What did we learn from Carlisle United's game at St Mirren?

1 KEY MAN EMERGING?

Once Carlisle had emerged from the game’s patchy start in Paisley, a few positive features of their play grew clearer.

Certainly their opening goal, scored by Harrison Neal, showed what’s possible when United’s combinations are right and their midfield – something we didn’t see enough last season – are prepared to run beyond their forwards.

Hopefully this is a sign of greater enterprise from that area of the pitch than we witnessed for too much of 2023/24.

Another key aspect in how Carlisle grew into things at the SMiSA Stadium was their ability to turn defence into attack. If anyone helped them do this at good pace it was another midfielder: Josh Vela.

Josh Vela (Image: Ben Holmes)

The experienced January signing carried the ball well and his runs were more direct than those of others. This is still not a side blessed with great pace but Vela’s drive and urgency got United into some decent positions against their Scottish hosts.

Carlisle lacked polish in certain first-half moments once they got there, but, given the different traits elsewhere, the thrust of Vela looks like something they are going to need in League Two.

2 NEW STATURE

Carlisle were not threatening enough from set-pieces last season (other than to themselves) so Friday also saw welcome signs in the attacking respect there too.

Terell Thomas now has two goals from corners in four United outings, and it does look like Carlisle have the ability to cause more chaos in those situations than they did before.

Aaron Hayden is also aerially strong and he kept a few possibilities alive better than others may have managed, even when the balls in were difficult to reach.

Terell Thomas, left, headed United level from a late corner (Image: Ben Holmes)

There is no denying the stature of both summer signings, and Carlisle’s movement in the box also seemed sprightlier than in the hangdog days of 2023/24.

The delivery, naturally, must be good too. United have tried a range of corner-takers so far in pre-season, with Taylor Charters and Ethan Robson among those aiming in the deliveries.

At St Mirren it was Dan Butterworth supplying, and his well-aimed cross was attacked proactively by Ben Barclay before Thomas applied the finish: evidence of a team that knows it has to get better in these areas, and are looking to do something about it.

3 CHARLIE THE FOIL

The game on Friday was not one stuffed with chances for United’s major summer signing. Other than one wayward first-half header, it’s hard to think of other moments when Charlie Wyke threatened to trouble the scorers.

However, as things went on there were more opportunities for Luke Armstrong than he’s tended to enjoy in a United shirt.

This may be fledgling evidence of how that partnership might play out. Wyke is the expected line-leader and first in the queue for goals.

As Wyke drew defenders, Luke Armstrong looked to profit (Image: Ben Holmes)

Yet there seemed a little extra freedom than before for Armstrong alongside him. Without needing to draw quite so much of the primary defensive attention, the former Harrogate town man could run channels, drop and link with Robson, make progress out wide and arrive onto things from the sides of the box.

None of his chances came off, and sharpening-up must come, but the sight of Armstrong giving chase, and finding areas of space closer to goal, is something largely denied to United last season.

As the understanding grows, this is something that could restore the January arrival to good form, even if that means days when Wyke has to take the blows.

4 OTHER GLIMPSES           

It wasn’t all positive in Paisley, needless to say. Carlisle’s start was not particularly vibrant and the way they conceded two goals said this isn’t yet a lock-tight team.

St Mirren’s leveller came from the hosts' ability to ease into crossing space too comfortably, and then Toyosi Olusanya got the marginal run on Sam Lavelle to head home.

Their second goal was worse: United’s defending from a corner coming apart as James Scott, who was deemed onside, found an ocean of space to head home.

That wasn’t an organisational success and Carlisle will need to be much more forbidding than that against sides who themselves pose a set-piece threat in League Two.

Freddie O'Donoghue, left, made a lively impact off the bench (Image: Ben Holmes)

The need for improvement blends with the encouragement, of which there was some, individually and collectively. This was Hayden’s best and sharpest game since his summer return, the defender making one particularly superb sliding block to deny Olusanya in the first half.

Lavelle, by and large, occupied the middle ground well in between Hayden and Thomas. On the left, Taylor Charters showed plenty of intent to attack – and will need to, as a live alternative for the currently-sidelined Cameron Harper.

Archie Davies on the right is not short of energy. Ethan Robson looks a player with a deft passing touch. Simpson has some decent things to ponder when Harper and Jon Mellish, in their respective positions, come back into the reckoning.

There was some pleasing feist, too, from some of Carlisle’s young players, Freddie O’Donoghue once again making an impact on this game as a substitute, where he was involved in unsettling the home keeper before Thomas made it 2-2.

5 WHO’S THE SKIPPER?

This we don’t yet know. Simpson has rotated the armband in United’s four friendlies so far and, if this tends to be a subject obsessed over by the media and fans more than the manager himself, it’s still an interesting area.

So far, against Penrith, Kendal Town, Workington Reds and St Mirren, the following senior players have acted as captain: Sam Lavelle, Terell Thomas, Jon Mellish, Aaron Hayden, Charlie Wyke and Josh Vela.

This isn’t something Simpson has commented on yet (or been asked about – one for the notepad) so it can be interpreted in different ways.

Is it a genuine audition for the captaincy? Is it Simpson simply asking different members of his older guard to take extra responsibility?

Terell Thomas is one of several captains so far this pre-season (Image: Ben Holmes)

Is it just a basic pre-season sharing of the load? Is it one of those managerial cliches in action about wanting captains all over the pitch, all across the squad?

United did lose one captain in the summer when Paul Huntington was released. Lavelle often led the team last season.

Lavelle has often captained in his career to date, including from a young age. Doubtless he would embrace the position again.

Could this, though, be one of those cases where a player benefits from, and is lightened by, the duty going to someone else, given the periods when Lavelle struggled last term?

We should find out soon enough; in the fine-tuning last three friendlies, it ought to become more apparent.