The debate after Carlisle’s draw at Forest Green seemed to concern whether it was a good point, or two dropped. It was also pointed out that other teams in the promotion race had failed to win – and this, to me, sums up this time of the season.

It is the stage when all supporters are looking at other results, their effect on the league table and trying to figure out what is going to happen next.

It’s easier said than done, but that doesn’t stop players getting involved in that sort of thing too, however much managers insist they are just focusing on their own results.

When you come back into the dressing room after an early-season game you generally aren’t too bothered about checking that screen, or your phone, to see who has won where.

In March, it’s different. It is one of the first things you look for. Even during your game it can be on certain minds; those on the bench can become aware of events elsewhere, and often your kitman is the person who is picking up other results and letting you know.

Andy Horn, kitman in my time as a Carlisle player, certainly did that and I can clearly remember the different emotions and concerns you feel as a player at this stage in a season.

In our League Two campaign of 2005/6, there was always quite a calm feeling. From February-March we hit the front and reeled off a number of wins. That took us clear of the play-off pack and as a result we weren’t looking over our shoulders so much.

We secured promotion in the bag with a few games to spare and if there was anything in the back of our minds in the closing stages it was making sure we got the title in the bag. So we would have half an eye on what Northampton and Leyton Orient were doing – but it still wasn’t the most anxious time.

It was different when, two seasons later, we were pushing to reach the Championship. When we got ourselves into an automatic position, we weren’t really bothered about what others were doing. That changed, though, when wins became harder to come by. We hit a bit of a bad patch and I remember Danny Livesey summing up the situation in an interview. He said we knew we were in a bit of trouble when we were getting back in the dressing room and asking about other people’s results.

We hadn’t been doing that before, but now it meant that we weren’t taking care of business ourselves. That pressure had been cranked up.

It is inevitable, given Carlisle are just outside the play-off places today, that they will have an eye on several results each weekend. But they don’t want to be in a position where they are constantly relying on other teams. Get the results you need and then it’s a bonus when someone else drops points.

Before games I wouldn’t be surprised if players were looking at all the fixtures and trying to work out the various permutations. If I was in that dressing room now I’d be looking at Cambridge at home and thinking it’s a massive chance to get things right and get three huge points.

The following weekend, at Tranmere, is going to be a different sort of challenge given their form and, being realistic, you would look at four points being a decent return.

Four points might not get you firmly in the play-offs but it’s going to get you thereabouts. As long as Carlisle are in touching distance with two or three games to go, they will feel they have every chance.

There are some tough games to come against the likes of Bury and Lincoln, but a run-in against Grimsby, Crawley and Yeovil should be seen as an opportunity.

Given their changing form over the course of the season, I would say Carlisle are where they deserve to be right now. A lot of teams have had really good runs at different times; United’s came over the winter weeks and Tranmere, for example, are having theirs now.

At the same time, most have had bad patches too. Colchester have just suffered two heavy defeats and there are others struggling to kick on.

Even though Carlisle are a centre-forward short, they still have the experience and the players. They showed on Saturday they can create chances, and they could easily have scored more goals. They can also defend.

I don’t fear anyone in and around them. There are certainly two play-off positions that United can realistically aim for and it’s going to be a real shoot-out over the final eight games.

I spoke to Steven Pressley after Saturday’s game and he explained that he felt Carlisle had gone away recently from how he wanted them to play, in aspects like pressing, and that was something he had to revisit in training.

It paid off at Forest Green, a team who want to play out all the time. Instead of countering that by sending everyone up and forcing them to go long – a risky strategy in itself bearing in mind they had an aerial presence like Christian Doidge in attack – United’s manager allowed them to play out, but the minute it got into the midfield third, Carlisle pressed, forced mistakes, and that’s where all the Blues’ attacks came from.

I thought it was excellent tactically and, as much as results are all-important at this stage, Saturday was also about restoring belief in a system and that certainly seemed to be the case.

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For a while now I’ve been watching Carlisle’s subs doing their running drills after games. Often this group has included Mike Jones, an experienced player who has been out of the side for a few weeks.

He has always looked very sharp in those drills - and this was reflected in how he performed when he finally got another chance on Saturday.

Those runs after a game aren’t a player’s favourite thing. There are times you go through the motions, just to tick over.

Jones, though, has been really putting it in. In warm-up drills, too, you can see how desperate he is to be involved.

Going back into the side after such a spell on the bench can risk catching up with a player after 70 minutes or so. This didn’t happen with Jones at Forest Green. He got stronger as the game went on and that shows what a decent pro he is.

It was a good game for him to come back into. He didn’t really have anyone on him in midfield and he was able to keep the ball well, and allow the two younger central midfielders – Regan Slater and Callum O’Hare – to get forward, along with Jamie Devitt, Hallam Hope and Nathan Thomas.

While they created danger, Jones swept up behind, and I was impressed with the job he did.

Kelvin Etuhu will probably be available again next weekend, after missing Saturday to attend the birth of his son, but Steven Pressley has some decisions to make now.

Etuhu has been one of Carlisle’s strong points this season and someone you imagine Pressley will want to get back into his team.

At the same time, he may want to be loyal to those who produced what he described as the best team performance of his reign.

Gary Miller also came back into the team at Forest Green and showed what a good pro he is. He struggled at the start of the season but every time he has figured recently he has looked very solid.

Miller is what I’d term a 1990s full-back. He will defend well and play the simple ball. These days right-backs are often expected to be almost like wingers but at League Two level there is still a place for a defender who can be compact and do the basics of his job very well.