Carlisle owner Tom Piatak talks change of manager, threat of relegation, and the transfer window in a detailed interview.
The Cumbrians currently sit 24th, bottom of League Two, with 23 points from 32 games, 5 points from safety and without a win in last six games going into Thursday’s game at Barrow, who have lost their last two fixtures and sit 18th in the table
Tom Piatak has recently spoken to the media on a number of topics, from the manager, current struggles, his family’s commitment to the club whatever happens this season, and full focus on survival. Read on further down in this article…
Read what Tom Piatak had to say, when we spoke to him recently.
The change of head coach: https://t.co/OIsTFtfBrd
His entire interview is available on CUTV for free, you just need to be logged in to watch it. pic.twitter.com/esIr94GUL5
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This season's struggle, decisions, recruitment, lessons, commitment, advice, aims, contingency plans and more..@newsandstar qs to Tom Piatak today, and his answers (Available first to subscribers, free bits later)
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LISTEN: https://t.co/dRpjiwGNn8https://t.co/dRpjiwGNn8
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On the recent departure of Mike Williamson, Tom explained: “That was a very difficult decision.
“I think everybody at the club had great admiration for Mike, his work ethic and what he was trying to do. But ultimately, at the end of the day, this is a results driven business and the results weren’t there.
“We were forced to make a decision in the best interest in the club. And that’s where our hearts are. That’s where our minds are.
“It’s always what’s in the best interest of the club. And we had to make that difficult decision in order to give us the best chance to remain in League Two.”
Why the decision was made on deadline day, he responded: “The significant difference between how we signed the players. So first of all, we brought in Rob Clarkson, the Sporting Director. He’s been with us probably three and a half months or so.
“And Rob was immediately charged with the January transfer window and being able to manage that process. We want to make sure that this is a club driven process and not a manager driven or a coach driven process, but club driven. And we believe we did that.
“So we were recruiting the appropriate resources in terms of the squad that we thought would give the club the best chance moving forward. As those resources were coming in and the play continued, we did not get the results that we needed.
“But we’re very confident that the players that we did recruit, that Rob did recruit, are players that are Carlisle United players, are going to be here for a while and can certainly add value and help us during the next 15 matches as well into the future.
At a fans’ forum, Tom stated that Mike was the right man for the job. Asked what changed from that point to the point of Mike’s departure. He said: “I think it was January 7th. You know, we discussed what we thought the appropriate go forward course of action would be.
“And we thought keeping Mike as the head coach was the right decision at that time. Stability and continuity were absolutely critical. We thought if we brought in some additional resources, the stability and continuity would play out.
“That was the thought process. So yes, we said we’d stand by Mike. Unfortunately, as we moved through January, that did not happen.
“The results weren’t there. And as I said, it was a very difficult decision, as it always is. It’s a very difficult decision to do that, but we felt that was the right thing to do at that time.
“And there’s never a good time to do it. There’s never a good time to make that decision. The fact that it was the last day of the transfer window, but the decision had to be made.”
Asked Tom what he’d learned so far, from the departure of Mike but also thinking back to Paul Simpson’s tenure coming to an end. Tom said: “I think probably the key is, from a process standpoint, we believed in the managers and giving them the opportunity to succeed. I think adaptability in football is probably the most important thing that you have to be willing to do.
“And when that does not happen sometimes, that ends up leading us with the results that we’ve seen. And so the one thing, I believe that a coach has to be able to adapt to the competition, to adapt to the league that they’re in, and continue to change to improve. And that’s just something that takes a little bit of time, but that’s critical.
“The second piece was bringing in a football structure. Bringing in Rob Clarkson and a football structure has been paramount in terms of the future. We want this club to succeed and move forward for years to come.
“And I think having that sporting director and the football operations and that stability with that is going to be extremely helpful. Coaches, hopefully they’re going to be here. They’re going to be here for the long term.
“But having that structure and continuity at the football operations I think is absolutely critical. Something that we’ve learned and that’s why we brought Rob in three and a half, four months ago.”
Asked if the focus on that desired style of football had changed, was it now just about winning at all costs? He responded: “I think it’s always been about winning. I mean, that’s always been the goal is to play winning football.
“There’s different ways to do that. We wanted to play an exciting style of play, something that the fans enjoy and something that could be the club identity moving forward. But we always wanted to play winning football and we still want to do that.
“So right now, yes, there’s no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Winning football, you know, getting points in the next 15 matches is the priority, the focus. And we definitely believe that Mark and Glyn coming in have that leadership, have that experience, have been there before.
