What Carlisle United's owner has told caretaker managers

The Blues, under Rudd, Mark Birch and Jamie Devitt, lost their first game in temporary charge to Nottingham Forest’s Under-21s last night.

A game notable for some bright performances from United’s young debutants ended with a last-gasp 2-1 defeat.

Afterwards academy manager Rudd explained that the remit is to get Carlisle on the front foot in their performances – and that message comes from the top.

“Tom and Nigel [Clibbens, chief executive] spoke to the staff yesterday morning, and the players, and they just want us to have a right go, whatever that means,” he said.

“They said to just go and enjoy it, embrace the opportunity, let the handbrake off, and just go and give it a right good go in however long this period is.

“Time frame wise, there's been no indication [of how long we’ll be in this position]. We've openly said we're willing to help out whatever it takes, and they've got their processes they need to go through above us, in terms of the restructure and personnel and appointing people.”

Rudd, Birch and Devitt were asked to step up from their academy roles after Paul Simpson’s departure on Saturday night.

Rudd and Jamie Devitt greet Sam Hetherington after the teenager's debut (Image: Richard Parkes)

The trio said they would never have wished for the circumstances that have put them in the hotseat, but now there they intend to give it their best.

“It’s been a difficult couple of days, to be honest,” said Rudd.

“But once the news breaks, it settles and you digest it a little bit, then we've got a job to do.

“Is it a situation we want to be in? No, it's not. Is it a situation that has happened and we need to deal with? Yes, so we just attack it head on and deal with things as they come, and try and make the best of this period.

“We want to leave the players in a better position, the club too, and get more points on the board ready for the next man coming in.”

Rudd said that, because of the upheaval involving the departure of Simpson and four of his backroom staff, had had very little time to work with the players before Tuesday’s game.

• Jon Colman's big match verdict on Carlisle United 1-2 Nottm Forest U21s

He felt the performance, which came from a side featuring eight changes and a formation change to 4-3-3, offered positives despite the result.

Jake Allan marked his senior debut with a goal after coming off the bench, while fellow teenagers Sam Hetherington and Freddie O’Donoghue also did themselves credit with their first-team debut.

Bournemouth loanee Dominic Sadi, meanwhile, earned plaudits for his eyecatching display.

Rudd explained how the caretakers have adjusted the way United set up.

“We went back to 4-3-3, and a couple of different personnel,” he said.

“How we pressed probably was slightly different to how [the players] have been used to before.  I'm not saying it's right or wrong, it's just different.

“Once they're fully committed to it and they've got a bit of success, you can see the belief. In the first half we were a bit hesitant, I thought at times.

“We told them just commit to it, do it. We've said to the boys that we will take the blame for what happens within this next week or two week period, whatever it might be. We are responsible for what happens on there.

Cameron Harper returned from injury to make his United debut (Image: Richard Parkes)

“We're asking you to do certain things – keep possession of the football, play out from the back, press high from the front.

“We know at times it's not going to be perfect because of lack of preparation, that's not the players fault. But I think in the second half when they're really bought into it and committed to it, and got a bit of belief, I thought they looked a good side.

“They just lacked the ruthlessness because of the volume of chances.

“Forest are a good side, there's no doubt about that. But you look at their first goal…I would happily take one of those bouncing it off somebody's backside.

“Jake Allan scored probably the best goal of the night, but we've come away having lost a game of football.

“You create your own luck. We've had loads of chances, two cleared off the line and I just really think that at some point when they start dropping and your luck's in and you've got a bit of belief, I think that could be three or four.”

Rudd was impressed with how United’s youngest players acquitted themselves.

“The lads just need an opportunity at times and tonight they've had one. What I will say about them all is they're great lads, they do things properly, they work hard, they want to learn,” he said.

“Are they ready to come in and play week in, week out? Probably not, but if you can drip-feed them in here and there and get them a bit of opportunity, they've had a feel for it now, and it's up to them.

“If they come back in and start thinking they’re first-team players and they've made it, that will soon catch them up again.

“The hard work starts now. Now they've had a taste of it, how much more do they want? Hopefully they'll kick on and really buy into it and commit to it again.”

On Allan’s well-taken goal, Rudd added: “It’s a great moment. I remember Jake from when he was probably seven or eight years old in the academy. He's been here since day one with the pre-academy stuff.

“He's a really big Carlisle fan, never misses a game, so yeah, he'll remember that.

“But like I've just said, he can either think, ‘I've achieved something’, or he should want to do that again and, now he's had a taste of it, go and get more of it.”

Rudd said Sadi’s performance was that of “a player that gets you off your seat…in the warm-up I said, ‘Dom go and get on the ball, make things happen, enjoy having the football’

“I think he's probably loved that game because he's been on the ball a lot, he's made things happen, he's created chances.

Dominic Sadi impressed for United (Image: Richard Parkes)

“He's an exciting player who's done really well and we look forward to working with him more over the next couple of days.”

United gave Dylan McGeouch and Cameron Harper their first outings of the season, with Rudd saying it was always the plan to give the fit-again pair 45 minutes.

They now come back into the league reckoning for Saturday’s trip to Bradford City.

The caretakers rested a number of senior players while defender Ben Barclay was not risked because of a minor injury niggle.

Rudd said: “Ben’s okay – he felt something in his calf when he came off on Saturday, he's been in early today and done some work with Sophie [Birnie, physio] and in the gym.

“That was just totally precautionary. Could he have played? Yeah, he probably could. If he'd played would that have ruled him out of Saturday? Who knows.

“We aren’t putting players at risk, because if we get an injury now, that's five or six weeks it can put them out for,  if and when a new manager comes in, so we don't want that for the players or the new manager.

“If we have to err on the side of caution with something like that, I think it's the right thing to do.”