Simpson wants swift return

By Pete Oliver

Simpson happy with hype

Perennial strugglers in recent times, Carlisle start the season in a strange position of favourites for the title.

After flirting with relegation for six of the previous seven seasons, Carlisle fell out of the Football League in May.

Paul Simpson's side make their Conference bow on 14 August. And he wants them to rise to the challenge.

"It's a different situation because everybody expects us to do well, so we have got to make sure we handle it," the player-boss told BBC Sport.

"It's a mental thing and we have to deal with it. We know the disappointments we have had and we have to turn it round.

"Everybody starts the season with the hope of getting promotion and then re-assesses as the season goes on.

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"No disrespect to the Conference, but we want to have just one season in there. We have got to use relegation as a starting base to move back up."

Carlisle's favouritism is based on the fact that they will be the best supported club in the Conference and will kick-off the campaign as a form team.

The Cumbrians lost just seven of their last 25 games as a League club to produce a surge of optimism, which has generated bumper ticket sales over the summer.

"We have to make sure the momentum from the second half of last season does not go to waste and try and get off to a good start, which will give everyone a boost," Simpson added.

"We have got to keep the atmosphere we had in the second-half of last season.

"For a hell of a long time the supporters have been watching teams struggling. We have got to move forward and give them something to cheer about.

"If we do that we will have a successful season."

We showed that we could compete in the Third Division and now we have to show that again at a new level Paul Simpson

However, not everything in the Brunton Park garden is rosy, as Carlisle still have financial problems and are settling down after another boardroom takeover.

Simpson is still to finalise his squad as he looks to add another two or three players to the trio of new signings he has already made.

And the 38-year-old also knows he faces plenty of opposition in his quest to lead his hometown club back into League Two at the first time of asking.

"You would expect the teams that did well last season to be up there again," Simpson said.

"Everybody expects York to be up there as well and there are some good sides in there. I also think Canvey Island (Carlisle's first opponents) could do well.

"I know it will be a very tight league and we have to prepare ourselves for it. We showed that we could compete in the Third Division and now we have to show that again at a new level."