potential with a third-year scholarship.

Aran Fitzpatrick also showed good composure on the ball in his midfield outing at Kendal, and looks a maturing prospect. The robust Jake Allan has also seen decent pitch time so far, and the next steps for these youngsters will be worth watching after the positivity of the last two weeks.

5 BUMPS AND BRUISES

Pre-season is as much about avoiding injuries as scoring goals and winning games. United have been mostly unscathed, with a couple of exceptions.

Their opener at Penrith brought some meaty challenges from the hosts which were not entirely to Paul Simpson’s liking.

These left Charlie Wyke with bruises to his shin, as well as a bump to the head, but no lasting damage was done there.

Cameron Harper went off injured at Workington (Image: Ben Holmes)

Of more concern may be the groin discomfort felt by Cameron Harper at Workington. Hopefully his precautionary substitution will have intercepted any problem and it can be put down to a standard pre-season niggle.

That’ll become clearer when United re-emerge for action at St Mirren. Anton Dudik turned up at Penrith with a foot in a protective boot and a four-week ankle injury delays his bid to make an impact one way or another (a loan move, eventually, is probably the young Ukrainian’s best early bet).

Other than that, the other main question mark has been over Georgie Kelly, United hoping their patient approach with the striker – who felt discomfort in his calf during the close-season – pays off in the long run.

It will not be until Carlisle’s closing friendlies that the big Irishman will be seen in action. Again – if that proves for the best in the big picture, nobody will mind that he missed games at Frenchfield Park, Parkside Road and Borough Park.

But there remains, right now, an amount of catching-up to do – and, until then, opportunities for Wyke, Armstrong and others to emphasise their hold on the striking positions for Gillingham away.