United media officer and first team kitman Andy Hall (AH) spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's James Phillips (JP) this evening ahead of Carlisle's League One match away to Rochdale, Hall saying that that Spotland is a fantastic place to play :
JP
At the moment we won't have much of an idea about what is going on in the game because the sun to our left is just right in our eyes, it is going to be an interesting one?
AH
It is a good ground to come to though, I can remember being here when it was absolutely packed with Carlisle United fans and we claimed ourselves the promotion under Paul Simpson. It is one of those fantastic places to play, always a good game, think back to last season and Liam Noble's goal that nearly rattled the back of the net, we are looking forward to it because it does seem to bring out the best in us this ground.
JP
It certainly does, of course it was a great match here last season as we and you have alluded to, and a win for Carlisle United as well?
AH
Oh yeah, exactly that, and it was all about the attitude then because this is a team that when they are at home in this tight little stadium they like to play football. But, they will get at you as well, you look at the two strikers that they have got, (Jean-Louis) Akpa Akpro and little Ashley Grimes, they work perfectly together the big man and the small man, they got themselves a goal at the weekend as well so they are going to have to be watched.
But, I don't think we have got too much to worry about, we have seen the way we played second-half at Oldham and in extra-time, then again at Bury, we have shown everybody that we are the team that we thought we might be, but we have got to get consistency and carry that on.
JP
And is the feeling in the squad now that Carlisle are showing their true colours? Showing what they were always expecting to be made of this season?
AH
Yeah, but it is a game and a half so far and that is the thing that you have got to be cautious about. You have got to keep doing it, you have got to keep producing it otherwise it just becomes one of those frustrating seasons where you are up a bit, down a bit. You want to keep it going because we genuinely do want to have a push this season.
JP
The manager (Greg Abbott) of course has named the unchanged line-up, which is exactly what everyone needs isn't it just to show a bit of confidence and a bit of faith in the team who are out there?
AH
Well after the performance on Saturday where first-half we pretty much battered them (Bury) for long periods didn't we, they didn't have too much in the way of chances themselves Bury. We had a couple of good ones, we hit the woodwork, blasted one just wide, didn't get the goal so we changed the system, I say we, the manager changed the system at half-time, that started to work for us in a different way, we got our goals, we got the win, thoroughly deserved, and like we say, let's just keep it going.
JP
But, there are always options for the manager, it is never quite so cut and dry as naming that same line-up because I am sure once more Liam Noble will have been knocking on his door after he got that goal in what was a lovely move at the end of the match?
AH
Yeah, we mentioned that at the weekend didn't we, he must feel really unlucky not to be starting every game at the moment because he does have that knack of getting forward and scoring. We can talk about the man who is not named in the sixteen again, Danny Livesey, I mean how unlucky must he feel? But, that shows you the strength in depth that we have got in a lot of key areas on the pitch this season, and that is going to be important for us as we go forward.
JP
A combination of cloud and tree away to our left here at Spotland has just taken the sun out of our eyes, it means that we can see the pitch, we can see that the players for Carlisle United are coming off, fingers crossed for another three points for the Cumbrians tonight?
AH
Yeah, there is a lot of confidence about and that is a key thing in this game. We keep quoting the managers as you say that a lot of this game, some of them will say up to 75% of the game is played in the head, the rest of it is played on the pitch. It is very, very true you know, if you are confident, if the whole team is confident then you can cover for the little mistakes that creep in. It is when you lack that confidence that it starts to get a bit more difficult.