Carlisle United: Paul Simpson should perform player U-turn: View | OneFootball

Carlisle United can officially start to prepare for life in League Two after their relegation back to the fourth tier of English football was confirmed, after just one season in League One.

The club have had a torrid year on the pitch. On reflection, especially, it was clear from quite early on that the Blues lacked the ability to compete with teams at their soon-to-be previous level.

They massively over-achieved by winning promotion at Wembley in May 2023, in the play-off final, with a squad that probably shouldn't have been there, and now they have swung the complete opposite way in terms of their on the pitch results.

One hindrance that has been cited plenty of times, as to why this season went so poorly for them, was the lack of preparation time that they had between winning promotion and the 2023/24 campaign getting under way.

There were around five weeks between the moment that Taylor Charters hit the back of the net with the final penalty of the shoot-out, and the first pre-season match against Annan Athletic.

That excuse isn't going to be valid next season, as, even though it wasn't confirmed until last weekend, Carlisle have known their fate for some time.

Contracts for current players and offers to potential new ones will already have been considered, and there's one out-of-contract player in the current squad, who has said that he wants to be with the team next year, but the manager may have to rebuild some bridges to make a deal more viable.

Paul Simpson should look to re-sign Paul Huntington

The club captain, who was born and raised in the city, made it clear, after the match against Northampton which confirmed their spot in the bottom four of the League One table (which will likely be 24th), that he wanted to stay and be a part of the club's rebuild.

He added that there needs to be a change to the: "losing mentality," of the squad, and that the players have to show that they want to be a part of the long-term future of the club; one that is looking much brighter because of the Piatak family.

It hasn't been an easy season for the central defender. He has had some injury difficulties, but for a large chunk of the season, he has been left out of the squad.

This lack of minutes pales in comparison to the prior season, in which he was a standout player, and someone that helped guide that team to play-off success.

Despite the frustration that he has said that he has felt at times, he still wants to be with the club, and has a hunger to help get the club back on track.

Even though there is a willingness to remain at Brunton Park, a deal might not come quite so easily.

Firstly, the manager has to want to keep him at the club for any deal to be possible, but Simpson may have to do some work on his end too, if he wants to keep him.

Not playing as a footballer will be one of the most agonising things, and that feeling would probably intensify if you were a veteran defender who couldn't get a starting place in the worst team in the league for most of the season.

Huntington does want to return, but he may want some assurances about what next season will look like for him. There's no guarantee that he will accept any offer that is given to him.

Carlisle pundit, and former player, Chris Lumsdon said on episode 31 of The Carlisle Social that an offer which included some sort of coaching role in the club could be a viable option for both parties, which could work.

According to the defender, he has tried to show through his efforts in training that he wants to stay with the club, but Simpson has to reciprocate that. He should also want Huntington for his abilities as a player and a leader, first and foremost.

Paul Huntington's qualities that will help Carlisle in League Two

Carlisle fans will be well aware of the gap that exists between the average club in League One and that of League Two. Maybe that hasn't been quite as evident to the other promoted teams, but it certainly has been for the Blues.

Even though Huntington is towards the back-end of his career, the 36-year-old still possesses a lot of traits that suit the fourth tier well. For example, he's the best defender that the club currently have in the air - he has won 67% of his aerial duels in the league this season, as per Sofascore.

He is also a presence in the dressing room, in terms of his experience and nous, that United don't have much of.

Now, for him to be effective, he has to be able to use these qualities in games. If Simpson doesn't feel that he'll get much, then a contract offer may not come, but he's still got abilities that the rest of the current defence don't have in certain areas.