“They’ve got the respect of the players and will be able to do that. And we’ve already seen that in the matches that they’ve managed. They adapt as the match moves along.
“So we’re very pleased with that so far.”
Tom then spoke specifically on Rob Clarkson, saying: “He’s been outstanding. It’s something that’s clearly been lacking here at the club. We’ve never really had that before.
“It’s something that we wanted to move towards as quickly as possible. Having his expertise, having his knowledge, having his thought process, having his voice in the room is absolutely critical. And he’s done exactly what we needed him to do.
“I’ve always said, we’re not footballers by nature and I never claimed to be. But I am process driven. I’m about making sure we’re following a process using the data, using the technology available, using visual scouts and everything.
“And Rob has just kind of been able to synthesise that and bring that together and execute on that plan. So that’s been a real relief and a huge help. I mean, his ability, his contacts, but more his following the process and making sure that we’re checking the boxes to ensure we get the best candidates, whether that’s on the squad or the coaching position has been very, very helpful.
“And we’re thrilled to have him on board. I think he’s just been an great addition to the team.”
Speaking to CUTV on the appointment of Mark Hughes, he said: “His experience and leadership was absolutely critical. I mean, the fact that he’s been here [as an opposition manager], he’s been in this situation with other clubs is absolutely critical. Having somebody that could immediately come in and command the respect of the players because change is always difficult and that causes some turmoil.
“And then there’s that learning period. But for Mark and Glyn to come in with their experience, with their leadership, I think they immediately had the respect of the players saying, wow, you know, this is somebody we can really learn from and grow from. And I think he’s been a perfect fit.
“His enthusiasm, his leadership, just the way he’s related to the supporters, the way he’s engaged the supporters and his interviews. I think it speaks for itself. You can hear the clarity in his voice.
“You can hear the leadership. It’s not going to be easy. It’s never easy. I mean, this is the EFL.
“This is football. It’s not going to be easy, but we can get this done. You know, I think everybody hears that and gets that confidence.
“And then seeing the performances in the recent matches, they didn’t all go our way. I mean, Newport County, we watched that from Florida and we were crushed. But the way we played was absolutely fantastic.
“We didn’t get the result, and that’s the way, you know, the nature of the game sometimes. But we saw the progress, and we saw just the changes that he’s made. And then his interview was just fantastic
“The way he was saying we played well and we’re going to take the positives from this. We’re going to build upon this. It gave me the confidence, and I’m sure it gave the players the confidence to say, don’t be disheartened.
“You played well. We did well. We executed well.
“We didn’t get the bounces that we should have. And sometimes when you’re in the position we are, you don’t get those, they don’t go your way. But things are going to turn.
“I just think the way he’s handled it with the supporters, the way he’s handled it with the squad, just internally here at the club, he’s fit right in. He’s added value immediately and relates well with all constituents of the club.”
Tom also touched on Glyn Hodges, saying: “They’ve been together for a long time.
“Glyn’s tactical awareness and just being able to see what’s going on in the pitch, along with Mark, but they’re actually a very, very strong team. They work well together. And I think that’s important.
“Sometimes everybody needs someone to lean on, someone that’s been there with them, somebody that knows how you think, what you would be doing if you weren’t there. Glyn brings that to the table. He’s a great personality, a great presence on not just the training pitch, but during the matches as well.
“You can see that they work well together. And I’m just thankful that he was willing to give up a cruise and come on board, given our situation, and I think we’re all going to see the benefits of that.”
Tom spoke on the importance of that relationship between manager and fans, saying: “It’s critical. The club is the club, but the supporters are the club too. The supporters are absolutely critical to the club, and Mark realises that, and everyone should realise that.
“He knew we needed energy. We’re at home. We have not been good at home, and we need to change that.
“And for him to do that and for it to just be spontaneous just tells you something about his competitive spirit, his nature. It wasn’t fabricated.
“We need to start now. We need to start at home.
“We all know what needs to happen over the next 15 matches, and he sees that. And having the supporters with us, we’re all in this together. I mean, I can assure you every decision that’s made here at the club, by every aspect, every individual at the club, we’re all focused on doing the best thing for the club and trying to win.
“And it was a natural reaction for him to do that, and I think everybody saw that and saw the energy and got right behind him. And the second-half was just amazing to watch, the changes he made, the changes he made after that first-half.
“We looked like a different team. We were attacking. I mean, when I look at that match, the draw, okay, we got a point.
“We know we need to get three points to start moving up the table. One point kind of keeps you level, but you have to win. But everybody saw that there was really only going to be one team that was going to win that match.
