CARLISLE UNITED 2018 REVIEW

2018 is nearly over, and Carlisle United can look back at this year and use it as a learning curve.

The departure of Keith Curle and arrival of John Sheridan will go down as the staple event of the 365 days, but plenty more happened to entertain – both positive and negative.

Take a look back at a treacherous 2018 for The Cumbrians.

Promotion possibility?

The year began in January with considerable apathy surrounding Brunton Park (a theme at the club throughout the year) as stop-start league form along with crashing out to Sheffield Wednesday in an FA Cup third replay put Keith Curle was under pressure. The month did contain quite a successful transfer window; as – most notably – Ashley Nadesan came in on loan to add pace and goals to a side desperately lacking them.

February opened with a ridiculous 4-3 defeat at Wycombe Wanderers in added time; as for the second time that season, Luke O’Nein broke Blue hearts despite them leading going into added time.

All hope for the play-offs seemed lost, but four consecutive victories going into March got fans believing again. The Beast from the East was one of the many tasks the club had to deal with in 2018, as Carlisle were set to host Grimsby at the beginning of the month. No one really expected the match to survive, as only three other League One and League Two games were played that weekend – but Curle and the staff were determined to keep the momentum going. Volunteers throughout the week (including Canadian loanee Kris Twardek’s parents) helped to clear the pitch and they were rewarded with three gratifying points for a team full of confidence. Hallam Hope was hitting form, Jack Bonham making the goalkeeper spot his own, Clint Hill marshalling a stable back line, Nadesan growing in confidence, Danny Grainger back fit, Jamie Devitt producing, and Richie Bennett finally firing – it all was going so well for a while. Jamie Devitt, Mike Jones, and Gary Liddle all triggered extensions with the club amidst speculation that Curle could be gone come spring.

Frustratingly, one win in the final seven games of the campaign against many play-off rivals meant a disappointing 10th place finish. Although, a best defensive record in 10 years at the club at least meant some improvement was made. 

Goodbye, Keith Curle

On 26 April, it was announced that after almost four full seasons in charge, Keith Curle would be leaving the club. Fans gave him a serenading send-off at Port Vale in the final away outing of the campaign, but Brunton Park was the place to be to say ‘thank you’ to the man who brought so many marvellous memories to the club – and had decided to call it quits. Although at times his tenure was controversial and there were plenty of instances where fans called for his head, he put his all into the club and for that he deserves credit.

The long road to a new boss

Despite knowing the team was managerless, it took the club over six weeks to find a suitable candidate for the job. Unsurprisingly, it was not a smooth transition. Rumours of numerous bosses agreeing to the job in principle, then it falling through because of one reason or another, started to grate on fans – who had quite frankly had enough of such a lack of efficiency (more on that later).

Meanwhile, the players had thinking to do. Hill retired, Nicky Adams left for boyhood club Bury, Luke Joyce went closer to home with Vale, Mark Ellis headed to promoted Tranmere and even Grainger appeared to hesitate on accepting his new deal as no manager was in place. A squad of just nine players needed a boss come summer.

The question of what type of manager would take over a club with a likely small budget was the main issue. Would they be an up-and-coming starlet who was hungry for a big job? Or would it be a seasoned gaffer who knew how to deal with the division? It was the latter. Welcome, John Sheridan.

David Holdsworth was reportedly working for the club throughout the recruitment process and was announced as Director of Football a day prior to the beginning of the new season.

Fans were promised to have a ‘galvanised’ club; and with no pre-season fixtures scheduled, Sheridan and his team (assistant Tommy Wright along with first-team coach, local lad, Paul Murray) had to get to work.

The club also had no kits until August, as chaos with supplier Umbro meant supporters only got their hands on all of new the strips by September. This sort of thing remains prominent, 2018 was scoreboard-less, half-time pie-less, and even over the Christmas period fans decided against a trip to Brunton Park.

