Trials week

Last updated : 08 June 2019 By Paddock Pundit.

Thanks to the News and Star:

 

Carlisle United are weighing up a second chance for Arthur Gnahoua as well as eyeing a Premier League player.

They are among the considerations for the Cumbrians after a recent trial week at Brunton Park.

Director of football David Holdsworth admitted winger Gnahoua, whose short-term stay at Brunton Park was ruined by injury last term, is being considered again by the club.

There appears a good chance the 26-year-old will be invited back for the start of pre-season.

And Holdsworth said a player from a top-flight club, who he did not name, had also checked in during the recent trial spell.

For Gnahoua, it was a fresh chance to impress after his initial United move saw just 28 minutes of first-team action at Port Vale in January before a hamstring tear ended the ex-Shrewsbury man’s season.

“Arthur came through the week very well, and we were really pleased to see him,” Holdsworth said. “He’s a charming young man.

“He’s quite possibly going to come back in pre-season. Steven [Pressley, United’s manager] will make the final decision on that.

“We also had a look at a player from a Premier League club, who had been injured, and he’s exciting.

“There were two or three that will come back in pre-season.”

United had also used the trial week to check out Penrith winger Matty Clarke.

He had impressed Holdsworth and boss Steven Pressley in the recent Cumberland Cup final.

But the former Kendal player has since joined Bradford Park Avenue.

United are due to return for pre-season training towards the end of this month and are still facing a major spell of recruitment.

They have made three summer signings but seen a host of players leave.

While they await progress on deals, Holdsworth said the chance to look at trialists at the end of last season, rather than simply the start of next pre-season, was important.

He said: “[The trial week] was something I looked at coming towards February, because I was getting agents ringing me, and I thought it would be a good policy for this football club to not dilute pre-season too much.

“Players are fit at the end of the season, you hope, and I was getting a number of agents recommending players to come in pre-season.

“So I set up this week, told Steven about it, and he was very pleased about it.

“I put forward most of the players, there were a few extras thrown in, and there was a profile of the people we wanted to come in, in terms of the positional part.

“The week was very successful. It also gave [young pros] Josh Dixon, Liam McCarron, Jarrad Branthwaite and Keighran Kerr, plus Arthur Gnahoua, an opportunity to show they had overcome certain places they were at.

“We worked closely with the physio department so we didn’t stress them too much.

“The young boys worked hard. It also gave me a chance to see the coaches in the youth department and I’m pleased with how they went about it.”

Holdsworth added that the trialists who join United for pre-season must be of a good standard.

He said: “We’re not just bringing in people for the sake of it, to waste our time.

“If they do earn a contract we’ve got to make sure they will be able to put us in a stronger place, to become part of the team. Steven will make the final decision on those.”

Reports in Yorkshire yesterday said Blues target Jerry Yates is set to leave Rotherham on loan this summer. Carlisle, who have already tabled bids for Yates, are keen on a deal for the striker, who is also being chased by Swindon.

Millers No2 Richie Barker told the Rotherham Advertiser that Yates had a number of options.