Simpson is feeling at home

IT appears a growing EFL trend – if your club is in trouble send out an SOS to the local managerial hero.

John Sheridan recently stepped back into the Oldham hot seat and Carlisle, also dicing with League Two relegation, rang Paul Simpson

(above), who left Brunton Park 16 years ago having lifted his hometown club out of the non-League before going on to win the League Two title.

Going into yesterday’s crunch meeting with Oldham, the Simpson factor had already produced two straight victories against Leyton Orient and Rochdale after an eightgame winless run, which cost Keith Millen his job.

“If it had been any other club in this situation I would probably have said no but this is my home town team. I’m a Carlisle fan,” he said.

“I’m happy just to commit until the end of the season.

“Hopefully we will still be a Football League club after the final game.

“There had been a fear when I arrived because of the past results but now we have given ourselves a lift.

“We have to be the best group of professionals we can possibly be in the next nine weeks.

“I can see the players having a belief in each other. The trust is building.”