Shakers skipper Steven Schumacher spoke to BBC Radio Manchester ahead of his side's League One game against Carlisle at Brunton Park tomorrow, Schumacher first looking back on Bury's 4-1 defeat at Sheffield Wednesday on Tuesday night :
“Everyone was disappointed, certain things probably weren’t right in the whole performance, we have conceded too many goals again and that has cost us and we are out of the game before really doing an awful lot wrong, but we just can’t keep the ball out of the back of our net at the minute. I don’t think we are looking nervous because I think we are all aware of what we are up against. At the moment we are in a relegation dogfight, make no mistake about that, we need nine points or ten points or whatever it might be to get to safety.
“We have got some big tough games coming up but I don’t think we are nervous about it, I think we all realise and appreciate that it is going to be hard, and we need to dig in and stay together and hopefully get the required points. We only lost Michael Jones in the transfer window, although he was a good player for us and he moved on to come and play here at Sheffield Wednesday, which is a fantastic place to play.
“So, you have got to deal with that, every team in the league deals with losing top players and I think we have, we have played OK, obviously we haven’t picked the results up but we have been playing alright. I just think that if we just tweak a few minor things then hopefully the results will improve. We don’t fear a slide and I think we all realise that just one win will probably set us up and get us going, our performances haven’t been too bad in general, but we are conceding too many goals which is a big problem and we need to address it.
“But, I think if we stick in and keep believing in ourselves then hopefully we can do the right things to get out of it. We are in a tough position at the moment and we are having a bit of bad form as everyone knows, but there is no point giving in and accepting that we are going to find it difficult, but we have got to do something about it.
“Carlisle are a good side and they are probably one of the best sides we have played this season, they are seventh in the league, they work hard, they are well organised and they seem to give a hard game when anyone goes to play them. But, we have got character, it is just not going for us at the moment, but we can’t feel sorry for ourselves, we have got to get on with it. I’m going to back my players and say I know it means a lot to every one of us going out on that pitch, I don’t think it’s desire but maybe people need to show a bit more courage and put their body on the line more.”
In team news for the Shakers tomorrow they are likely to be without five or six players after picking up some more injuries at Hillsborough in midweek. Firstly, the man we've heard from, in midfielder and skipper Steven Schumacher who was substituted late in the game with a hamstring problem, while striker Andy Bishop went off at half-time with soreness down the side of his calf. Giles Coke missing that game due to the rules of his loan spell from Sheffield Wednesday, but the midfielder had already been absent for Bury’s 3-3 home draw with Huddersfield last weekend due to a back injury.
Meanwhile another midfielder in Mark Carrington is struggling after suffering a reoccurrence of a blood clot in his thigh that saw him sidelined in January, while another player with a thigh problem is striker Lenell John-Lewis who is likely to be out for a few weeks now. Finally then comes vice-captain Phil Picken, the former Manchester United right-back suffering at the moment from a tight hamstring. Shakers boss Richie Barker therefore looking to the loan market again for cover as today he signed 28-year old centre-half Nathan Clarke on loan from Huddersfield for the rest of the season.
Away from simply injuries and looking through the Bury squad as a whole, there won’t be as many sides with as many former Blues in it, albeit four of them loanees or trialists, while another one was a permanent signing. Left-sided midfielder Patrick Cregg, after being released by Hibs, an unsuccessful trialist with United in the summer of 2010, while central midfielder Steven Schumacher was on loan at Carlisle from Everton for a month during the 2003-04 season.
A more permanent fixture at Brunton Park though was goalkeeper Anthony Williams who was with United for two years between the summers of 2005 and 2007, Williams now the goalkeeping coach at Bury. Finally come two more recent loanees in Cumbria, striker Mike Grella on a near three month spell from Leeds late in 2010, while centre-half Ashley Eastham played in just one match during a one month loan period from Blackpool, that being his start in a 3-2 FA Cup home victory over Tamworth.
The referee for tomorrow's match is Trevor Kettle from Whissendine in Rutland and he will be assisted down the lines by Dave McCallum from Wallsend and another man from the Tyne and Wear area in Seb Stockbridge from Dunston. Meanwhile the fourth official is Ross Joyce from Middlesbrough.