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"We have said it before that everybody is capable of beating one another in this division, there is no doubt about it. Look at Crewe last week, they went to Hartlepool and won 4-1, who would have seen that coming? Carlisle are no different to anyone else and on their day they are a very good side.
"When John Ward was there I knew he had spent a fair bit of money in the summer to build a squad of players who, up until this present time, have never been out of the top half of the table. I know Greg (Abbott) has taken over, he has had experience there before and has been there a while.
"Greg has brought in (Graham) Kavanagh from Sunderland who I think is a massive influence for them. He is a very, very good player and very experienced. They currently find themselves in the bottom half of the table, but in Greg they have a manager who knows the club well and in Kavanagh they have a quality player in the engine room of the side.
"We had to pick the best that we had available (at Tranmere) and the kids were the last numbers that we can fall back on. It will probably be the same again at Carlisle but I have got full faith in them, no problem at all. They are there on merit that's for sure, because they are good enough.
"Obviously from the point of view of the kids coming into that situation it is brilliant for them. I remember my first situation when I was involved at first-team level for the first time. As it happens it was at this particular time of the year, it was a Boxing Day. It is a fantastic time for them and it is something that when they look back on it later on in their careers they can say that they were fantastic times.
"Historically this club has done fantastically well bringing youngsters through and, at this moment in time, that is the case. They have done it over the years and they will continue to do it. It is the way forward for clubs like ourselves.
"When you are in a situation when you have to play one or two, sometimes you can get away with that, with the experience of the other lads but if you had to start three, four or maybe five it is a bit of an ask. I have no fear of playing them though."