Keith Curle has described his new contract at Carlisle United as an “incentivised” deal which will end long-standing confusion over the manager’s role behind the scenes at Brunton Park.

The Blues boss, whose play-off chasing side host Crawley tomorrow, believes there is now greater clarity about what is expected of him by his bosses at the club.

Curle, who this week agreed a contract extension until the summer of 2018, said he had been seeking “clear boundaries” over his duties at United.

He has also demanded to be kept in the loop on any executive decisions that have a bearing on the running of the team.

Curle’s comments follow his recent claim that he was seeking evidence of a “shared vision” before committing his future to United.

He said: “I think we’re all on the same page, and there’s an understanding that some things have happened at this football club that need to be done slightly differently.

“I’m not the kind of person who just changes things for the sake of it. I’ve got aspirations to manage and coach in the Premier League. That’s where I want to go.

“To do that, all sorts of foundations and formats need to be in place. One of those is the role, as I see it, as the manager of the football club and clear boundaries of how I want to work. It’s putting those in place.

“I don’t want to be involved in the running of the football club, I want to be able to focus entirely on the football side. Then, when I’ve got an issue or a problem, I need a direct line manager that I know who I can go to. Other people at the club, if they’re making any decisions that have got any bearing on the football team, players and management, I am involved in those conversations before any decision is made.

“That means the left hand knows what the right hand is doing. That gives you continuity in the decision-making process, with the right key stakeholders involved.”

While Curle has yet to put pen to paper on the new deal, it is understood that only the formalities remain to be finalised.

The two-and-a-half year extension will be the longest contract awarded to a manager at Brunton Park since John Ward was appointed on a four-year deal in 2007.

It is a reward for United’s improved performances this season, Curle having led the Blues into a play-off position after 19 games.

The manager added: “Everything in principle has been agreed and there’s a good understanding between myself, John [Nixon] and the chairman, what the clauses [in the contract] mean.

“We need to make sure legally they can get put into a format that’s understandable for the FA and the Football League, so everybody fully understands what our understanding is.

“It’s an incentivised contract which is aligned with my ambitions and also the ambitions of the football club.”

While Curle’s deal is all but resolved, the contracts of his immediate backroom team of Lee Dykes, Colin West and Simon Tracey will continue until the end of this season before being addressed.

United could go as high as fifth with victory tomorrow, following Tuesday’s dramatic 4-3 comeback win at Luton.

Curle yesterday sent forward Steven Rigg to Barrow on loan until January 2, while defender Courtney Meppen-Walter left the club “by mutual consent”.

United’s manager had until 5pm last night to do any more deals before the emergency loan deadline, having extended Hallam Hope’s stay at United until January 9.

Talks are continuing with Shrewsbury over an extension for defender Mark Ellis, who plays the last game of his month’s loan tomorrow.