As Steven Pressley’s namesake sang, it’s now or never! This is a big few days with two home games.

From the matches against Swindon tomorrow and Notts County on Tuesday night, we need two results. Four points would keep us in the mix but we need six points, really.

It’s hard to put your finger on it when you’ve had a run like this - two points from five matches. We haven’t been humiliated. It’s just been losses by the odd goal, not a complete collapse.

We probably have been a bit lightweight. We’ve been lucky other teams around us haven’t had great results, either. Other clubs’ supporters will be saying the same things as Carlisle’s fans. There’s two points separating five teams.

The new players haven’t come on as we’d hoped. They did need games but they’ve had games now. You can’t just say “They need another two weeks.” They need to be doing it now. We have to step it up for the last 11 games.

Pressley said this week Connor Simpson, the young striker on loan from Preston, needs to raise his game. He hasn’t figured in the last five matches.

He’s shown potential but Pressley is looking for an immediate impact. We’ve seen it before when a player is criticised - he could go and get a goal and his career could go on from there.

Liam McCarron is a young player I’m impressed by. He’s very direct. He goes at people. He commits. I love to watch him, although I understand the manager is being careful about when to put him on. Hopefully, his injury isn't too serious.

I wouldn’t blame the pressure of having been in the play-off positions for the run we’ve had. There’s quite a lot of experience in that squad.

I would have thought pressure might play a part if we’re still in the play-off picture with half a dozen games left. But it shouldn’t yet.

Hopefully, Jamie Devitt coming back in after his suspension will improve things. We miss Devitt. He was the main spark. He was setting things off. You realise that even more when he’s been out.

When he scored twice against Newport in November, that set the team on a good run and him on a good run of goals. It just needs one spark to get things going. It can be like a switch going on, confidence-wise.

I’d love to see it for Pressley and Tommy Wright. There’s nobody more passionate than Pressley. You see him on the touchline.

Pressley will be lying on his pillow at night like every supporter, going through everything. It’s just putting it together so the players are complementing each other, getting that balance.

Swindon are three points behind us with a game in hand. They’re on a run. There are no easy games. Clubs are fighting at both ends of the table. It’s the kind of league where clubs are beating each other irrespective of where they are in the league.

It’s sad to see an old established club like Notts County at the bottom of the league, five points from safety. You don’t want to lose to the bottom team but, as a player, I wouldn’t say there’s any added pressure in those games.

Before you go on the pitch, you know the position they’re in. But on the football field, that doesn’t matter. When the whistle blows, it’s just another game. You get into it and you’re not thinking about the league table.