What did we learn from Carlisle United 0-1 Cheltenham Town?

1 BROKEN RECORD

The numbers attached to Carlisle’s slump are pretty wretched. But ignore them we cannot.

Here goes.

Firstly, the Blues have become the joint quickest club to reach the ten-defeats mark in the entire EFL.

Only League One's Shrewsbury Town, also beaten on Saturday, are into double figures so soon. Sigh.

Carlisle have the joint worst defeats record in the EFL (Image: Ben Holmes)

Carlisle continue to carry the worst goal difference in League Two, and on average it’s getting worse by more than one goal per game. They’re now on -16 from 14 matches.

Their defensive record of 28 conceded, still two per game, is the worst in the fourth tier.

And just their very recent form gives further cause for concern – and serves to explain why increasing numbers of fans are losing what initial faith they may have had in Mike Williamson.

Carlisle's record just over the last six games is the second worst in the division, with two points accrued, only Gillingham in worse nick with one point from six.

The idea of a new manager bounce, certainly, is a myth where this United are concerned. Since winning at Swindon Town in his first game in charge, Williamson and his team have delivered two draws and five defeats, with four goals scored and 14 conceded.

In the league, seven without a victory is just one game shy of last season’s worst winless sequence.

Bleak times.

2 FIRING BLANKS

Who can remember Carlisle United’s shot on target on Saturday?

Not so easy, is it? You’d think, given they managed just the one all game, it would stick in the mind.

But…no. In fact it was Jon Mellish, sending a low attempt rather tamely into the gloves of visiting keeper Joe Day. This forgettable shot was the only Carlisle effort which technically stood any chance at all. It happened in the 95th minute.

Harrison Biggins missed United's best chance but Jon Mellish, pictured, got Carlisle's only shot on target (Image: Ben Holmes)

Otherwise, United’s endeavours at threatening the Cheltenham goal were, let’s be frank, pitiful for a home side taking on 17th-placed visitors whilst in such desperate need of a win.

These contests, Williamson said before the match, are to be played as if they are “cup finals”, and as if they are the players’ last games.

If that is the case then United need not clear their shelves for silverware any time soon. This was a relegation performance rather than a cup final one and also yet another where Carlisle have much more possession than their visitors yet lose markedly in terms of efficiency.

From 40 per cent possession versus United's 60 per cent, Cheltenham mustered more shots (14 to nine), more on target (four to one) and more crosses (24 to 22). They missed at least one sitter (Sam Stubbs the clearest) and could easily have had more goals.

They also drew three times as many saves from the opposition keeper (although whether that stat counts Harry Lewis’ sort-of stop from Ethon Archer, which then spun into the net, isn’t clear).

In terms of style, Carlisle went longer in the first half to no avail and did not, in all truth, have the personnel on the pitch to make the best of this.

Luke Armstrong is not a No9 of the hold-up variety, and the only time United have looked vaguely effective with this approach was when Charlie Wyke was impressive in the first half at Colchester.

It’s a seldom-seen aspect of Williamson’s approach, of course, and all in all Carlisle did still pass the ball much more than Cheltenham.

Much good it did them and, if there may be no single template for winning games, it is still notable that United’s only two league victories this season have come when the other side have had more possession (Barrow and Swindon Town).

Making Carlisle more defiant, collectively, was surely number one on the to-do list in terms of refashioning their identity, whether or not that saw them close friends with the ball. Whatever they’re attempting, that aim has failed thus far.

3 CHANGING SCENERY

There were four changes to the starting XI on Saturday. This will not have come as a particular surprise.

Altering the team is a recurring matter right now and, while a rigidly-named XI, week after week, may be a less common feature of modern football than it used to be, Carlisle are still at ground zero when it comes to putting out a side they and we can rely on.

Their previous XI, at Walsall, had two changes. Their side against Harrogate Town before that had four changes. At AFC Wimbledon there were two.

There were yet more changes to the XI on Saturday (Image: Ben Holmes)

It goes on. At Colchester United, two changes. Against Notts County, two changes. Against Grimsby Town, two changes.

Not once, then, has Williamson either been willing or able to name the same XI since taking charge. There was regular alteration before his arrival too, both with the caretakers and Paul Simpson.

Indeed, Carlisle have only named the same league XI in consecutive games once in 2024/25: the team that started at Gillingham on the opening day also faced Barrow the following weekend.

It is, perhaps, chicken-and-egg with regard to a struggling team. What comes first: the consistency, or finding the formula that’s going to provide it, when so much else has not worked?

Yet there are, this far in, still so many questions. What is United’s best central defensive combination?

Who’s the best man for right wing-back right now? What’s the prime midfield shape and personnel? Who is or are the best attacking options from a bad job? Where does Jon Mellish play, if he does play?

Far too many unknowns here for this to be a team you can hang your hat on. After 14 league games, Carlisle have only one ever-present starter remaining, and that is Harry Lewis. And, after watching the way United conceded on Saturday, how many fans are writing that name on the sheet in permanent marker at the moment either?

4 TYLER SLATED TO START?

Very little hope in the gloom. Any positives were of the pinprick variety - Callum Guy's performance standard, so soon after returning frok long-term injury, remains sound - but someone has to find a way out of this for Carlisle and it must be done with most of these players.

As such, let us abandon all perspective and read far too much into a reasonable cameo performance from Tyler Burey.

This was his third substitute appearance since joining as a free agent, and his liveliest so far.

Tyler Burey showed some life in his second-half cameo (Image: Ben Holmes)

The former Millwall man showed a couple of moments of powerful pace down the right, and one fizzing cross deserved a finish it did not receive.

Burey hugging the right touchline had an old-school feel about it after the recent spectacle of Dominic Sadi coming in onto his left foot, and Harper doing the same in the previous match.

Whether the first two of those mentioned are ideally positioned at wing-back is highly debatable. Sadi in particular is not a defensive operator and United’s weakness in this area was often exploited in the first half by Cheltenham and their goalscorer Ethon Archer down that side.

Williamson is clearly not sold on Jack Ellis’ capability in that position right now yet the head coach’s insistence that he is selecting a side to hurt the opposition back line is a promise too often unfulfilled.

No doubt there will be more things tried, more rearrangements. At least Burey has shown some of the raw qualities Carlisle will hope could prove game-breaking at some stage.

This is a side desperately short of match-turning pace. The sooner Burey can be in from the start – provided he’s used to maximise what he has – then, given Carlisle’s current sterile ways, surely the better.