Dario Gradi Looks Ahead To Tonight

Last updated : 10 November 2010 By Thetashkentterror

Crewe boss Dario Gradi
Crewe manager Dario Gradi spoke to his club's official website and BBC Radio Stoke ahead of the Alex's Johnstone's Paint Trophy northern section quarter-final tie against Carlisle at Brunton Park this evening, Gradi disappointed after the Railwaymen lost 2-1 at Tamworth in the FA Cup on Saturday :


" We were all left deflated, it was a disappointing end to the day, having said that I have got no great complaints of the players. They worked very hard, they played our football, we are better than we were when I started I think.

" When I started we made a lot of mistakes at the back and we missed our chances. We are still missing our chances, I don't think we have improved on taking chances, but we are conceding fewer. So, we pay the price and that is not through lack of effort.

" Obviously we would like to have a good cup run in this and then end up at Wembley. But, I also have to place some of the players, I can't play all the players, the same players every week, I can't wait for injuries, I have got to try to ring the changes before the injuries.

" Now I am limited to the number of changes I can make by the rules and that has affected my team selection. But, not a great deal, infact only in one position, I would have made these changes anyway, had we been playing a league game I would have been making some changes. So, it will be slightly different but not dramatically different, there will be no-one you have not heard of suddenly appearing on the team-sheet. "



" I am actually looking forward to playing on a nice pitch, the pitch is in terrific condition. When I took over from Steve (Holland) we went there, I think it might have been in the same competition (ed - it was the FA Cup) and we beat them, that was with Calvin Zola and Shaun (Miller) upfront. We won that game and it was a good game.

" We have been practicing penalties, it is certainly something we picked up on that this game might come to, and we have worked on it. We'll choose the takers, but obviously it will depend on who is on the pitch at the time.

" A lot of people say you can't practice penalties, but you can practice where you are going to hit it. I like to know where my players are going to hit their penalties, so as soon as the goalkeeper dives I know where that ball is going, it removes doubt. If we can score one past Stuart Tomlinson though we stand a good chance!"

" We are playing, resting, playing, resting, travelling, and if you think that we don't want to be doing all this travelling then just think how the big boys are. They are getting in and out of planes two or three times a week. So, it is part of the game and we have got to look forward to the games of course. "



" I am looking forward to seeing one or two of our players play who have earned the opportunity after having not started. There are probably only three playing that have not started, but they have all played and all earned a chance. I want to give some others a go like Adam (Dugdale) and AJ (Leitch-Smith), I want to see them play, but then Dave (Artell) needs to have a rest, I can't make him play Tuesday, Saturday every week so they are possiblities.

" I know that in the 11 games we had unbeaten there is always an element of luck, you know that. People always say to me that you make your own luck and I never believe that. I think the best teams finish at the top and the worst teams finish at the bottom.

" In any game there is luck involved but I don't think we have had any luck in the last three games, but we have not played worse than we have played in the previous games. If we could be more telling at both ends, our football in the middle of the pitch has been the kind of football I want it to be.

" Sometimes of course we give the ball away, the alternative to that is to lob the ball to the forwards so we don't give the ball away in midfield, but we're not going to do that. So, I think as long as we can keep ourselves going, and that won't be difficult. When you say about how I am going to lift them, they will be lifted, they will be fine, and then we have got motivators as well within the team that will help. "