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"I saw a similar situation last season and I don't think there's any reason for us to feel downbeat at all. Even at 2-0 down, I wasn't worried. Not at all. There is still another game to go, and I don't think you ever look at a 2-0 lead and think it is over.
"That is especially true of me because I was in the opposite position last season and saw how easily a lead can vanish. Even if we had been 2-0 up (at the end of the first leg), I would be feeling exactly the same because a game over two legs is never settled after 90 minutes.
"I know people talk about having one foot in the final and all that, but it is not the case. I doubt there are any teams who go into a match with a small lead thinking it is done and dusted. There is never any over-celebration, and I don't think you saw that from Carlisle.
"If you look at the overall performance I thought it was really good. They had their little spells where they did well but their goalkeeper (Keiren Westwood) had a great game and he was exceptional all the way through. We tested him on a good number of occasions and I think his saves in the first half were pretty crucial because we looked like we were going to score on a couple of occasions."
"Fair play to him because he came to Elland Road and performed in pretty difficult circumstances. I would say that at times in the final third we weren't as good or as accurate as we would have wanted to be, and we lacked a little bit of quality that we needed. But that happens.
"To get the goal at the end was fantastic. It has given everyone a real lift at a crucial time. We have had a few good games against each other this season and I don't think anyone can predict what will happen on Thursday. Brunton Park's a tough place to go, but Leeds United is a tough place to go as well. Carlisle came here and got a very good result in their eyes, and in a way I think there's a little too much made of home records.
" You know that if you go to a stadium and play well, you've got every chance of winning. You can't let records worry you and I don't think Carlisle's will have much impact on tomorrow's game. It's obviously good for us to have big crowds at Elland Road but that doesn't mean clubs are going to automatically fold when they come here.
"It's the same for us away from home. We can turn some of the pressure onto them, with it being a tough place to go and having a bit of a reputation. We can go there without any fear, knowing what we have to do to win. That's a very free state of mind to be in.
"It's not like we'll go there and defend for our lives, looking for a nil-nil. We've got to go there and win, and I think that focuses your mind even more. You can see the bottom line and you know that if you don't hit that, you'll face the consequences. It's a huge game which the season rests on so this is where you back yourself and show optimism. I'm not saying we'll be completely gung-ho but it's ours to win."