|
AC
We have had to regroup to be honest and go back to basics and do what we were doing when I first came here in particular. Because I think if we do that then we will be fine. It is a big game for us tomorrow but if everyone gets behind us then I am sure we will be alright.
JP
They are one of those sides who are right there or thereabouts with you, you beat them and you put a decent gap between you. How important do the squad feel it is to try to get the right result on Saturday?
AC
Obviously we need the win to be fair and then it pushes us back out of it again and everything looks a bit more rosy. But if we lose then we are just going to have to keep going, but hopefully we won't. We don't need to think about losing, we are just going to think about getting the win and pushing ourselves as far away from relegation as we can.
JP
What have you and your colleagues been talking about? What was behind the way it went on Tuesday night in your opinion?
AC
I don't really know, it was just one of those games. I think for the first five minutes we started poorly, they got a goal and then after that, in the second-half we have come out and conceded that goal where the wind has just taken it in, and that has just killed us. Then from then on in we couldn't get back into the game. But we are going to put that right tomorrow I hope.
JP
It was foul conditions to play in but it was foul for the 400-odd fans (354 - ed) who travelled over to watch you. Is it almost for them that you want to go out and put in a really good performance on Saturday?
AC
Yeah of course, the fans deserve a performance after the last few games. It is not for them, it is for us as well, but if we do it for us then the fans I am sure are going to be happy.
JP
What are you learning about yourself as a player and about playing at this level of football in this sort of scenario?
AC
It is different, since I have been here we have not really thought about a relegation dogfight or anything like that. I am still not really thinking along those lines. It is different to reserve football, obviously there is a lot more riding on it, you are actually thinking about the game on a Saturday thinking that we need a win and we need to win this to go somewhere. So that is the way I am learning and hopefully I can do what (Graham) Kavanagh did at the start of the season and pull us out of a few tight spots.
JP
It is the first time I think for a while that Carlisle have lost three matches on the trot, but also lost five in the last eight. What do the players do differently in training? Is there almost a different mood about there? Is there a bit less humour perhaps in the changing room? How does it pan out for you guys?
AC
Not really, everything is more or less the same because we did the same things when we went on our run. When I first got here we only lost three games in about twelve so we are not really doing anything different, we are just getting back to basics and thinking that we need to work hard for each other. Because I think we haven't really been doing each other's jobs on the pitch as of late. But we need to get back to doing that and working as a team and we will be fine.
JP
And what is going to take then to get that right result tomorrow afternoon?
AC
Just a lot of hard work, the gaffer (Greg Abbott) has told us to go out there and just work as hard as we can. I think we are a better side once we can get the ball passing and moving, but we have got to earn the right to play first. So if we can do that then there is no reason we can't go and get a result.