What did we learn from Carlisle United's defeat at Rochdale?

1 ECHOES (ECHOES)…

Where there had been good levels of energy and brightness about Carlisle at St Mirren, here it was different.

Carlisle looked sluggish, both in action and in thought. If Carlisle’s plan was to hurt Rochdale by using their wing-backs to attacking effect, by getting their midfielders running beyond, by pinning the Dale defenders with their big centre-forwards…well, none of that worked.

Instead it was the home side that looked tuned-up and with an evident plan. Rochdale’s passing style was brave, and carried risks which almost cost them, but overall made them comfortably the game’s more impressive side.

Carlisle often struggled against teams with polished and well-worked passing games last season. Yet this time it was against a side who finished 11th in the National League.

Rochdale had United on the back foot too often for comfort (Image: Richard Parkes)

Clearly, no points are lost by playing poorly in pre-season. But no encouragement was offered on Saturday either. Charlie Wyke, Georgie Kelly and Luke Armstrong had next to no opportunities between them, their midfielders’ runs never paid off and it did leave one wondering where the pace, the more nimble threat, the service and indeed the Plan B is going to come from in 2024/25.

Two more games, and hopefully a couple more signings, can allay this sort of concern before things start for real.

2 BUTTER WORTH A START?

Given what Carlisle have right now as well as what they don’t, is the case now stronger than ever for Dan Butterworth getting a starting place in the new season?

The former Blackburn man was quick to make an impact on this game, coming off the bench and scoring United’s consolation goal five minutes later.

Butterworth can carry the ball at decent speed and also showed a good standard of finishing in how he fired Carlisle back into the game at Spotland.

Dan Butterworth made his mark with a second-half goal (Image: Richard Parkes)

In the attacking department, and indeed the attacking midfield areas, he currently appears United’s only real dribbler, someone who runs at defenders with the idea of keeping them on the back foot and forcing the game deep into enemy territory.

Butterworth may not have been consistent last season (who was?) but at his best, later in the campaign, offered Carlisle something they didn’t have elsewhere.

The 24-year-old gives them the option of changing up their game, of a bit of useful trickery and directness from which others might benefit too.

Right now, and certainly on Saturday's evidence, the argument in favour of Butterworth seems to be growing.

3 MIDDLE GROUND

If Carlisle are going to be wedded to their 3-5-2, as seems the case with the main blueprint at least, then goals are going to have to come from that midfield unit, one way or another.

Harrison Neal scored at St Mirren but does not have a prolific record and expecting a glut from him seems unrealistic. The same goes for some of United’s other main options there, such as Dylan McGeouch and Ethan Robson.

Josh Vela picked up a couple of goals after signing last January and seems the central man with the best attacking instincts, but on Saturday he was unable to hurt Rochdale. Similarly, the wing-backs, save for a couple of decent crosses, did not cause damage in the final third.

Josh Vela and his fellow midfielders struggled to make an impact on Rochdale (Image: Richard Parkes)

Is this all the more reason to try and incorporate someone like Butterworth in the number ten position, or further forward, given Carlisle’s lack of midfield goals - or still to find another player who can fit that bill?

With Jordan Gibson at his best, and before him Owen Moxon, there was at least the greater prospect of something happening in this respect.

Carlisle haven’t, on the evidence so far, adequately replaced some of those traits. More attacking help is being sought in the market, of course, and the window is open for weeks yet.

It’s surely where some of the recruitment accent has to remain.

4 MADE TO MEASURE

Paul Simpson agreed that a “measured view” should be taken of any pre-season game. Should Carlisle play better at Gateshead and against Stockport, things will feel more settled again going into the new season.

It should never be forgotten that friendlies are, to a large degree, false: no points on the line, no jeopardy as a result, players withdrawn to a schedule rather than to the demands of the game, preparation – amid the pre-season process of fitness and working intensities – notably different to what’s normally found from August onwards.

As ever, there can be balance between recognising and appreciating this, and also feeling a little perturbed at the standard of what Carlisle put on the table at Spotland.

Paul Simpson says he won't get screwed up about pre-season results (Image: Richard Parkes)

This season United’s demand is to restore a winning culture after spending most of 2023/24 failing to rid the opposite from their system.

It’s never too early for signs of that to emerge, hence the Gateshead and Stockport games do carry a certain importance, even if they won’t mark the league table in any way.

If Carlisle go into Gillingham having only beaten Penrith and Kendal Town in seven warm-up games, it wouldn’t be the ideal run. If they head to Medway having shown some potency in their last 180 minutes of pre-season, there would surely be an extra clip in their step.

Results at this point don’t give a precise guide. Can anyone remember United’s run of pre-season scores before their most recent promotion and relegation seasons, for instance?

They don't come easily to mind, which says it all. Eleven years ago the Blues put Bolton Wanderers away in a home friendly, then promptly went down. In 1998 they overcame Derby County in July, and needed a goal from their goalkeeper to keep them in the Football League the following May.

Perspective, then, always. But a game’s still a game, and playing well, showing signs, still has merit. On to Gateshead, then.