Carlisle fans fume at Mike Williamson as their miserable run continues with a 1-0 defeat to Cheltenham on Saturday afternoon.
The only goal of the game was scored by Ethon Archer, who jumped on a mistake from the Cumbrians keeper Harry Lewis, spilling a shot in the 17th minute.
Lewis made another error from a free kick but luckily this time Cheltenham failed to extend their lead, with Sam Stubbs putting the ball over from close range.
Carlisle substitute Charlie Wyke ended up being stretchered off after a heavy tackle from Luke Young, the hosts did improve second half, but couldn’t spark a comeback, Harrison Biggins missing a glorious chance to pick up a much needed point.
The result leaves Carlisle sitting second bottom of the League Two table with 8 points from 14 games played, conceding the most in the division with 28 goals, and are four points from safety. Cheltenham climb to 16th with 17 points from 14 games.
🗣️ Mike Williamson speaks after Cheltenham Town defeat. pic.twitter.com/7PKyKLSabR
— Carlisle United FC (@officialcufc) October 26, 2024
Questioned by the Carlisle media team about Charlie Wyke, Mike said: “He’s going to hospital and he needs to get a scan. Obviously, it’s going to be nasty but to what extent, we’re not fully sure.
“As for how it affected the lads only, they can answer that. But I thought the second half, we showed a character of wanting to fight for him. I think wanting to fight for the situation and for each other. Obviously, the nature of the game was tough from start to finish.
“And I thought we found it very, very hard. First half we didn’t win enough of our individual battles.
“To be honest, I just feel sick. I feel sick for Chaz, I feel sick for the boys. In a moment where I think everyone’s hurting and it’s hard, because I see the pain in the boys’ face and they go out there, they give everything.
“And as much as we weren’t good enough in the first half, we’re missing chances in the second half. And they’ve done everything they possibly can to bundle the ball in the back of the net. And it’s just not happening.”
Fans in the Paddock stay to express their anger to Mike Williamson after Carlisle’s latest defeat here #cufc @newsandstar pic.twitter.com/L6LA82E9yX
— Jon Colman (@joncolman) October 26, 2024
Really interesting listen
Whoever was the coach giving it back needs sacked@bbccumbriasport #cufc pic.twitter.com/5zWYuuvlpZ— 🦊CUFC James 🏴 (@james_cufc2000) October 26, 2024
On conceding early and failing to break down their opponents, Mike said: “We knew they were going to step on in the first-half. We thought that they would press us high.
“So we wanted to go over the press. I thought we picked up second balls quite early in the first 10, 15 minutes. Didn’t come to anything, as is the place we’re in.
“But the courage that young players like Dom showed, and I thought Terrell, and Sam at the back playing with as much courage as they possibly can. And obviously Ethan and Taylor giving everything. And we’re just coming up short in terms of quality and where we are emotionally.
“It’s hard to stomach. But the boys are giving everything.”
On the half-time team talk: “We went over a few things tactically. But you see the emotion, the energy, the intensity second half.
“Charlie [Wyke] is, he’s our captain and he’s a leader. So to see that happen to him was very, very hard to see. And the boys’ reaction to it, I thought was testament to the characters that are out there. But we just can’t score at the minute and we’re getting punished by mistakes.”
On the goal: “There’s no holding hands up. We’re in it together.
“There’s more and more mistakes happening. And for me, the place we’re in, it stops us being on the front foot. And that’s what I will assess and be disappointed about.
“Because we can only control what we can control. Obviously, lads missing chances, lack of quality, the end product in the final third. I think that’s never a lack of willing.
“And it’s a lack of quality and a lack of, at this moment, we’re struggling to execute. In the first half, I thought a little bit of naivety kind of creeped in. But there’s certainly no individual mistakes and any blame that’s going to be attributed.
“Because from top to bottom, I take full responsibility of everything and keep working. And I’ve got so much love and care for those boys because I can see the pain they’re in. And I’ve been there as a player.
