Carlisle United boss: EFL should punish clubs like Reading harder

The Royals were this week docked two points over a failure to meet HMRC payments on time.

It means they have lost six points over the season amid the crisis which has also seen owner Dai Yongge served with a latest £100,000 fine.

But Blues manager Simpson believes clubs who are “repeat offenders” should face stronger action from the EFL.

“We know it’s not the players’ and the staff’s fault, or the coaching staff’s fault, that they keep getting points deducted,” said Simpson.

“But there's something not right at the football club there. It keeps happening.

“And I also think there's something not right that the Football League aren't doing more about it, if I'm going to be really honest with you.

“We all would rather spend more money than we've done or than we've got, knowing that it's not going to be punished severely. But we don't, because that's not the right way to go about it.”

Reading fans have been protesting against owner Dai Yongge (Image: PA)

Simpson would not be drawn on what he felt would be a more appropriate level of punishment – only saying that it should be firmer.

“I can't really concern myself with what's the right sanctions. I just think if there are repeat offenders, then it can't really just be a softly, softly approach,” he said.

“I think there needs to be stronger punishment. And it's not for me to make those decisions.

“And again, I'll say that I feel for the players, the staff and the supporters because they're not the ones who've done it.”

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Earlier this season it was reported that Reading staff had been paid late, with owner Yongge – who has been the subject of fan protests at the Select Car Leasing Stadium – served with a previous fine for failing to deposit the necessary wages at the League One club.

That was before an independent disciplinary commission confirmed the latest punishments, with the EFL also calling on owner Yongge either to adequately fund the club or sell up.

“It’s a strange situation,” added Simpson. “I just think the Football League need to come down heavy on teams who are doing that.

“Because it makes it an unfair playing field if they're spending more than they can actually afford.”

Royals boss Ruben Selles saw his team slip to fifth bottom after the latest deduction. They sit 13 points above bottom side Carlisle, while any further failure to pay HMRC or football creditors will see another two-point deduction - currently suspended - activated.

Former Southampton manager Selles, in the wake of the penalty, said he has seen a “powerful response” from his players on the training ground.

Reading would have been 14th had they not had points deducted. They defeated Carlisle 5-1 in Berkshire November.

Reading claimed an emphatic win over Carlisle in their previous meeting (Image: PA)

“We know they've won a lot more games than us, we know that they've got good individual players,” said Simpson.

“Whether [the punishment] adds fuel to them, I don't really know.

“I think they've shown in a lot of games that they've got something. But they're also shown in other games that there's things that are not quite right.

“The only thing we can concern ourselves with is making sure we're right to give ourselves the best chance of getting a performance, which will give us the best chance of getting a result.”

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At United the focus is on building on Tuesday’s much-needed win at Burton Albion.

Carlisle have not won back-to-back league games since last March. Simpson says this weekend’s contest will be a different challenge to that posed by Burton.

“We expect Reading to play a different shape to Burton, they play a different way to Burton,” said the Blues boss.

“So it's about us trying to pick a formula, trying to pick a shape, a group that we think can go and cause them problems.

“I thought down at their place, with the shape that we set out with, a 4-3-3, we went down there and caused them all sorts of problems to start the game.

“But unfortunately, we weren't able to finish anything off and then we got we got turned over in the end.

“We’ve got an idea about how they're going to play, where the threats come from. And we've got to make sure that we pick a side that can cause them problems.”

Simpson expects a different kind of contest to the midweek clash with Burton (Image: Richard Parkes)

Despite their woes, Reading are set to bring a 1,000+ travelling support to Cumbria.

Simpson hopes his own side can do enough to maintain their own home backing, which have remained at good levels despite United’s struggles.

“What I would say about Reading is I think [it is] a fantastic football club – the stadium, the training facilities, the supporters. It is a fantastic football club that's got some issue in the running of it.

“To get over 1,000 supporters coming up to Carlisle on a Saturday afternoon is brilliant support for them.

“Our supporters have been incredible this season through a real testing time and I hope they can stay with us.

“I really hope that they can see that there are so many good things that are going to happen at this football club moving forward.

“I hope they stay with us because we worked really hard to build our fan base up, to be getting over 10,000 in some games. And getting home support to 7,000 and 8,000 in games, even when we’re losing, is magnificent testament to the supporters, and also a little bit to the players to build that.

“We want them with us.

“All the finances can't just come from an ownership group,” added Simpson. “The Piataks are going to put an absolute fortune in to change everything about the place, and we also need the supporters and the local sponsors and everybody to stay with us and keep supporting.

“And hopefully, we can get ourselves through this horrible spell that we're in, or we have been in, and make sure that we finish on a real positive run.”