Carlisle United’s newest summer addition was unveiled to the media today. Their latest recruit is not particularly mobile, but looks sturdy enough.

A gantry, overlooking the training pitch, will be a fresh feature of life at Brunton Park in 2019/20. It enables the club’s sessions to be filmed, for analysis purposes, from an supposedly more useful height.

It also allows Steven Pressley, the manager, to shin up a set of ladders and watch his players from on high. This he did when they were embarking on some nine-v-nine matches. Pressley shouted encouragement and some firm orders from his vantage point.

His elevated viewing station was erected by Carlisle Scaffolding, whose managing director, Kevin Dobinson, is involved with the club commercially and also an associate of Philip Day, billionaire boss of the club’s main backers Edinburgh Woollen Mill.

The shop floor, meanwhile, buzzed with activity and effort, while also being notable for who wasn’t there. Liam McCarron, inevitably, was elsewhere, at a time his transfer to Leeds was close to official confirmation.

Kelvin Etuhu, too, did not take part. On his road back from injury, the midfielder appeared at a late stage in the morning session, sitting on the bank above the training pitch, kitted out for gym work but not the football-based graft embarked upon by the others.

Of those fit and able, there were 18 players present, four of them trialists: Elliott Reeves, Tyrone Duffus and Michael Chambers, who were with the club last week, and Miles Storey, who joined up for the first time today.

The collection of professionals also included United’s six summer signings to date, but it was apparent that several more are needed. Carlisle’s first friendly is a week away, the new campaign a month down the line. More bodies will have to join these efforts in due course.

The initial work that was open to the media was presided over by David Waldie, the newly shaven-headed strength and conditioning coach. After warm-up runs and stretches, there were some one-touch exercises and passing drills, as the keepers were worked by their coach, Craig Wight.

It then moved into larger games, with new assistant manager Gavin Skelton down on the pitch as Pressley took to his eyrie, director of football David Holdsworth also looking on, in conversation with a recognisable visitor: Greg Abbott, the ex-United boss.

There were not the numbers yet for 11 v 11, although some familiar sights remained, as last year's player of the season Adam Collin saved from a trialist striker and Mike Jones and Stefan Scougall moved busily around midfield.

Newer features included Byron Webster’s giant presence in defence, with another recently-signed centre-back, Jon Mellish, in a left-sided position. On the right, Christie Elliott looks to be an attack-minded right-back, while Jack Bridge will seek to be a ball player for the Blues.

Hallam Hope, the subject of interest from other clubs, attacked from the left. United’s youngest pros – Keighran Kerr, Jarrad Branthwaite and Josh Dixon – were all very much involved, the latter showing a tidy touch.

Much of the early finishing was rusty on this fourth day of pre-season, although Harry McKirdy did shoot impressively past Louis Gray at his near post at one stage.

These are, of course, only the formative days. There was no let-up in the work, with players later asked to complete several laps of the pitch. Beyond the touchlines, meanwhile, David Mitchell went about his ever-impressive groundsman work: a reminder that, whatever remains up in the air at Carlisle this summer, at least one aspect always looks a dead cert.