Sheridan sets off

A slightly underwhelming summer in terms of signings had fans not too confident about 2018/19’s possibilities, but in spite of a mediocre pre-season record and 10 goals shipped in the opening three games in all competitions, six wins in the next eight encounters meant that the Cumbrians were well in the early promotion race. Loan goalkeeper Joe Fryer, unfortunately, broke his leg along with Crewe Alexandra skipper Paul Green as a result of an honest 50-50 challenge late in August, to allow Adam Collin to take the number one spot – excelling since with imperative interventions in important moments to change fan opinion of him. Nadesan returned on loan again, one of two Fleetwood Town loanees (the side that Sheridan had steered to safety in the 2017/18 season). There was a culture shock for many supporters looking at the touchline, as Sheridan was the complete opposite of Curle in almost every manner – his approach to games, his relationship with the press and, becoming apparent later, his relationship with players.

Fans had premature high expectations, but this time one win the next eight in October (surrounding a run of five home losses on the spins with no goals scored – all to sides ranked below them) sent attendances and expectations very low. Fan protests against the board, leaking roofs, away disabled sections with no shelter, near rants from Sheridan in his post-match interviews and discouraging performances simply meant any excuse was enough to avoid going to Brunton Park. One of many strange occurrences during that particularly apathetic time was when Sheridan opted to play Bennett at centre back when visiting league leaders Lincoln City. The game remarkably finished 2-2, with the striker by trade picking up Man of the Match; something that ironically summed-up that period to highlight how strange this particular division could be.

Test of character 

Following that dismal run, the Blues hosted Newport County to start November (the first side visiting Brunton Park who were above them) with the Cumbrians needing to take advantage if they were to salvage anything from the league season. Captain Grainger returned to the side, and like London buses, Jamie Devitt struck twice to give Carlisle a miraculous lead – which was pegged back in the second half. Added time loomed, and it seemed like it could be another frustrating day at home – but Grainger had other ideas. He unleashed a rocket that will surely go down as the goal of the season for the blues to gift his side three crucial points. A 4-0 thrashing of Swindon Town on the road showed how clinical The Cumbrians could be, as confidence returned.

Heading out of the FA Cup in the second round meant the league was the sole focus for the remainder of the campaign, but a 4-0 smashing of third-placed Colchester United, followed by a 2-3 at Crawley Town made it a Merry Christmas in Cumbria. Things only got better, as Boxing Day truly continued the festivities; 6-0 against Oldham Athletic (the side Sheridan managed on three occasions). Finally putting the ball in the back of the net on a consistent basis, the men on the pitch looked like real contenders. However, the boss was not too pleased, stating he would “walk away” from the club if players could not handle his style – certainly a stamp of authority to calm down an understandably giddy group of players. Whatever happened in-house due to that comment, it seemed to work. To add to the plot ahead of the final match of the year, Sheridan was bookies favourite for the Chesterfield job. Coming from behind against Macclesfield Town to grab a fourth consecutive win (only the second time in the year) meant Carlisle fans were sent into the New Year with renewed optimism as December ended. During that month, supporters were given the chance to view six possible designs for a new kit next season – an indicator that the club might genuinely be taking some initiative heading into 2019.

New Year Hopes

Comfortably sat in 8th, one point outside of the play-off spots and three from the final automatic promotion place, there are reasons from Carlisle supporters to once again dream of an exciting end to a campaign. Fan favourite Jason Kennedy looks to be on his way back to full fitness following the best part of two full years on the sidelines, with fans coming back into Brunton Park too.

The transfer window, inevitably, sees the club faced with the possibility of players leaving (and it is never easy for the Blues to turn down cash) but it may also see big wages taken off of the bill.

Plenty of shackles still prevent the Cumbrians from pushing on, with Holdsworth claiming that ‘the days of two or three-year contracts are over and won’t be back’ – not the most encouraging statement the Blue Army could hear considering the club is rumoured to be on its knees financially.

Sheridan will have his work cut out if he is to do any better than Curle did with the club, but winning games of football is just about the best thing he can do – and right now, Carlisle cannot stop doing that.

2018 will be remembered as a year that showed just how good and bad things can be at Brunton Park, so fasten your seatbelts, because it could well be another rollercoaster ride next year.

words Nathan Ridley, D3D4 Carlisle United correspondent