Tranmere assistant manager John McMahon spoke to his club's official website ahead of his side's League One game against Carlisle at Brunton Prenton Park on Saturday afternoon, McMahon first talking his lack of Rovers playing options:
“We have got to deal with the injuries, it is part and parcel of football and of having a smaller squad. But, it does seem to be the way that we are looking to get things right and then you get a bit of a setback and you have to rethink and reshuffle and reorganise. But, again, it is what it is, some things we can’t affect and the things we can affect we are working hard in trying to do that.
“You look at the position Carlisle are in and you look at the position we are in and it is another cup final isn’t it, that is what it is. It is like winner take all type of thing, that is the effect it might have on the league positions and the effect it might have on ultimately the season. It is crazily tight, you look at many different scenarios, teams are playing each other, teams are playing ones at the top of the league.
“The results are never as they should be really, you would say the top team are going to beat the bottom one but it is never the case. So, it is so tight but it is so tight for about eight teams, really, really tight. It is about who holds their nerve and keeping a small squad fit, it is how you manage that and it is how the group stick together, and how the group ultimately push on and push forward. The next four games are good games for us, we have got to look at them and hope that we can take points from them.
“It has got to be our aim, it has got to be our focus and again we will work on them, we will look at their strengths and weaknesses, where we can exploit them, where we need to get at them and be positive, and hopefully going forward pick up the points. The players can only react in a positive way, again, there is no looking back at what has happened, we can only look forward at what we can possibly achieve. The focus has got to be on survival, the next game and winning football matches."
“We were on the front foot for the majority of the Swindon game on Tuesday, the defenders were winning their challenges and looking bright, confident and strong, and we were creating chances. So, if you put all that stuff together then you have got hopefully good ingredients there to get results and get rewards. I think if you point that out to the players, and they are no fools, they know when they have played well and when they haven’t.
“We need to give more but I think the fact that they can take encouragement from a large part of that game, you see the chances created , you see the way the goals have been conceded this time, one is a Worldy, although alright, it might have been cleared a little bit earlier. The second one for me has never been an effort on goal, it has always been a cross. So, we need to take encouragement from that and again look at the positives.
“I don’t think the players are down, I think they have come in nice and bright and bubbly. Sometimes they need to lift each other, not always from the staff, and they seem bright so hopefully it is all pointing in the right direction. But, Carlisle are going to be difficult to beat, it is a cup final so they are going to be fighting and it is going to be no holds barred, physical, fast and furious. I don’t think it is going to be a negative game, both teams need to go and win the game so I think it will be an exciting game.
“There will be a lot of tension in the game because obviously there is a lot at stake. We will show the clips of what Carlisle are capable of, so we will be aware of their strengths. We were disappointing when we went to their place, they sort of started really well and we were poor. But, I think we are getting a little bit of momentum, although results wouldn’t suggest that.
“But, I think performances certainly would and we have got to hopefully take the positives and build on that. Carlisle haven’t won in seven games, so they are obviously not buoyed with confidence as well. They had a good performance against Shrewsbury in midweek and by all accounts should have won the game. So, they are coming thinking they can take all the points as well, so I am expecting a really, really tough game.”