Preston boss Simon Grayson spoke to his club's official website ahead of his side's game against Carlisle at Deepdale tomorrow afternoon, Grayson expecting a tough game from United:
“At this stage of the season you are coming up against teams that are desperate for points for different reasons, and Carlisle certainly fit that bracket. We know that they are going to come here and be hard to beat, desperate to get some points to get out of that relegation and stay in the division. So, not an easy game for us, it is a not a team that are mid-table and ready for their holidays.
“It is a game where we will have to be very composed and use the ball well to try to break them down and concentrate and make sure we don’t concede at the back. But, another good game for us, I want to try to build on the last two home victories that we had against Crawley and Peterborough and get another three points.
“Gary Madine is a good signing for them and has obviously been there before, he has had a few problems at Sheffield Wednesday over the last year. But, they have got threats within their team, Lee Miller is an experienced striker and David Amoo has just come back into the team after injury, and one or two of the younger players who have got a little bit about them as well.
“So, it is not an easy game for us, they have been hard to beat over the last few weeks, kept clean sheets and got a good victory at home against Swindon. So, we know we are in for a tough game but a game that again we can feel that we can win if we are at it and do the right things. We have got a real tight group and anybody who has come into the group from other clubs has said how easy it is to settle in."
“You have seen how tight they are when they are involved in games, we have played games and been under the cosh at times and have stuck together and ground results out. To have a group that you can rely on and trust bodes well for you as a manager, because we are talking about a team that has only lost five games all season. That takes some doing, we can all be disappointed that we have drawn the 16 games so fat and we could be talking about ifs, buts and maybes.
“But, if you had asked me in the summer that we would be in the play-offs before Easter, five games we had lost all season then everybody would be snapping your hands off at that, and if they didn’t they would be lying. You have to get the right ingredients, physically and mentally strong, hard to beat and in the play-offs as well you have to be able to express yourselves, and it is going to be an interesting few weeks to see who we are going to playing in there.
“Joe Garner is playing against his old team and he will desperate to try to get one over on them because I know he got a little bit of stick when he was up there at Christmas. But, he is doing well at the moment, we keep challenging him to score the goals as we do all the other players, and hopefully he puts in a performance which leads to another victory for us.
“We are in a good state with the fitness of the players, we have rested one or two players to keep them mentally and physically fresh for the next few games and the play-off games. So, good options for me and nice to have Stuart Beavon back because he was playing really well when he got into the team. The players coming into the team have got to make sure that they are ready to play, and once you go in there do your best to make sure that it gives me a real problem come the next game.
“We are coming into the stage of the season where if we don’t make the automatic promotion positions then we have got two play-off games and ultimately hopefully an appearance at Wembley. That is everybody’s dream to play at Wembley and if we can manage to do that and the players are playing really well then I have got some tough decisions to make. But, whoever comes into the team has got an opportunity to keep the shirt.”