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" We know that they are a decent team. They were in the play-offs last year so they are not going to suddenly fall apart. I was sitting next to a Grays supporter on Saturday and we agreed I think that at 1-0 Carlisle were more likely to get a goal than Grays. Although they had good chances Grays and they could actually have equalised, but Carlisle have got better quality.
" They were up for the game, they worked very hard. They have proper players and not kids playing in their team, so it will be hard. But we will get encouragement from the fact Grays created chances and could certainly have scored against them. Every manager always says, have you ever heard a manager say that it is going to be an easy game, I never have.
" We didn't know about Grays so that is why we felt that it was important to go, particularly important, we would have gone anyway but it was particularly important just to see Grays. You don't want to get caught out by a non-league side, and we had a hard game against Ebbsfleet, there is not much difference between Ebbsfleet and Grays.
" I think that Carlisle's manager last year (John Ward) took them to the play-offs, but that is football these days. Managers are fired even quicker than they were before. I don't think that it matters at the top because they go off with a few million pounds, but John Ward won't be going off with a few million pounds that's for sure.
" I have known John a long time, Graham Taylor took him into the management side of it when he was at Watford and when I was at Wimbledon, so we are talking over 20 years ago. I have always got on well with him, he is proper football man and I think that he has done a good job wherever he has been. "
Meanwhile Crewe defender Daniel O'Donnell commented to his club's official website about tonight :
" I think everyone is looking forward to the Carlisle game. It is an FA Cup match, so it will take our mind off the league a bit. Form doesn't really come into it and we are determined to stay in the competition for as long as possible. We know that Carlisle away is always going to be a difficult tie but after not playing at the weekend, we have been waiting for this game to come around. Hopefully, we can built on our performance at Leicester and get a good result to restore some confidence.
" We played them earlier in the season and they deserved to win it in the end, but we created a lot of chances on the day, and perhaps if we had defended better then we could have got something from it. We have looked over that game again and seen where we went wrong both individually and collectively. All we can do is concentrate on the next game and take them one at a time.
" We know how important the Cheltenham game is going to be on Saturday, because in our position we cannot afford to lose that one and fall more points behind. It is important we go there and pick up at least a point. The league is the most important thing for us at the moment but the Carlisle cup-tie is the next one up, so that becomes the most important. "
And midfielder Kenny Lunt said to the Sentinel :
" It is good that Dario has come back in. He knows the club better than anyone. If someone was going to come back, it was going to be Dario. And if anyone can turn it around, then he can. It would be nice to go to Carlisle and win to give us a bit of confidence, although our main priority is the league. The Leicester game has given everyone a lift. We played well (despite 2-1 defeat last week) and were unlucky not to win. "
In team news for the visitors tonight giant centre-half Dennis Lawrence, on loan at Gresty Road from Swansea, has not been given permission by City boss Roberto Martinez to play in the FA Cup. Another loanee though, in former Crewe midfield youth product Kenny Lunt, who is back at the club from Sheffield Wednesday, is eligible to feature tonight.
Yet to be confirmed as available or not playing though are goalkeeper Stuart Tomlinson and striker Anthony Elding. Tomlinson struggling with a cold while Elding is likely to be absent due to a family illness, Dario Gradi commenting :
" Anthony didn't train due to an illness in his family and I will speak to him to assess the situation there. We did a lot of work in readiness for the Carlisle game, so it is difficult to consider him for the game. "
The referee for tonight's match is Keith Woolmer, and he will be assisted down the lines by Martin Coy from Darlington and Mark Astley from the Greater Manchester area. Meanwhile the fourth official is Lee Metcalfe from Preston.