New boss Steven Pressley says he and his players will shoulder the responsibility of getting more fans back into Brunton Park.

The manager takes charge of his first game against Cheltenham today (Brunton Park, 3pm) with a pledge to play attractive football.

Pressley’s short-term tenure begins with a challenge to maintain United’s recent rise into the play-off places.

He has also stressed that home form will be vital over the final 18 games, Carlisle having recently improved their fortunes at Brunton Park after a barren autumn run.

Pressley said: “We have a responsibility in getting [fans back] - but that responsibility lies with us, in that we have to play a style of football that’s attractive for them to come and watch.

“If we do that then there’s no doubt that the supporters will return.”

Pressley has pledged not to make wide-ranging changes in the early stages of his reign.

Instead, he wants to try and build on the good work of departed boss John Sheridan and remaining coaches Tommy Wright and Paul Murray.

The 45-year-old said: “I have certain tactical aspects I will introduce in time but not immediately. I don’t think I need to make wholesale changes at this moment in time.

“There’s a real confidence about the club, a real belief and an energy. Let’s hope that last Saturday [a 3-0 defeat at Northampton] was nothing more than a setback and that’s something we have to ensure.

“We face a good side this weekend. I’ve watched quite a bit of Cheltenham over the period and they’re under the stewardship of a young manager [Michael Duff] that has belief in a real passing game, a real pure game of football.

“It will be a good challenge for us. We have to ensure that if we are going to realise our ambitions we have to win our home games, there’s no doubt about that.”

Asked for his message to United’s supporters at the outset of his reign, Pressley added: “Just to continue supporting the club in the manner they have. I was down at Northampton and there was a really good travelling support.

“It’s not easy being a Carlisle supporter with the amount of miles that you have to make. Continue supporting the team and the one thing I assure them is there’ll be a great work ethic in the club.”

Director of football David Holdsworth, meanwhile, said the way Carlisle have moved on since Sheridan’s resignation shows the club is united and on track.

“The Mansfield game was a great response to show the fans everybody here is pulling in one direction. One block fell out and we’ve replaced it with another block,” he said.

“That’s an analogy that is shown in what we’ve done since the summer - we’ve put in a process, a work ethic on and off the training ground, identified a way of playing that suits us, and that’s what we’re trying to recreate right now.

“Get behind Steven, keep behind the club. We’ve got a vision of going forward.

“If you’d said to me in the summer when I came through the door that we’d be in the play-off places going into the transfer window in January I’d have suggested you’d gone crackers.

“But we’ve done this by being practical, intelligent, working hard as a club and the people behind the scenes are doing the same.

“Steven was the unanimous person the board believed in. He’s going to come down the tunnel [today] and I’m sure he’ll get a very good response from our supporters,” he added.