“The energy was there. And so I’m confident that the players saw that, and they left with confidence saying, we played well, we finished that match, we finished strong, and we can take that to the next match. And I think the supporters saw that as well and stood behind the team.
“And that’s important because we’re going to need all the help we can over the next 15 matches from everybody to dig in and support this club, support what we’re trying to do. We’re all in this fight together. We’re all trying to do the best thing for the club, and I’m confident we’ll get there.
“Mark said himself that the relationship with the fans, that passion on the touchline was one of the things he probably missed the most. He’s shown that he’s totally committed to this, even just by taking on the challenge in the first place.
“I think he looked at this and said, what a tremendous challenge, what a great club.
“He sees the geography kind of as I see it, the positives around that, and what we can build up here can be a very, very strong foothold.
“You know, as I say, a fortress here in the north. I think he sees that as well. But, yeah, it’s just in him, the competitive nature’s in him, and you can’t contain that.
“It’s going to come out naturally. It’s going to come out, and it did. And I think we’re going to continue to see that over the next few matches.
“And that’s part of his leadership, his ability, his competitive spirit, his fight. He’s not going to take lacklustre performances. He’s going to push the lads during the practices, you know, during the training.
“He’s going to push them every way they can in ways that they probably didn’t know that they could get pushed.”
Discussing this season, Tom said: “Survival is critical. That’s the entire focus.
“Do we have contingency plans? Yes, we have contingency plans. But survival is the only focus.
“That’s where we want everybody in the club, everybody, supporters, everyone in the club, coaching staff, players just focused on survival right now. We have 15 matches. We have time to do it.
“We know what a challenge it is, but it is doable. So right now that’s the pure focus.
“Mark is the right man to do it. I can’t tell you how thrilled I was when we reached out and there was interest on his part.
“I know you’re never going to please everybody. But I know the majority of the supporters, the majority say he’s the right person to lead us out of this, and I think we’re seeing that right now. So, I mean, I was absolutely thrilled that we were able to bring him on board and just delighted when I was able to speak to him.
“And I just said thank you. Thank you for coming in. Thank you for taking the challenge.
“I hope you see what we see, what we all see up here. We have the assets. We have the resources. We have the players. We’ve just got to get them to come together. And he said that.
“The talent’s here. He said the talent’s in the club. There’s no doubt about that.
“So he saw that, and for him to make that decision and to come up and do what he’s doing I think is a blessing for all Cumbria and all Carlisle, and we all need to get united behind him and survive, and I think we will.”
Tom then spoke about the transfer window, and the new experience of working with Rob Clarkson during it, saying: “It was exciting to see the process. We tried to bring in the process of the technology, the data, and just make sure that they follow the process so that we see beyond, you know, just our normal scope of players that we may have seen.
“I look at it and say, did we bring in some players that Mike had played with before? Yes, but they went through the process, and they were identified with the metrics and everything to say these individuals can add value to the team in both the short-term and the long-term, and that’s what we’re trying to focus on – getting the right squad, build the right team, build the right chemistry that can see us through for not just the short-term but the long-term as well.
“He followed the process meticulously. His updates, you know, we spoke daily. We had formal meetings weekly, but we spoke daily throughout the process.
“Every player that was signed, was signed as a club player that said this individual can help Carlisle United move forward short-term and long-term. The redundancies of this position is a position of need, and here’s our number one target, two target, three target, four target. To see that and see that graphically portrayed and just know that, you know, we didn’t always get our number one.
“I will say we did secure a lot more of them than probably we have in the past, and that’s a credit to Carlisle. That’s a credit to the club that players see the journey that we’re on and see where we’re headed and say, I believe in this path. I want to be here.
“I believe in the fans. I believe in the local support. I believe in what the club’s trying to do and where we’re trying to go, and so we were able to get what I think are some very, very good players, but following that process has been a joy to watch, and we’re going to continue to do that.
“We continue to have that, and he’s very organised, methodical, very well connected, very well respected, and just a great addition, you know, to the start of the football operations and overseeing football operations.
“The processes that he’s followed in signing those players mean that the ones that are signed on longer-term contracts fit the club and don’t fit a specific manager, which is really useful.
“As difficult as it was to make the change from Mike, because, like I said, we really respected Mike and have great admiration for him and his staff, the players were chosen because we think they’re a good fit for Carlisle United, and we think they’re good for the short-term, and we think they’re good for the long term.
“We did sign some to longer contracts, and I view that as a positive. I want to see that because we have to have continuity in our play as we move forward, so we need to play winning football, but we also need to be strong and continually strong and have that consistency versus always changing, significantly changing the squad.”
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