Boss Paul Simpson spoke once again in the lead-up to the away game at Oxford about the need to turn the good work the team is doing into goals, with the addition of more to the group a possibility with the transfer window set to close at the end of this month.
“We are looking to see if we can bring players in,” he commented. “We always knew it would go on until the end of the month, so it isn’t a distraction or a problem.
“We know there are still areas of the pitch we want to strengthen, the bigger challenge is finding the ones who are better than what we’ve already got. Forget about where Carlisle is on the map and forget about finances, it’s finding them.
“There’s not an abundance of them out there, but we’ll keep looking and we’ll keep speaking to clubs and chasing the targets we have got, and hopefully we’ll be able to bring the right ones in.
“There are quite a few different options, but whether any drop we’ll have to wait and see. Every manager or coach you speak to, they all say the same thing - ‘We need a 9’.
“It’s not easy to find them. I think both teams we’ve come up against have shown flashes of being real good sides. I also think we have as well.
“As much as I was angry on Tuesday because of the defeat, I don’t think the level of performance was horrendous. The biggest thing that let us down was in the final third, and unfortunately that’s where you get judged.
“If we need to be patient until the end of the window then that’s how it has to be. We’ve had names we’ve been enquiring about, some of them have left and gone to other clubs, others are still around their first team, so if the right one comes available we’ll try and do it.
“If there’s any finances left we’ll try and do others. At the moment we haven’t got the biggest squad and we’re going to need as many bodies available as possible.
“It will also mean bodies don’t make the 18, which is unfortunate. One of the things I keep saying is everybody’s going to need to be ready to play their part because you need a squad to get you through.”
But, having said that, it is a group that has a number of exciting striking options.
“I thought Luke Plange and Jordan Gibson clicked well at times on Saturday against Fleetwood, particularly first half,” he said. “I thought they complemented each other well.
“We’ve got to get players who want to get in the box and get goals, and also find the extra bit of quality to create those opportunities. We’ve got Joe Garner and Ryan Edmondson who are chomping at the bit wanting to be involved.
“I thought Sean Maguire and Dan Butterworth showed up well in the second half on Tuesday night, we’ve just got to be sure with them that they’re going to be fully fit.
“We want them to be fit for the season, not just for the first couple of games and then they break down because they weren’t ready. We have to be really careful, and I hope everybody understands that.”
“Sean is getting closer,” he added. “Whether Saturday’s too early, we have to wait and see. Over this month we’ve got Wigan, then Exeter. We’ve got a couple of reserve games, and some of the fringe players will get minutes int hose.
“If Sean hasn’t got them in in the first team games or enough to get starts, we’ve got a friendly at Blackburn and then a Central League Cup game against Wigan at the end of this month that we’re trying to get organised.
“There are opportunities to get these lads the start and to try and get 70 minutes if needs be. Like I say, we need to make a decision whether it’s too early for Sean, and we’ll see how everybody else is. I still think it’s too early for Dan Buttrworth but Sean’s getting closer.”
And on Ryan Edmondson, he said: “He’s played a lot of games out wide. That’s probably the problem, so he keeps getting drawn into wide areas.
“Looking back at Tuesday, Sean Maguire was coming quite narrow as well, he kept making some really good sharp runs down the middle. Edmo must have felt there was space out there.
“I think when he plays as a 9, a focal point, it shows he can be really effective. We’ve just got to get him into that mindset. There’s things he needs to work on but we have to remember he’s still a young player in age and experience.
“Sadly we all want the finished article straight away, and I do as well. We’ve just got to keep working, keep talking to him, keep encouraging him and hope the penny drops and he performs to the level we all want.
“He’s quick, he’s got a fantastic work ethic, he wants to do things right, he’s got goals in him. I do believe he’ll come good, we’ve just got to make sure he comes good for us.”