Keith Curle has insisted his Carlisle United players are good enough to end their slump and keep their promotion hopes alive.

The manager says he has not lost belief in the quality he has at his disposal.

That is despite the Cumbrians' worst run of form of the season, United having taken one point from their last six games without scoring.

United's boss has stressed the time for excuses is over and the remaining eight games will now be all about character.

Curle said: "It's squeaky bum time now. Now you'll find out what foundation we've got.

"Pure and simple, we need to start winning games.

"Ability wise there's enough in that changing room, I've not got a problem with that.

"At the minute we're being battered, and sometimes you've got to roll with the punches, you've got to take them, and you've got to have that fighting spirit.

"What you can't afford to do is turn your back and run away. The players can't afford to do that."

United are preparing for Saturday's home clash with Crewe desperate to end a club record 596-minute stretch without scoring in League Two.

The Blues boss is still thought to be assessing trialists, but Curle claims one of the recent additions, Junior Joachim, can make an impact.

On the Frenchman, signed with the help of fans' crowdfunding cash, United's boss said: "The kid will score goals.

"He's a threat, he's got good dynamics, there's a freedom and ability to express himself.

"It's going to take him a little bit of time, and the work he's going to be doing will be on his fitness, getting himself up to speed - but he's a very willing learner."

Curle, meanwhile, has offered an explanation why he left John O'Sullivan out of Saturday's side for the defeat to Mansfield despite the winger impressing against Luton in Carlisle's previous outing.

United's boss said: "Because of the nature of the opposition and the nature of what we were playing, we couldn’t afford to be going with two wide players and being open and expansive in a game where midfield, in my opinion, was going to get overrun.

"It was going to be a game of back to front, knowing we could always bring him on as an option, as we did.

"Up to 45 minutes we were very comfortable in the game but then we went out and didn't do the simple things well."