Sheffield United player-coach Chris Morgan spoke to his club's official website ahead of his side's League One match against Carlisle at Brammall Lane, Morgan hoping for a similar performance to the one the Blades produced in their 3-0 FA Cup win over Oxford last Saturday :
“It’s a tough game, I think we addressed a few things the week before the Oxford game that we thought we were doing earlier on in the season, and we thought we had just knocked off a little bit. So, I think the performance against Oxford was pleasing, I think the team shape, the team ethic and the work-rate was back up.
“We were upset that particularly against Bradford that we had not shown that work-rate and the ethic, we got that back on Saturday and we got the benefits from it, we scored three good goals, it was good for Ched (Evans) to get a couple of goals, good for his confidence, three goals, clean sheet and the team shape and everything looked a lot better, so we have worked again this week at that and we will be taking that into the game on Saturday.
“They are a good bunch and they take things on board, and the things that we had probably dropped off at weren’t done on purpose, I think sometimes you get into a run of games and maybe sometimes you can take your eye off it a little bit. Because, we are a good team and we will always create chances, I think sometimes you can come off the other side, but like we said to them last week, if we out-work and we are organised and we work from that team structure then we have got good players and we will create chances.
“But, you have got to have that other side first, first and foremost you have always got to have that team shape and that work ethic. I think the disappointing thing is sometimes that you can look at the points that you think we maybe should have had and where those points would have put us. But, throughout the season you are going to pick up points that you shouldn’t have got and you are going to lose points where you think you should have held out.
“So, that is the highs and lows and the ups and downs of a football season, we are still handily placed and what we want to do is take the form from last Saturday into our league games. I think take the Bradford game out of it that we lost on penalties, I think we have only lost one game in nine before that.
“So, there isn’t a great deal wrong but I think it is just the games where we have maybe let points slip that is the disappointing factor, and when you are a club like we are and you are wanting to do things then I think it is right to be disappointed when you have lost points. But, you don’t hang on it too much, you get on with it, you get on with things and you come back and you work and we get prepared to go again.”
Meanwhile Blades veteran striker Richard Cresswell told the official Sheffield United website :
"Carlisle are a good team with a really good manager. I know Greg (Abbott) from my days at Leeds when he was youth coach. He is well organised and will make his team difficult to beat. Greg is certainly a manager on the up and he is progressing well there. At Leeds I always thought he would go on to become a first-team manager, he did a great job at Elland Road bringing some excellent players through and he has taken this opportunity with both hands.
"Greg has always been good at developing players and he was a top bloke around the place so I am pleased to see him doing so well. As a team they stick together and show resilience, they have got plenty of experience and some players who have played at a higher level. We need to start well and play at our tempo, meaning they will have to match our work-rate and commitment rather than us matching theirs."