Owner Tom Piatak has admitted that former head coach Mike Williamson’s style of play was “further out on the spectrum” than Carlisle United needed.
Williamson was hired by the club last September then sacked on February 3 with the Blues rock bottom of the EFL.
Piatak and his family, who own United through their Castle Sports Group business, appointed Williamson to help the team promote a new style of play which they regarded as a long-term part of their vision.
They backed Williamson during a period when Carlisle's new possession style was not delivering results and was coming in for consistent criticism from fans.
But businessman Piatak has conceded in hindsight that a more pragmatic approach may have benefited United better amid their battle to arrest their losing form in League Two.
Asked by the News & Star if the owners’ commitment to Williamson’s style was a case of too much, too soon when United should have prioritised getting out of their losing habit after last season's relegation and a poor start to this campaign under Paul Simpson, Piatak said: “I would describe that as we wanted to play winning football and we wanted to play exciting football.
“We wanted to play something that would get the crowd on their feet, something that Cumbria and Carlisle would be proud of.
“When you look at the style of play, was it maybe a little bit too far out on the spectrum, as opposed to where it could have been given our situation?
“I think there were certainly some messages about adaptability, and ‘we need to win now’ and things of that nature.
“I do think that if you look at the latter matches [under Williamson], we did adapt in some. We were going over the top [more], we were playing direct. We weren't playing out of the back 110 per cent committed to that.
“I guess when you look and we went through the process of selecting the manager, I would say Mike's style was a little bit further right on the spectrum as opposed to others.
“What I’ve thought and hoped was that we would adapt to the situation we're in. We [understood] maybe this is the way he wants to coach and play, but given what we're in, this is what we need to do to win.
“I think he did make some changes there. Were they enough? Obviously not.
“Some things favourably did not go our way at the same time – injuries, and sometimes we didn't get the breaks that we would have liked.
“I do think we were probably a little bit further out on that spectrum than maybe we needed to be.”
Mike Williamson was sacked in early February following a dire run of results culminating in a 5-1 home defeat to Swindon Town (Image: Ben Holmes)
United sacked Williamson on February 3 – transfer deadline day – after bringing in 11 new players in the January transfer window.
The Blues hierarchy had declared their faith in the former MK Dons boss at the start of the window only to bring his tenure to an end a month later.
Many fans had called for a change sooner, given United’s poor performances and results. Asked if it had proved an error or judgement to have given Williamson so long, Piatak said: “No, I don't think I'd agree with that.
“The numbers proved themselves out. It didn't work.
“At that [earlier] point in time, we were making the best decision at the time. That's all you can do with the objectives that you're trying to do as a team.
“So I wouldn't call it an error in judgment. But I would say the numbers truly proved that we weren't getting the results that we needed and a change was made.
“So, in hindsight 20-20, would it have made sense to make the change earlier? Yes. Now looking back, it certainly would have. But I don't think I would have said it was an error in judgment at that time.”
Piatak said United had tried to promote “stability” by backing Williamson to turn things around with a squad that was overhauled in the middle of the campaign.
“We felt like bringing in some players that could fit the model that he wanted to play was the right thing to do,” said the owner.
“Could we have made the decision earlier? Yes.
“I have great admiration for Mike, and his team, as a coach. I think they're good. They are solid managers, and I think they will surface again very strong.
“It did not turn out the way we wanted it to. And so, in hindsight, making the change earlier would have looked like a brilliant, brilliant move.
“But we felt that bringing in the players that we did in January, [with] the stability and continuity of Mike's team, we expected results.
“On January 7 at the fan forum I said [I was] standing by him at that point in time. I truly believed that if we got the right resources in there with what he was doing, with the cohesion that we saw with the squad…and there was truly some cohesion there, and the players really enjoyed his style of management and the training.
“We saw some of that. We saw some things on the inside that maybe others didn't see. But at the end, it simply didn't work. The results weren't there. And we had to make that decision.”
The News & Star asked Piatak if anyone inside the club or close to the regime had been advising them differently when it came to the decision to back Williamson for so long.
“There are various degrees of support, I think you could say,” he said.
“Was it unanimous? I don't think [there's ever going to be that] 110 per cent. I believe the support was there from the collective group that made the decision.
“At the time that we were making the decision, I felt it was the best decision at the time to move the club forward on the journey that we're going.”
Piatak, giving his general appraisal of United’s season, said he was “not pleased” with how things are going and added: “If you had asked me that question at the beginning of the season and asked what are the chances of, at this date and time, [us] going to be 24th in the league fighting for survival, I would have probably said less than one per cent.
“I'm shocked that we're there. But the fact of the matter is we are there and we have to deal with the situation and fight to get out of it.”
Piatak said that identifying the reasons for this campaign’s failure was a “tough” question answered by a “multitude of factors” rather than one main reason.
He said United’s shortage of goals, coupled with the upheaval of two managerial changes, had clearly contributed.
The owner said he and his fellow directors would “look back” and reflect on numerous things, and added: “I do think stability is absolutely critical. If you’re asking me from what I've learned, I think stability is critical and adaptability is critical.
Piatak feels Mark Hughes, right, and No2 Glyn Hodges, left, have shown good tactical adaptability (Image: Ben Holmes)
“You have to be able to adapt to what the other clubs are doing. And that's probably an area that we struggled with a little bit earlier. And I think with Mark [Hughes] and Glyn [Hodges], we've got the right team that can address that and move forward.”
Piatak said United are seeing the early signs of progress under Hughes and Hodges – and said the opportunity to appoint the experienced manager was one Carlisle could not turn down.
Asked if he considered Hughes a more adaptable head coach than his predecessor, Piatak said: “I would throw that question right back at you. Do you think you're seeing that now? I'm seeing the same thing you're seeing. That's why Mark was what I consider a fantastic hire for Carlisle and Cumbria.
“It was really an absolute no-brainer. I think many people would say that the chances of Mark being up here three or four years ago would probably be close to none.
“When we went down this process and Rob [Clarkson, sporting director] had the shortlist and this name came up, it was paramount. We were like, ‘We need to execute. We need to get this done as quickly as possible’.
“I think we're seeing the changes on the pitch. We're not seeing the results right now – two draws and two losses. That should have been much higher. We should have secured more points based on the way the squad’s played, but we're just not getting that.
“On the [style of play]…he's adapting. When you see one match you come in and then at half-time you come back out and we're a completely different team, that's what you need to do.
“I always look at that and say, when the coach has time, you have to make on-the-pitch adjustments clearly while the match is going on, but when you come in at half-time, that's when you really have your opportunity to say, ‘What worked in the first half, what's not working, what do we need to change?’
“We know the other coach and the other squad is doing the same thing, but that's when you can really tell a coach and his effect on the team. I think we've seen that with Mark and Glyn.”
Listen to our full interview with Tom Piatak, where we asked the owner in detail about the reasons for, and decisions made in, Carlisle’s season of struggle, HERE
