Paul Simpson spoke following yesterday’s defeat to Barnsley.
Assessing the game, he said: “You have to be brutally honest and yeah, they were the better team.“We’ve said this many times, you look at the difference in the levels, you’ve got a team there who’ve been in the Championship, who are fighting for promotion and we’re a team, who are where we are because that’s where we deserve to be.“I think the difference in the levels was really clear to see in terms of the technical ability of them, the care they took on the passing.“The big thing I’ve noticed this season in League One is the physicality, so that’s a big difference.“We had opportunity’s first-half, where we got into the final third and we don’t take enough care on it.“The disappointing thing is that we work day in, day out on passing drills, possession drills and getting ourselves into good areas, but we can’t quite do it.“The thing I’ve said to the players is that it’s an education, we’re seeing and we’re suffering because we’re coming up against teams who are physically stronger and that’s not a case of just working on it in the gym, that’s being physiologically made up better than we are and it’s something we’ve got to change, because we’re aspiring to be like that as a football club.“We want to improve, make ourselves better and make ourselves to be able to compete at this level, but unfortunately currently, we’re a long way off it.”Luke Armstrong scored his second goal in as many games, whilst Dan Butterworth also netted in Tuesday’s defeat.“He’s a goalscorer and he did stick it away well,” said Paul, speaking on Luke.
“I thought Dan Butterworth stuck his goal away really well.“We gave the crowd something to stay with us for, but you know, I think the gulf between the two teams was really clear to see and it’s something in terms of our recruitment that we’ve got to do better.“We’ve got to make the changes that we need to the group and it’s going to be a big window this one, to make sure that we do improve it.“I think the lads are giving everything they’ve got and unfortunately we’re just falling short.”Speaking on the visitors’ goals, he said: “It’s took a bit of a deflection off Dylan McGeouch, Dylan’s gone to try and close it down and it’s took a bit of a deflection.“It looks to me that he got two hands to it, I’ll be honest, I haven’t spoken to him about it, but I’m sure he is disappointed because goalkeepers are disappointed to concede goals.“The second goal, we have opportunities to bring the ball down, we’re asking players to be brave, to play and we’re giving the ball away cheaply and then we’re allowing strikers to run off.“It’s a good bit of play from Cosgrove, he’s pulled off the shoulder, great pass from Luca Connell, who puts it straight into his path.“I still think we can do things better, it’s the second phase from a set piece again, we defend the first bit and don’t stay with our man and we get caught out there.“Those are the fine details which become major details that you have to get right. We’re setting up for corners and free-kicks and we’re defending the first phase well, but you can’t just rush out the box, you’ve got to stay with your man.“You look at the care they take on the ball when it gets put back in the box for the third goal, those are the things that we’re not doing.“Whether we can do it and we’re not doing it, is a different question that people will ask, but certainly looking further forward we’re going to have to improve.”Analysing the quality of the opposition, he added: “They’re good players, they’re a level above where we are and that’s the honest truth of it.“It’s tough to take, it’s tough to deal with a run of results that we’ve had over the season and we’ve just got to keep fighting, we’ve got to keep going, it’s not a case of giving up.“The league table tells you that it’s going to be a real tough ask and I think if we’re all realistic, we probably know what the eventuality is, but we have to keep working.“The supporters keep turning up in their numbers and they have done tonight. They stayed with us because we got that second goal and it gave them a little bit of hope, but I think anyone who was here tonight can see there’s a big difference between the two teams.”United forced a nervy ending for the visitors after reducing the deficit to one goal, on 87 minutes.“Good composure from Luke, good to see Dan Butterworth staying onside, we’re not rushing ahead of the ball and then he kept his head and stuck it away nicely.“You just think could we get a little bit of luck. We had those free-kicks where you get a flick on and it doesn’t quite bounce in front of you.“It’s another disappointing night for us that we’ve got to take on the chin.”
Josh Emmanuel and Jack Robinson came into the starting XI on Tuesday night, replacing Jack Ellis and Jack Armer.When asked on the reason behind the changes at wing-back, Simpson said: “I just wanted to try and freshen it up to be honest with you, trying to give us some energy.“We’re trying anything, the way the players are coming on off the bench, they’re not making a massive impact, so it was a case of ‘I think these guys are the ones who deserve to start at the moment’.“I keep asking the question, for me, it’s not managers and coaches that pick teams, the players demand to play and we’re not getting enough demand at the moment from the ones who are not in the side.“I need the 12 to 24 or whatever it is, to show us that they deserve an opportunity and that’s from Monday to Friday in training and that’s when they get an opportunity to come off the bench and they weren’t able to do it.“I didn’t put Sean Maguire on tonight because he felt his groin a little bit in the warm-up. I was a little bit concerned, I didn’t want to push it so he didn’t get an opportunity tonight.“Josh Vela, he’s been for a scan and it’s not looking particularly good on his knee, possibly some meniscal damage that we need to get repaired, but we’re waiting on an appointment with the surgeon, so he was missing again tonight.“The one positive that I’m really going to take out of tonight is that Jon Mellish has managed to get through game 37 without getting his tenth booking, so he’s not going to have a two-match suspension.“I’m all for small mercies and that’s a real bonus because we would’ve missed him”On 59 minutes, there was applause from all four sides of Brunton Park, remembering the late Dave Wilkes - who played for both Carlisle and Barnsley during his career.“It was a real nice thing to do.“Two clubs that are really close to Wilkesy’s career.“I thought everyone was very respectful, he’s a fella who is still sorely missed inside the football club, so it was nice that everyone gave him that ovation on 59.”