This week he completed the signing of 19-year-old winger Carlos Roca from Oldham Athletic. He has also been in talks with David McNiven, the Leigh RMI striker but will hold off making any decisions until he knows the fate of Lee Andrews and Andy Preece. Andrews has been offered a new deal at Brunton Park but Simpson admitted this week that a better offer was on the table from an unspecified club. Andrews is keen to remain at Carlisle but the new offer may tempt him away. Preece has also indicated a willingness to stay with the Cumbrians but he has submitted his application for the vacant manager's job at Blackpool, a role Simpson himself turned down last week. If Preece is unsuccessful in his quest for the Bloomfield Road hotseat, he is almost certain to put pen to paper on a new contract with United. Former Scotland international Colin Hendry has been installed as the bookmaker's favourite for the Blackpool job. Roca, 19, who has a Spanish father, made only nine appearances in the Oldham first-team last season. One of his two starts was against Carlisle in the FA Cup First Round in November. After the departure of manager Iain Dowie to Crystal Palace, the youngster saw his first-team opportunities severely curtailed. He usually plays on the right, but can play either wing and his arrival could signal the beginning of the end at Brunton Park for Adam Rundle. If Rundle remains, he will be well down the pecking order having featured infrequently since Simpson was appointed manager last August. Mark Summerbell, Darren Kelly and Michael Jack are also surplus to requirements and the manager is looking to off-load them, something that will enable him to bring in more new faces. Simpson is hampered mainly by lack of transfer funds. However the club have been selling record numbers of season tickets this week after they went on sale on Monday, just 48 hours after the end of the previous campaign. More than 70 were sold in the first 48 hours, bringing in £13,000 of income - money that has been promised to the manager to help him add to his squad. Bruce praises Simmo Birmingham boss Steve Bruce says he believes Paul Simpson should be named Manager of the Year in preference to bigger names such as Arsene Wenger and Claudio Ranieri. "He did an unbelievable job there because they had just five points from 21 games," wrote Bruce in the match programme this week. "Unfortunately they were relegated but even getting them as close as he did was a remarkable achievement. He's turned the club round and they have been in Championship form in the last few months. He would definitely be my manager of the year." Picture from News & Star |
