Carlisle United Football Club

“I’ve had a week away with the family but, other than that, we’ve all been working hard,” he said. “I’ve been constantly on the phone to agents and players.

“I’ve met quite a few players and we’re now trying to finalise things and get deals done. It’s difficult because everyone is holding on for the best deal. Agents are encouraging players to wait so they can see what is available to them. 

“We’re making good progress with a few and we’re hopeful we’ll have news on that front at some point in the next couple of weeks.”

“I know it’s frustrating for the fans when they don’t hear much but I hope they understand it’s something we’re quite pleased about when that does happen,” he told us. “When a player is spotted or found out it can alert other clubs, and we’d rather avoid that.

“You tend to find that players will talk to you and then use what they’ve heard when they talk to other clubs anyway, so we do want to try to manage things as closely as we can. 

“The other thing with it all is that we don’t want to rush into anything. I said at the end of last season that I want to get players in who have character and physicality because it’s going to be a tough league. 

“Sitting across from a player who has a point to prove, and who wants to come here and play, is important to me. That’s why I’ve already met a lot of players face to face. I want to see it in his eyes and see what his approach to the game is. 

“If I see the right things then that really encourages me. I’ve had one or two who are sitting there waiting for the best deal and the most money, and those players don’t strike you as being the right type of character.”  

“I haven’t experienced the market like this before, being a new manager, so it’s difficult to say whether we’re where we wanted to be at this stage or not,” he confirmed. “I know we did things early last season and that left us without the financial scope to do much later on in July and early August. That was just the way things worked last year. 

“However, you do feel that if the right player comes along, and you’re keen on getting him in the building, then you have to do the deal as soon as you get the chance. That will be no different for me this summer.”