“It’s not easy. And it’s very easy to criticise. But unless you’ve been there and you’ve found a way of getting out, you don’t know what they’re going through.”
Mike on the frustration with some decisions that went against his side: “Yeah, I thought in decisions all over the pitch, I thought they were committing fouls and then we were getting punished reacting to it.
“But yeah, by the letter of the law, you look at the force of the challenges, but there’s no malice in it. And it’s just a real kind of difficult period. And that is the place we’re at because we make changes when we start the second half.
“And then something that you just feel in a game as innocuous turns out to be very, very serious. I think that just like the whole summary of today is, the feeling that we’ve got in the pit of our stomach and the feeling for Charlie [Wyke], the feeling for what he’s going through and his family going through. And then how much the lads put it in off the back of that and still come up short.”
On Cheltenham slowing the game down and making it ugly to ground it out: “Yeah, they did. And they did it well. They broke rhythm, broke momentum. And we will watch it back.
“This is a moment for them to just come together and go home to be with their family and know that, like Ian said after the game, in periods like this, it’s hard to live by your values of who you are and what you want to embody.
“But testament to the lads, because the way they conduct themselves is really important and that will make a big difference when this place turns.”
On trying to turn it around going forward: “I see it turning by coming in Monday and getting around them and supporting the lads and watching it back, clearing the filters, making sure that we got a clear focus and how we’re going to turn it around. I’ve got no doubt that what we’ve got in the dressing room can turn around.”
Twitter users reacted while Carlisle fans fume at Mike Williamson as the miserable run continues with defeat to Cheltenham…
@jamescrooks: Sorry Mike, but if that’s your definition of giving everything I’m extremely worried
@jonnyraffles78: Am I the only one who can’t even listen to his interviews? One of the most uninspiring men I’ve ever heard, in or out of football.
@rossthomson277: No wonder we concede early in games players still half asleep from his team talks
@Jhk2209: He hasn’t the stomach for a league 2 relegation battle. The man is wet. Awful and embarrassing interview given the circumstances the clubs in. Get rid asap
@Neil_Hawkins: MK have played a blinder here. Sporting director feigns being interested in our job, got us to pay £200k for this pile of shite they were about to sack & have to pay up his contract on, got himself a juicy new contract paid for by MW’s compensation and relegated a rival team! 👏🏼
@karl72465: What about the fans no mention of them who pay lots of money to turn up and watch the games
@ticketaddict: I’ll make some allowance for the fact that it must affect you, seeing that injury to Wyke, but it’s not very inspiring is it. Feels like we need someone to fire them up, get them going right from the off but we’ve got someone who’s going to talk to them about body position.
@Lukehowe31: Bores the absolute life out of me. Waffles shit. 700% possession in 3 games no goals scored but XG is improving. Fell out with the players already. Possibly right man wrong time. Get him gone.
@FyldeVandal: I’ll call it now – this mon stays into new year then the owners will have gone by this time next year. Admit they were badly advised and get rid of those badly-advising. Otherwise we are going to Kirkham next season!
@Lorna__Jayne: This bloke has no passion, no personality and no fucking clue. #cufc
@carlisl9125: I’ve watched the Blues since ’84. This set of players are weak minded, fail to do the basics, and the coaching team are failing to address anything. The Fans and the owners are being let down badly. It cannot go on.
@CUFC_Lee: Droll… No passion, No Idea, No leadership… 👋🏼
@ryan_middlemass: More personality in an ironing board
@D_Stokoe: Rambling nonsense
@alantorchwood: I’m afraid Mark Williamson’s time could be up. Ofcourse not his players but total Shambles. Tactics no one can work out. Serious thinking this evening by the owners needed
@LindaNi1212O2: Sorry Mike, individual mistakes especially by the GK are costing us, not something you should be taking responsibility for is it, although it sounds noble.The player is a professional footballer he’s making schoolboy errors, but is the first name on the team sheet. Harsh? Not IMO
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