Gavin Skelton admits Carlisle United must scour the free agent market for attacking help – whoever is in charge.

The Blues’ goalscoring problems continued against Oldham in Saturday’s 0-0 draw.

It was a fifth league game from six where third-bottom United have failed to find the net.

They have just 11 goals from 14 fixtures so far – with only three teams in League Two having scored fewer.

At a time United are thought to be getting closer to a new managerial appointment, caretaker Skelton says the scoring issue must be high on the agenda.

Asked about the free agent market, he said: “Whoever comes in or whoever’s in charge, you’ve got to look in that market to see who’s available, because we’re not scoring goals.

“There’s no hiding that fact. We had some balls flash across the box, and we needed someone to go and slide it in.

“If that happens it gives everybody else confidence. Whoever’s in charge I’m sure they’ll look at that.”

If United are unable to find help in the free agent market, they must find ways of getting more out of the current goal-shy squad.

Asked how that could be achieved, Skelton said: “You can change personnel that perhaps haven’t had opportunities.

“The forwards, I must say, will get frustrated but work ever so hard, buy into what we’re doing and support everybody else.

“You look at different things, look at the opposition [when you consider selection].

“We got in a couple of times against Oldham, with things we’d worked on, but it always comes back to that bit at the end, and that’s why strikers get paid the most money; it’s the hardest thing to do.”

Skelton says United’s players need to gamble in good positions in order to improve their goal threat.

“It comes back to that belief, for someone to take the bull by the horns and be the matchwinner,” he said.

“Bang it in from 20 yards; someone on the front foot to win the game for us.”