Andy Hall - Radio Cumbria Interview
Last updated : 20 November 2010 By Thetashkentterror
United media officer and first team kitman Andy Hall spoke to
BBC Radio Cumbria's James Phillips ahead of Carlisle's League One match at home to Southampton, Hall first talking about the Blues losing the Johnstone's Paint Trophy final 4-1 against the Saints last season :
" We have all got a horrible memory from that trip to Wembley haven't we. It is not so much the weekend but the way that we actually played the game, we didn't really turn up on the day and that was disappointing. I think you have got to put it behind you from a playing staff point of view.
" You have just got to get on with the fact that it is another really important game, against what I think personally, is the best team in this division. Nigel Adkins has got a fantastic set of players that can all do all kinds of things all over the pitch and that is what matters.
" Certainly in the early part during the week, I don't think Greg (Abbott) would mind me saying was we thought it would be (Lee) Barnard and the big man (Rickie) Lambert. To us that made sense, because Barnard, not only does he score them but he creates them, and Rickie Lambert, what a handful.
" You don't pay £1million for no reason for somebody like that. So, it has not so much taken us by surprise but it is an option that Nigel has got because of his squad. When you are leaving somebody like (Jason) Puncheon and Barnard on the bench then, wow!
" Everybody was expecting it to be a tussle between (James) Chester and Murph (Peter Murphy) at centre-half I think if we are being honest. But, earlier on in the week Greg had it in his mind what he wanted to do with Murph. Tom (Cruise) is a young lad, it is unlucky for him, he is a good player but he has been dropped to the bench so that is part of the learning curve for him in that nothing is guaranteed. "
" Murph has been a left-back just about all his career, infact he has played everywhere for Carlisle hasn't he thinking about it. But, that is something he can do and with an opposition like this where they are really, really effective when they have got the ball, maybe the experience has tipped the balance.
" I think it is all about match fitness as well with Tom Cruise, I think we saw towards the ends of the games he has played so far for us a little bit of tiredness there. That is not his general fitness, it is the fact that he is playing reserve team football and stepping up.
" I can't even begin to imagine, maybe Jeff (Thorpe) will be able to fill us in later what it is like, that difference between the intensity levels at those two levels. So, for him that is a big step and maybe, like I say, when you have got somebody like Southampton who are so effective in possession, maybe that is why Peter has got the nod.
" I think to be honest getting Sheffield Wednesday at home in the JPT is probably one of the better ones. Sheffield Wednesday, Southampton, teams like that, you don't need to motivate anybody. They are going to come here wanting to progress, they will come here selling a full away ticket allocation, they have done that every game so far this season.
" So, the atmosphere will be there, it will come down to whether we can we do what we did at their place just a couple of weeks ago. We have been sitting talking about the possibility of a televised game here just now, the only one we can see challenging us is Brentford v Charlton simply because it is London, and the outside broadcast truck will go half a mile instead of 200 miles.
" So, that is the thing that might tip it but for us we will certainly be making noises because this seems like a big tie to us. I don't think it is minnows against giants but we have got a chance of progressing in a very good football match. "
