Carlisle United owner on recruitment and Paul Simpson exit

The Blues’ American supremo has given more detail on the decision to end the reign of Simpson and some of his coaching staff.

Piatak says the decision-makers at United felt that it was the “communication and motivation” of the players that needed change – not the way the Blues sign them.

His comments appear to absolve Carlisle’s recruitment team, led by head of recruitment Greg Abbott, of blame for the form that cost Simpson his job after Saturday’s defeat to Tranmere Rovers.

Aspects of recruitment have come in for criticism from some fans but Piatak said he was happy with how that side of things had gone. “We brought in Charlie Wyke, Jordan Jones, Aaron Hayden, Terell Thomas….these are quality players,” he said.

“From a recruiting standpoint, this started early on. We put the processes in place. We talked about the new technology we brought, we sat down with the recruiting team, and they embraced the process.

“It was a change for them. It was a culture change for them, but they embraced that. And the candidates [potential signings] they brought forward were solid candidates.

Head of recruitment Greg Abbott (Image: Richard Parkes)

“Now, ultimately, the decision to bring them on is the manager and the recruiting department. But we [as owners] were side by side, and if there was ever one that we didn't think was a good fit, we would say, ‘Nope, they don't meet the criteria. We don't see it’.

“The recruiting department did their job. I know we have the talent on board. It's just a reset of how we play and the communication and motivation of the players on match day for them to go out and say, ‘This is my role. This is how I need to execute. This is how the squad needs to execute.’

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“And everybody being on the same sheet of music – that's where I think we weren't clicking. So that's why the change was needed.”

Piatak’s comments point to Abbott and his recruitment colleagues remaining in place as the Blues seek a new sporting director and head coach.

“They did [their job] well, but that was yesterday,” he said. “And pretty soon, we're going to have a new coach. We're going to have a new sporting director, and we have to hit the ground running again.

“So they have to continue that performance, continue to meet the expectation of the new team, and hopefully that will happen.

“But they did meet the expectation of the owners right now for what we did in the off-season.”

Piatak also told the News & Star when the decision was reached to end Simpson’s reign – as well as his reasons why assistants Gavin Skelton and Billy Barr, plus head of performance Jake Simpson, also left.

The owner insisted there was a “mutual” element about Simpson’s departure, which has not been described as a sacking by the club.

Piatak insisted there was a mutual element to Simpson's departure (Image: Richard Parkes)

On the moment they decided action had to be taken, Piatak said: “It was straight after the match.

“Obviously we watched the match, but we had internal metrics that we had and, right now, we were not on them and did not see enough improvement in that match to warrant continuing on.

“So it was after the match that we made the decision.”

Asked why the decision was not termed a sacking by the club, and how “mutual” it really was on Simpson’s part, Piatak said: “You know, it was a brief discussion, a respectable discussion.

“There was an understanding. Was it in complete agreement? Probably not, but it was what was best for the club. And I think both sides realised that.

“And so, [it was] mutual – let's part and go separate ways.”

Piatak said the reaction of the crowd after Saturday’s game – with many fans booing Simpson – did not play a part in the decision to dispense with his services.

“It honestly didn't,” he said. “Being on the East Stand, I did not hear that much of it. I guess on the west stand, there was more of it.

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“After the match, I mean, I did hear some booing and I've heard we had some cases of that last season as well.

“I did hear that, but no, that did not come into play. That did not come into the decision-making.

“It was more that the results were one win and three defeats, and 20th on the table. That's not where we should be. Under any circumstances, that's not where we should be as a team. It's not acceptable.

“I could not afford to let it go to fifth, sixth game, seventh match and then we’d come back and say, ‘Why didn't we do it sooner?’ So a change was needed.”

On the argument from some fans that a decision should have come earlier on Simpson, given last season’s poor record en route to relegation from League One, Piatak said: “There is an argument. I don't agree with the argument. As I've stated before, I don't feel Paul and the management team had the resources necessary to compete in League One.

“And so with that, there was some goodwill there [to say], ‘Okay, let's get the right players. Let's get the right squad together.’ And I feel we did that during the off-season.

“And there was plenty of time during the pre-season for the team to gel and to walk into the start of the season…and to be one [win] and three [defeats] after four matches…that's unacceptable. That's not winning. That's not what we need to do.

“It is a business. And that's when the decision was made. So there could be an argument, but I don't agree with the argument.

“I felt he [Simpson], with his history, with what he's done for this club, he deserved an opportunity. He was given an opportunity and it didn't pan out the way he wanted or we wanted.”

Paul Simpson's son Jake, the Blues' head of performance, was among the coaches leaving the club on Saturday (Image: Richard Parkes)

As well as Skelton and Barr, Simpson’s son Jake, the head of performance, left the club.

Asked why this in particular should be the case, Piatak said: “It was our decision, as we went through that, that was the key leadership – those four individuals.

“There was no other rationale for it other than we wanted to do a reset. We didn't want the new manager to come in to have any baggage there that they had to deal with.

“And so those four were the ones that we decided that we needed to move out and bring fresh blood in.”