When you returned for your second spell with Carlisle, in early 2022, the club sat 91st in the Football League. Could you have imagined, 18 months on, you’d be preparing for a League One campaign?
No. The very prospect seemed crazy, though I have to say that after staying up in 2021-22 with games to spare, we didn’t head into last season intending to just keep our heads above water. Realistically, I thought promotion was achievable by the end of my three-year deal, so it’s come earlier than expected. I’ve learnt in football that if a chance presents itself, you have to take it – my players grabbed it with both hands.
It’s rare for
