MANAGER: We have to put ourselves out there

Manager Paul Simpson and striker Kris Dennis became the latest to receive award nominations – this time for the work done through January – as the continued good run of form sees the Blues riding high in the upper reaches of the division.

“It shows things are going well when people are getting nominated for awards,” manager Paul Simpson said. “It shows and reflects well on the work the staff and players are all doing in the football club.

“I think there’s a really positive feeling about the whole place. I keep saying it, but the shop, commercial and hospitality are all seeing good things and that’s really positive.

“I get that it comes when results are right, but without everything going well the football club doesn’t progress or get better.

“There are so many good things going on at the club at the moment, there’s still lots of room for improvement and I’ll keep banging the drum for improvement, but it’s positive.

“The nominations are nice but they don’t mean you’re going to be successful at the end of the season, which is when I want to get plaudits, whether that be for me, players or for the football club.

“That’s where you’re judged. We’ve got to make sure people are still being positive about us when we get to the end.”

Part of that positive energy is the work done to connect with the supporters and the community, with the manager at an awards ceremony with Carlisle Cricket Club last Saturday, at a forum with the London Branch on Friday and with a cub forum being organised for early March.

“I think these things are important because there has to be a connection,” he commented. “I don’t normally do things on a Saturday night but I felt because Carlisle Cricket Club had won the league last year that it was important to support that.

“Carlisle United needs the community, and if we need them we have to go out of our way to help them as well.

“I’m looking forward to going down to London and meeting the London Branch on Friday night, hopefully they don’t have too many testing questions for me!

“I think it’s important, we have to put ourselves out there. It’s easy when things are going well, but we’ll make sure we keep doing it.”

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