Stevenage boss Graham Westley spoke to his club's official website ahead of his side's League One game against Carlisle at the Lamex Stadium on Saturday afternoon, Westley hoping for some home advantage:
“You always prefer playing at home than playing away, I think your home patch is one that you know well and one you become familiar with. You have got your home fans with you and every footballer and football manager loves playing in front of his own crowd. The only thing that ever matters is the performance that your produce on the day, it is the only thing that gets you anything.
“But, the opposition can always produce a performance that gives you a problem so we know Carlisle are going to be in the frame of mind to produce for their caretaker manager, they have shown that last weekend. They have bounced back with a very strong performance in terms of their work-rate against Sheffield United, their possession was down in the 30% range but out of possession they worked very, very hard.
“So, we know what we can expect, a very hardworking team performance from them and they will be determined to post another decent result. It is always dangerous to play against a side which dismissed its manager and someone new is in trying to prove themselves. We need to be mindful of their intentions; we don’t expect anyone to come here and give us the points, we’ll have to earn them.
“But, you have got to remember that we are going to be determined to post our first home victory in the league, follow up the victory here against Ipswich in the cup with three points on Saturday and put ourselves in a position that is better than it could have been after we lost the first three games. It is very rare that you look at a table at this stage and it bears any resemblance to what goes on in the end."
“I can bet my bottom dollar that by the time Sheffield United have gone into the market and done what they need to that they won’t be down the bottom of this league, I am sure they will get themselves together. So, I think at this early stage, of course you can get an indication, Leyton Orient have had a fantastic start but if you look at their side they keep putting the same team on the pitch. All their big players are staying fit, Kevin Lisbie has been on the pitch, Darius Charles hasn’t, things even out across the season.
“Of course sides like us that are very new together with a lot of young players evolving and learning the level and learning each other and learning me as a manager. Sides like us will inevitably get stronger as the season goes on, so we are where we are. We are looking to build our season, others will start off getting out of the traps real quickly and they will fade away as the season goes on, so every club will have its own story, but the league seven games in will bear no resemblance to the one at the end.
“Anyone who knows how my sides have evolved, I think when we moved into the Football League we conceded two on the opening day and then we got bashed 4-3 by Peterborough in the Carling Cup. My sides have often started off by needing to get the defence in order, once we get the defence in order we then set about getting the offensive game working.
“Sometimes one can disrupt the other when you are trying to get the attacking game going you are a bit looser defensively, then when you are trying to get the defensive game going you are lacking a few goals. One thing that has always happened is that the side has ended up being strong in defence and very good at scoring goals, and that is who you win, so we will get there.”