The Cumbrian outfit have only won one game under Mark Hughes in the seven he has overseen; this win came against fellow Cumbrian rivals Barrow 1-0 away from home.
Despite a lot of negative results Carlisle managed to hold top of the league Walsall to a draw at Brunton Park in their most recent home game. Mark Hughes said they showed plenty of “character” in pushing the leaders Walsall to the wire.
“We were close right at the end, but we weren’t able just to get the ball over the line right at the death.” Said Hughes after the game (quotes from Cumberland news and star).
Could this result against such strong League 2 opposition be a platform for Carlisle to build on and pick up more positive results to try and avoid back-to-back relegations.
Carlisle have consistently struggled this season, again after just coming down from League 1, this form has continued, as they are rock bottom of the league and six points off safety.
“But we’re pleased.” Continued Hughes. If Carlisle can continue to show the grit and determination they showed against Walsall, there’s no reason whythey can’t pick up points and guide themselves to safety.
Carlisle have the second worse goal difference in the league and keeping out goals, may be a major problem for them, however since Hughes has joined, they have kept three clean sheets in seven games which shows signs of positivity and improvement.
The consequences of being relegated would be massive for Carlisle as the National League is such a hard league to get out of and can lead to many teams not seeing a return to the Football League for years to come.
Their top goal scorer this season is defender Sam Lavelle, who only has four goals to his name, which leaves Carlisle wondering where their goals will come from in the run into the end of the season.
Performances under Hughes have improved compared to when Mike Williamson was in charge, they are showing a lot more desire and fight to ensure they stay in the league. Hughes “feels confidence growing” within his squad and this can only be a good sign for the fans.
Hughes has managed 466 matches in the Premier League across six clubs, but challenges don’t come much bigger now than trying to keep Carlisle United in the English Football League.
