Next Carlisle Manager Odds: Seven replacements for Paul Simpson
Carlisle United parted company with club legend Paul Simpson on Saturday night, following a bad start to the season off the back of relegation from League One the year before, meaning they’re searching for a new manager.
EFL pundit Gab Sutton profiles seven possible candidates in the next Carlisle manager odds.
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1. Rob Elliot
Why he will get the job
Rob Elliot picked up the baton from Mike Williamson at Gateshead last season, leading the Tynesiders to a top seven finish in the National League, although they were unable to compete in the Play-Offs for administrative reasons, and won the FA Trophy Final.
The Heed have enjoyed a good start to 2024/25 under Elliot’s guidance, too, taking 14 points from their first six: replacing Williamson was a tough ask, but he’s improved them further, arguably, demonstrating excellent flexibility.
Why he might not
Elliot has neither a proven track record, nor an incredible coaching profile: we’re basing a lot on the last 10 months or so.
Verdict
National League experts like Tom Williams and Off The Line Blog rate Elliot highly – that’s good enough for us!
Rob Elliot
2. Pete Wild
Why he will get the job
While supporters are highly enthused off the pitch - with the moves made by the Piatak family as new owners, both in terms of words and actions - they’re less enthused on it, following a rock-bottom League One finish and a poor start to their League Two campaign.
Pete Wild is somebody who can galvanize the fanbase with his animated touchline conduct, and euphoric post-victory fistpumps - more importantly, the 40-year-old has been successful everywhere he’s been, and never with a top-end budget.
Why he might not
If you ask Carlisle fans directly, they’ll probably say Barrow isn’t a rivalry. But you can also tell that they get too much enjoyment from beating them for it to not not be a rivalry.
So, Wild’s association with their ‘not rivals’ could go either way, having previously been something of a pantomime villain at Brunton Park.
Plus, all three of the former Oldham boss’ jobs have been commutable from Royton, Oldham: Halifax was a short-hop across the Pennines, while Barrow trained in Manchester.
Verdict
If Wild is prepared to relocate, he could be the person to rejuvenate the Cumbrian club.
Pete Wild
3. Ryan Lowe
Why he will get the job
In each of his six full seasons as a manager, Ryan Lowe has only ever met or massively exceeded expectations.
The Liverpudlian has won two promotions from this level, with Bury and Plymouth Argyle in successive seasons, before leading the latter into promotion contention in League One in their second season, then delivered top-half form with Preston North End on a bottom-six budget.
Why he might not
Barring an irrefusable offer, Lowe might even be reluctant to drop down to League One let alone League Two: he’ll see himself as a proven Championship manager.
Verdict
Might just be out of Carlisle’s reach, as he’ll look for opportunities at a higher level.
Ryan Lowe
4. Brian Barry-Murphy
Why he will get the job
Style.
Whenever Brian Barry-Murphy has interviewed for League Two jobs, a central part of the process has been him wanting to create a footballing DNA that aligns with his vision, right down to the academy structure and introducing a B Team.
The reason the Irishman is still at Man City EDS - as well as the pay, of course - is that he perhaps hasn’t had the responses he wanted from owners, who haven’t been willing to make those sorts of commitments.
Whereas, that same conversation with the Piatak family might go better: the American owners don’t have the same preconceived ideas on how to run a football club, and might find it easier to embrace new ones.
Why he might not
Even if Carlisle offer BBM a highly competitive salary, which they unquestionably have the money to do, it’d be hard to let go of the figure he’s on at City.
Plus, there’s a perception from some Rochdale fans that the coach might prefer a developmental environment to a competitive one - that he’s more passionate about developing individuals than he is, delivering results.
Verdict
Barry-Murphy is the appointment with the highest long-term ceiling, but it’s whether the club are prepared to be patient while he implements his ideas in-season.
Brian Barry-Murphy
5. Richie Wellens
Why he will get the job
Richie Wellens is something of a master of League Two, having won the title in both his full seasons as a manager at this level with Swindon in 2019/20, and Leyton Orient in 2022/23.
The Mancunian coaches attacking, possession-based, front-foot football, but his sides have always had their ability to mix up their games, go longer when needed, and grind out results - the perfect balance, arguably, in League Two.
So, Wellens is clearly a stand-out candidate: it’s just a question of whether Carlisle could acquire his services.
Why he might not
Wellens has already more than proven himself in League Two, and seeing as he’s currently working in League One, he might feel there’s no attraction for him dropping down a level again.
His Orient side have also lost their first four games, and there’s the question of whether he’d want to leave the East Londoners in that kind of situation, having achieved so much with them.
Verdict
Difficult for us to answer the second point above, but on the first, there’s a case for Richie dropping down a level one more time.
Leyton Orient simply don’t have the resources to consistently compete at the top of League One, whereas Carlisle, with their external investment, have probably a better chance if and when they come back up.
Richie Wellens
6. Danny Grainger
Why he will get the job
Club legend.
The 38-year-old is remembered fondly for his excellent work at Brunton Park across five seasons of pin-point set pieces and impeccable consistency at left-back.
He also led Workington to promotion from the Northern Premier League Division One West in 2022/23, via the Play-Offs, and is now assistant to Derek Adams at Morecambe - who’d probably welcome the compensation.
Why he might not
Grainger is the kind of appointment Carlisle might have made under the previous ownership regime but, as the early sacking of Simpson has shown, sentimentality doesn’t count for much under the Piataks, who are gunning for a more rigorously scientific approach - and are planning to recruit a Sporting Director.
Verdict
The club that’s going in that direction probably isn’t the club that appoints a legendary figure to lift the fans, especially given the scale of ambition.
Danny Grainger
7. Leighton Baines
Why he will get the job
Under-23s boss David Unsworth has expressed his approval of Baines’ contribution to the coaching staff, and endorsed his impact on young players: he’s nurtured talents like Jarrad Branthwaite, who came through the academy at Carlisle.
Why he might not
It’s difficult to know quite how good a coach Leighton Baines really is, when his playing career had so much to do with the opportunity he’s had at Everton as Professional Development Coach.
Verdict
Shy Everton captains have made good managers before…
Leighton Baines
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