Grainger: Carlisle ready

Danny Grainger insists Carlisle are ready to roll their sleeves up and tough it out in League Two this season.

The well-traveled 27-year-old defender was delighted to join his home-town club this summer after spending all of his professional career in Scotland and believes there is enough grit and determination at Brunton Park to bounce straight back up. "There'll be times when we can get the ball down and play but League Two isn't always about football," said Grainger. "It's about winning the battles and we're constantly talking about that within the group. We know it's going to be a tough season but we also know we have the characters in the dressing room to deal with it. "The manager has used a few systems so far and he has said all along that he wants players who can adapt and play in different positions. If things aren't going well in games, we need to be able to change it, possibly without having to make substitutions. "We've worked on different things all summer and I think we'll now start nailing down the way we're going to do things on Saturday when we play Luton." Grainger fired in a superb free-kick in Friday's 2-1 win over former team-mates St Mirren, with Daniel Kearns also netting against the SPL outfit. "This pre-season has been hard work and I just can't wait to start now," Grainger said on the club's official website. "It's been my first one for a couple of years, because of the knee injury, and it's been good to be part of it. "The lads have bought into what the manager is trying to achieve and I think there's only been one or two days when we can look back and say we should have done better. We're more than ready for next Saturday now. "I can't see why we won't challenge. We've got goal scorers, flair players, solid defenders and a great keeper in there as well. There's no reason why we can't be at the top end of the league. We know what we want in that dressing room and we know exactly where we want to be at the end of the season. "Being part of this club is something I've wanted for a long, long time. It's been a dream for me to move home and play here. It's even nicer to come into work with a smile on your face knowing that you're wanted and that your family is close by. Everything is ticking all the boxes and I just love it at the moment."