Firstly, I would like to wish Steven Pressley all the best after he was appointed as Carlisle United’s new manager this week.

I’m pleased the Blues board have resolved the managerial situation relatively quickly, confirming Pressley’s appointment on Wednesday, and they have not let it drag on until the end of the January transfer window.

Pressley will be well aware of the circumstances at Brunton Park, I’m sure, and there probably won’t be a huge budget for him to use on potential new signings.

But I’m sure the 45-year-old has had it worse at other clubs during his managerial career so far, in particular when he was in charge of Coventry when they had to play at Northampton’s Sixfields Stadium after a long-running rent dispute between Coventry City and the owners of the football club’s stadium.

Hopefully, the former Scotland defender will have good contacts in the game, too, North and South of the border. He has previously managed Falkirk, Fleetwood and Cypriot side Pafos, as well as Coventry. He also counts Rangers, Hearts, Celtic and Dundee United among his former clubs from his playing days.

I would be pleased if Pressley keeps Tommy Wright and Paul Murray on his new-look backroom staff. I always think it’s really important that the manager and his assistant can compliment each other well. It needs to work as a partnership.

It’s kind of more up to the assistant manager, or coach, to run training throughout the week and ensure the players are ready for the game on the Saturday. Then, it’s up to the manager to get the players focused on the game.

For all we can praise John Sheridan for the work he did in the first-half of the campaign to get the Blues into promotion contention, Wright did well, too, as he was another key part of United’s success so far this term.

Scottish football used to be quite a hotbed for Carlisle players, going back a few years to when the likes of Hughie McIlmoyle and Billy Rafferty were at the club. So, it would be good if Pressley were to sign a few gems from over the border.

To be honest, United are in a good position and in a promotion battle, not a relegation one.

I admire the Cumbrians for keeping their house in order. But if ever there was a season to take a little bit of a gamble at trying to earn promotion, in my opinion, this season probably would be it.

As for Saturday’s 3-0 loss at Northampton, which ended Carlisle’s six-game winning streak, I suppose that run had to come to an end at some stage. 

The Cobblers are currently managed by former United boss Keith Curle, and you could kind of see a defeat coming when the former England defender came up against his old employers.

Mansfield moved into the automatic promotion places on Tuesday evening when they claimed a 1-0 home win over Crawley that leaves them in third.

But everybody in the fourth-tier of English football can be beaten or, alternatively, put a run of results together. 

At present, though, things are looking good for Carlisle. Who would have thought that they would be sitting above Exeter in the league table, after the first quarter of the season?