It is appropriate, given the place where Carlisle United are struggling right now, that Gary Liddle talks about “home truths”. Brunton Park, supposedly a stronghold, is currently anything but and this unpredictable campaign will surely get nowhere unless that changes.

Morecambe’s win on Saturday was the fourth consecutive time a team has left Carlisle’s stadium with three points and a clean sheet. Two away games face John Sheridan’s team next but scrutiny will return when Yeovil visit on October 27.

Another scoreless league afternoon there would be five in a row for the first time in United’s history. This follows 2017/18, which was only the second season they have ever taken more points on the road.

This subject, defender Liddle accepts, is unavoidable even as Carlisle look to Macclesfield and Lincoln as their next tests away from Brunton Park. “It’s been the same for a few years and it’s difficult to put it into perspective,” he says of the home/away difference. “We know the onus is on us as a home team to go out and win games for the paying fans that we’ve got.

“They deserve every bit of entertainment and success that we can give them. Unfortunately we’re not doing that at the moment and that’s the frustrating thing for the players.

“We know that. We’ve spoken about it, some home truths were spoken [on Saturday] and it’s something we need if we want to do well this season - rectify the home form.”

Carlisle’s away form is sustaining them right now, successive wins at Cambridge, Bury and Oldham fine away days for Sheridan’s team, though it is surely a risky business to expect this pattern to continue indefinitely.

Liddle wears the frustration heavily because he has been United’s captain for this perplexing run. Other than at Oldham, where Sheridan gave the armband to Anthony Gerrard against his old club, the 32-year-old has led Carlisle in the absence of the injured Danny Grainger.

Among Sheridan’s criticisms on Saturday, when Gerrard was suspended over his involvement in a post-goal confrontation with a steward at Bury, was that Carlisle were too quiet. They missed the Scouser’s vocal presence at the back.

What was Liddle’s take on this, as centre-half and skipper? “We have a lot of experienced lads out there,” he says. “Gez is someone who is a shouter and bawler, [but] I think messages can be relayed on the pitch in various ways. We have players who do that, including myself.

“He was [though] a big miss against Morecambe, especially against the big striker [Vadaine Oliver]. Gez, is a similar type of player, a dominant defender, which in this league can really help.

“But that’s no excuse. We have players who came in.”

It felt like a pointed criticism when Sheridan said that, after Gerrard, the teenage substitute Regan Slater is the next most vocal player United field. They will, at least, benefit from Gerrard’s return at Macclesfield, while others, such as Hallam Hope, Adam Campbell and Jamie Devitt, could also be back.

Nobody would be surprised if Carlisle did what they have been doing in other grounds once more, at Moss Rose. Macclesfield’s failure to win a single league game so far is a blatant opportunity for the Cumbrians (although, no doubt, a source of foreboding to some supporters too).

Tightening up at both ends, at home, is the obvious aim. “It’s four games we haven’t scored in against teams who, on paper, a lot of people expected us to beat, if league position was anything to go by,” Liddle says.

“We had some chances early in Saturday’s game which we didn’t take, and that’s the way it seems to be at the moment. We’re conceding sloppy goals and that one chance, which teams are getting at the moment, they’re punishing us.

“There are always periods when teams will have a little bit of pressure, whether you’re at home or away, and they’re scoring at the moment. It’s then difficult to get back into the game. We huffed and puffed [against Morecambe], but it wasn’t to be.”

Liddle also commented ruefully that Morecambe’s second goal was the first United had conceded from a set-piece cross this season. “We probably shouldn’t have spoken too soon about that in the week,” he said. “It didn’t put the nail in the coffin as such, but it did give us a mountain to climb.”

Although Carlisle were depleted, plainly an issue when their squad is so thin to start with, Sheridan scoffed at any invitation to use this as an excuse. Liddle the same. “We feel we’ve got a decent squad - the manager has spoken plenty of times of how he’s got 18-20-odd players who can come into the team at any one time,” the defender said.

“Morecambe have had plenty of injuries too - their injury crisis is probably a lot worse than ours. We certainly won’t be using that as an excuse.

“It was probably a fair result, if you ask me. I won’t beat around the bush. We probably didn’t deserve anything.”

United’s inconsistency could hardly be starker, then, and Liddle admits it must be testing the patience of many.

“This is our form at the moment – win, loss, win, loss, win, loss,” he says. “We don’t draw many games; it’s either a W or an L, and that’s why we find ourselves smack bang in the middle of the table.

“The manager and his staff have said they haven’t come here to finish mid-table, to finish 10th. The league is so wide open this year, with teams who on their day can beat anyone. We just need to get the right formula going.”

The form guide will fancy United at Macclesfield. A straightforward afternoon cannot, though, be assumed against last season’s National League champions. “They haven’t had a decent start to this season but there are a lot of teams we’ve played recently who haven’t had decent starts and we’ve found ourselves on the wrong end of the result,” Liddle admits.

“We just have to prepare properly, look to put last weekend’s result behind us as quickly as possible, and get back on the wagon.”