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" Carlisle won't take it easy on us or take their foot off the pedal just because they have a Wembley cup final coming up. They will want to head in to that game with their confidence sky high and will therefore want a win against us.
" I remember when we were in the same situation and we certainly weren't thinking about our final until it was the next game. It was slightly different because we were going for promotion but Carlisle are a good side and this is going to be a tough, tough game for us.
" It's a big few days for us and I think we need to get at least four points from these next two games. We need to stay in contact with the sides just above us in the table and we need to stay as solid as we were against Exeter.
" It was positive to keep a clean sheet because we haven't had many this season but we have to start scoring goals if we are to win games and stay up. I don't know whether it's belief or confidence, but it is a problem for us at the moment.
" Once we get one, more will follow and it's the same with wins. The effort and commitment is spot on but we want a victory now so we can push on and forget about all the rubbish going on at the club."
Meanwhile Southend's Colchester-loanee Pat Baldwin commented to his club's official website :
" This is a great club with fantastic supporters and all the lads are doing their best considering the circumstances. Between now and the end of the season we are giving it our best shot to stay up. We will keep on fighting despite the situation and circumstances at the club right now.
" I am not thinking about my situation in the summer at the moment as I have spent a lot of my career doing that and it has affected me. At the moment that isn't even in the back of my mind, all I am concentrating on is keeping Southend United in this league.
" Keeping clean sheets gives you a chance to win games. If you do your job at the back and can nick one or two goals then you can win a game. If we keep shutting sides out then we're going to pick up points. It is a bit of a relief to be honest as I have been here for a while now and we have conceded far too many goals.
" I have always said that you win and lose as a team and if you concede goals it is the whole team just like when you score them. Little things like not letting in goals are bound to give us a boost at the moment so that gives us something to build on going into Saturday's game. "
Meanwhile Shrimpers boss Steve Tilson also told the official website :
" It's going to be a hard task for us from here but we have to keep on believe it's still possible. We have to keep on plugging away and give it our all in all the games we have left. We haven't won in 11 games so it's going to be hard, especially as I think we need to get to 50 points to stay up but while it's mathematically still possible we will give it everything we've got.
" We have to score more goals and hopefully that can start against Carlisle. They have won their last two games so will be full of confidence but we're creating opportunities and just need to start putting them away. "
In team news for Southend, midfielder Alan McCormack is now available again after completing a one match suspension, for a red card picked up against Hartlepool, in last weekend's 0-0 home draw against Exeter. Meanwhile French midfielder Jean-Francois Christophe serves the third match of his four game suspension for being sent off last month against Charlton for the second time this season.
Away from disciplinary issues, second choice goalkeeper Kelvin Jack is still a minor concern for the Shrimpers due to a slight hamstring problem, while midfielder Stuart O'Keefe is still making his way back to full fitness following a recent hernia operation. That leaving Southend with only 16 available professionals as the club are still under a transfer embargo after the PFA stepped in to pay the players for January.
The referee for tomorrow afternoon's match is Keith, or Andy, Woolmer from Northampton, and he will be assisted down the lines by David Buck from Istead Rise in Kent and Keith Yeo from South Ockendon in Essex. Meanwhile the fourth official is also Essex-based as it is Gary Jerden from Grays.