Carlisle United boss pledges 'ruthless' decisions on players

The Blues will reveal their retained and released list two days after the end of their League One relegation season.

Some nine professionals are out of contract while others could see their futures up in the air.

Manager Simpson, whose side finished bottom of the table after a poor season, said there will be no room for sentiment in his decisions on players.

Those at the end of their deals who will learn their fates are Paul Huntington, Jordan Gibson, Sean Maguire, Tomas Holy, Corey Whelan, Josh Emmanuel, Max Kilsby, Kai Nugent and Anton Dudik.

• LISTEN: Simmo on Derby defeat, 'lessons learned' and big decisions

Several of that group are expected to be released.

“There will be some difficult conversations but I have to have those, because it’s fairly obvious we’ve fallen well short this season,” said Simpson. “I have to look at myself for that as well.

Jordan Gibson, right, is one of nine players whose contract is up (Image: Richard Parkes)

“If I’m honest, we maybe used sentiment a little bit too much last year in terms of our recruitment and players who stayed, and I’m the fall guy for it.

“There’s no place for sentiment at all. We have to be ruthless and make decisions we hope and think will be better for long term future of the club – and that we can build a squad capable of fighting at the right end of the table next season.”

Simpson said a small number of the squad have already been given indications of his thinking, but the final calls will be confirmed today.

• The contract position of every Carlisle United player this summer

“There's a couple of players who know what's going on, but everybody else will have to wait until Monday,” he said after Saturday’s 2-0 defeat at Derby County.

After meetings with players, which start at 9am today and will be followed by the publication of the retained/released list, Simpson said plenty of the focus this week will be on chasing up some of Carlisle’s ongoing recruitment work.

“We're going to continue with the recruitment discussions,” he said.

“Some offers have been made that we'll see what happens [with], but I would imagine that, with anybody who's not involved in play-off games, there'll be retained and released lists coming out, so we'll get a better picture [soon].

“We've got an idea at the moment, but we'll get a clearer picture [this] week.

“And then we'll be going full steam ahead to try and get the players in. Ideally, I want them in as soon as possible.”

As players depart for the summer break, with those retained given an off-season fitness programme, Simpson said United’s staff will continue to come in for a few more days.

“I’m then having an early holiday, because I need to go and have knee surgery this summer,” he said.

“So I'm having an early holiday and then it is all hands to the pump to make sure that we get our recruitment right.”