Robins boss Mark Cooper spoke to the Swindon Advertiser ahead of his side's League One match against Carlisle at the County Ground tomorrow afternoon, Cooper first looking back on Town's ten-man 0-0 draw at Crawley in midweek:
“I think Tuesday was a very good rearguard action and we never really looked in danger that we were going to concede a goal. Over the whole game we never really looked as though we were going to score too many but I still felt we had chances to win the game, or situations where we could have won the game. But, we had to sacrifice something, we had to sacrifice maybe that all out fire and attack to make sure we kept the point tally ticking.
“It was important that we got something the other night and it is important that we follow that up now by putting on a strong performance against Carlisle. Tomorrow I think we have to attack the game and take the game to Carlisle, because that is what the fans will expect and rightly so. So, we have to find somewhere in the middle where we can attack and defend and be secure without looking as though we are going to concede every time the opponents come near our penalty box.
“I think they’ve done quite well. They’d gone a few games without a win up until the other night but they’ve started pretty well under Graham Kavanagh. I’ve dealt with him with Troy Archibald-Henville when Troy was there on loan and he’s a nice guy. I’m sure that after winning the other night against Crewe they’ll fancy their chances.
“We are trying to find a balance of being able to attack but keeping it solid at the other end of the pitch. Yeah, people say well change the defenders but we can’t really do that, we have to work with the boys we have got and they can do it as you have seen at Colchester, and at Rotherham where we kept a clean sheet, and the other night at Crawley.
“So, we can do it but it is up to me to find that happy medium inbetween where we have more of a solid base to attack from. I think you learn every don’t you, whatever you are involved with you learn about people every day, and we certainly learn from things and what people are comfortable with and what they are not every day, and on the whole they have been fantastic to work with.
“We’ve got enough quality in the squad to keep getting results. We’ve got a big enough squad, it’s whether some of the younger ones are ready to go into the team and be ready to win games. We’ve got people that can go in and do a job. It has been a gamble because the club had to survive during the summer and we had to put a squad together really late. we’ve brought in some good players and we can’t live beyond our means because otherwise there won’t be a football club. And that’s the most important thing.”