Carlisle United 1 Mansfield Town 0: Football is a simple game made complicated by people who should know better. So said another half-decent Carlisle United manager (name of Shankly). And he was right – often the equations are blissfully easy.
Here is today’s. If anyone at Brunton Park thinks they have a smarter idea than giving the job of entirely reshaping the Blues to Paul Simpson, then let us hear it.
If there is a third way, a hidden alternative that does not entrust this 55-year-old Cumbrian with making United fully credible again, then put it on the table now.
Otherwise, do Plan A – and do it now. Do everything in everyone’s power to make the obvious route the one actually taken. Convince Simpson that the task of restructuring this flawed, neurotic but thankfully still League Two football club is one he can attack with genuine and conclusive optimism.
United’s issues, deep-rooted as they are, may not all be gone come 2022/23. Unless Purepay Retail Limited discover a sudden charitable side, or Dean Henderson is sold for tens of millions of pounds (or both), Carlisle will remain in debt and with aspects of their future still very much up for grabs.
If this, though, equates to a shortage in all other departments, leading Simpson to decide he cannot on some fundamental level repair his home-city club from the bottom up, well…that is going to be an historic failure, one that will expose the Blues anew.
It is this basic. Simpson is the man for this job, this club, this place. Seven wins from 12 – this latest one a barnstorming, controversial and exhausting 1-0 victory over Mansfield Town – has been sorcery, considering the bereft position United were in at the time directors picked up the phone to Simmo in a state of advanced panic.
From the abject pessimism of Swindon, on February 19, to safety by April 18: there can be no job application that trumps this, no candidate that can say they’d have played a smarter hand.
Indeed, what we’ve had here is one of the best managerial stories in Carlisle’s history, as well as one of the most essential. Simpson, who said he’s already held discussions about the longer-term with co-owner John Nixon, talked on Monday evening about reuniting the club, and of seeking the information he needs to decide he has a “fighting chance” of sustained progress.
In that, Simmo was speaking for us all – every one of us who enjoyed the relief-burst of yesterday's full-time whistle. This has been a journey of questionable decision-making and questionable influences for too long. Don’t screw it up now, people. Just don’t.
This game in the Easter sun saw Carlisle eventually back to their boisterous best amid Simmo 2.0. The first half was challenging and not particularly satisfying. The second half, though, was joyously relentless.
That opening spell saw United rejigged – Jon Mellish back in defence, Joe Riley and Jack Armer at wing-back, Danny Devine redeployed in midfield, Lewis Alessandra in from the cold – against a Mansfield side with apparent muscle and focus.
Carlisle’s early rawness might easily have seen them behind. Stephen Quinn and Ryan Stirk failed to take advantage of some skittishness at a time when Mark Howard was comfortably the most reliable Blues player on show.
The experienced keeper made one outstanding save to deny Jordan Bowery and, other than one sudden chance, cleared off the line by Stephen McLaughlin via Alessandra and Dynel Simeu's back-header, Mansfield had the direction of travel.
Carlisle, back in 3-5-2, did get up to speed from the half-hour mark but Mansfield were better, more pointed, and actually did score on 41 minutes when Jamie Murphy hit the crossbar, the ball bouncing over the line but assistant referee Chris Isherwood incorrectly keeping his flag down.
Nigel Clough’s men were fully entitled to their grievance at that point. Yet so were Carlisle to make good on a massive reprieve. The second half was a totally different spectacle, United attacking with great gusto against promotion-chasing visitors who left gaps through their urgency for goals.
United found more snap, more presence, in the middle and out wide as the spectacle grew hectically compelling. Devine started filling better gaps, Brennan Dickenson occupied better midfield positions. Riley and Armer started gobbling up space – and then there was Omari Patrick, given the ball by Devine after good hold-up by the diligent Alessandra, and leaving a defender behind in that dynamic way of his to fire Carlisle in front.
This refreshing United moment was then followed by an extraordinary spell which might – should – have brought more goals. Devine volleyed just wide, Patrick was denied by Nathan Bishop, Mansfield’s keeper turned a Morgan Feeney header against the bar, Simeu hit the post, Feeney hit the post, Patrick had another wiped by offside.
And also – good grief – that run by Riley, from deep in his own half to the sweet spot of Mansfield’s box, one of the goals of this and other seasons denied at the last by James Perch's emergency slide.
From Mansfield, very little by this stage bar a Matty Longstaff attempt that missed. From Carlisle, a final, telling moment in the 95th minute, when Jordan Gibson, another man possessed, hurtled towards Bishop and charged down a clearance: a show of fervent commitment even with survival comfortably assured either way by Oldham’s defeat at Forest Green.
Then it was over. Then a “drained and shattered” Simpson spoke. Then we knew once more what this club’s next chapter needed to be.
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