Football Season Guide

League 2

England

League 2

2019/2020

Carlisle United

In

Byron Webster (Defender, Scunthorpe United), Jack Iredale (Defender, Greenock Morton), Christie Elliott (Defender, Partick Thistle), Jon Mellish (Defender, Gateshead), Nathaniel Knight-Percival (Defender, Bradford City), Jack Bridge (Midfielder, Northampton Town), Nathan Thomas (Midfielder, Sheffield United, Season-long loan), Harry McKirdy (Attacker, Aston Villa)

Out

Joe Fryer (Goalkeeper, Middlesbrough, Loan ended), Anthony Gerrard (r0 (Defender, released), Danny Grainger (r) (Defender, retired), Gary Liddle (r) (Defender, Walsall), Gary Miller (sp) (Defender, released), Macaulay Gillesphey (sp) (Defender, Brisbane Roar), Peter Grant (sp) (Defender, Greenock Morton), Tom Parkes (r) (Defender, Exeter City), Arthur Gnahoua (Midfielder, released), Callum O'Hare (r) (Midfielder, Loan ended), George Glendon (Midfielder, released), Jamie Devitt (k) (Midfielder, Blackpool), Jason Kennedy (Midfielder, Hartlepool United), Liam McCarron (sp) (Midfielder, Leeds United), Regan Slater (Midfielder, Sheffield United, Loan ended), Connor Simpson (Attacker, Preston North End, Loan ended), Mark Cullen (sp) (Attacker, Blackpool, Loan ended), Richie Bennett (Attacker, Port Vale)

There have been wholesale changes at Carlisle United this summer as Steven Pressley looks to build his own team. They missed out on a play-off place last season with their inconsistent form proving costly. Pressley was unable to build upon the promising position he inherited following John Sheridan’s shock resignation. He will point to the loss of a number of influential loan players and it has been no different this summer with the loss of creative midfielder Jamie Devitt, who rejected the offer of a new deal to join Blackpool. Devitt will be sorely missed and increases the pressure on Pressley, who has struggled to win over the fans since his arrival in January. Striker Hallam Hope could also be set to leave and follow in the footsteps of winger Liam McCarron, with Leeds United paying an undisclosed fee for the teenager despite having made just four first team starts. Byron Webster and Nathaniel Knight-Percival are set to form a new centre-back partnership and bring plenty of experience with them. There is still plenty of work for Pressley to do in the transfer market although he has been boosted by the return of winger Nathan Thomas, on a season-long loan from Sheffield United.

Target

Play-offs. There is no doubt the Cumbrians should be aiming for the top seven this season. At the time of writing however this looks like a tall order.