United media officer and kit manager Andy Hall (AH) spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's James Phillips (JP) this afternoon ahead of Carlisle's League One match at home to Stevenage, Hall first talking about the Blues needing a victory at Brunton Park after five defeats in their last six home games :
JP
What a day it is out there, it is great to be back at Brunton Park, glorious sunshine, hopefully a glorious day come five o'clock for Carlisle United?
AH
Yeah, everybody is talking about the home form aren't they, we have won once so far in the league this season here at Brunton Park, we need to do more. Everybody knows that, the fans want it, the players want it, the manager wants it, the club wants it, if we are all together today and if we can try to push it through over the finishing line then hopefully that will kick start off the season here at Brunton Park.
JP
A bit of previous as well with Stevenage of course, they completed a league double, or a Conference double over United in that season when they came up, but Carlisle won the big one, but it was the antics of their still manager Graham Westley that really wound up a lot of fans, so there might just be a touch of needle in this game which might help United?
AH
I don't think so, I think it was so long ago that the characters that were at the club have all changed, I am not sure what Lummy (Chris Lumsdon) will say about that when he gets here because we have got some not so fond memories of the Stevenage players in our tunnel as well the way they acted after they had beaten us up here. So, it didn't go well the way they acted as a club but everything has moved on since then. Just talking to everybody who is here today, they are all a different set of characters, different set of people. Graham was a young manager at the time, he was learning his way in the job and doing quite well. Like you say, when it mattered we did the big one and Chris Lumsdon's kick into the crowd right at the end of the game, that set off the celebrations.
JP
Yeah, I bet it did, as well though there is Danny Livesey and Peter Murphy and they are going to be characters in the United dressing room, they will have said in there today that they don't care what else has gone on but they want to beat this guy and they want to beat his team?
AH
No, I think you are wrong, seriously.
JP
Really?
AH
Yeah, absolutely, the focus today has got to be on the way that we are performing at home at the moment. The lads won't let anything personal from seven or eight years ago get in the way of that, we need to turn the performances round here at Brunton Park, and you have got to be focused on your game, not so much on what has gone before and what is about to happen in the 90 minutes. Like I say, Stevenage, they have dropped the 'Borough', they are a different club altogether, they are a League One outfit now and by rights they are a League One outfit because they play football the right way. So, we are going to have to match that and we are going to have to do the job here today rather than what happened seven or eight years ago.
JP
And aside from the defeat against Notts County in pretty reasonable form, they have taken seven points out of three games before that defeat including that victory over Sheffield Wednesday, so anyone thinking that these guys are just really a Conference team who are punching above their weight at the moment, the players can't go into it that way?
AH
They have lost one on the road as well so whatever they do on the road, however they set up, which we think is going to be 4-4-2, but it might take us by surprise, however it is he plays it they are difficult, and that is because they work hard, they chase the second ball and they work for each other. All you have got to do is match that you know, it is not rocket science, Greg (Abbott) keeps saying that week in and week out. If you are doing that, with the players match them one against one then you will be alright, so that is what we will have to do here today.
JP
In terms of surprises and formations are United 3-5-2 today? Have I got that right?
AH
I would suggest they are yes, the three centre-backs, Danny (Livesey) has been brought in there to do the ugly stuff I think you would say, because they are bullies Stevenage, they are a strong, physical side. He will put his head in, he will throw himself about and he will do all that, allow Murph (Peter Murphy) to perhaps play the ball out and the two wing-backs I think I will call them, but the full-backs, (James) Tavernier and (Matty) Robson, they have been told to get forward as much as they can. It is up to Nobby (Liam Noble) in midfield, Paul Thirlwell and Bezza (James Berrett) to help them with that, because if they are getting forward then somebody is always going to have to think about the flanks either side. So, it is not an easy one, but it is a good formation to try to take the game to them.
JP
I think if the players are as up for it as you are today, you have spilt your coffee or nearly spilt it about six times while you have sort of been making your points to me here, so if they are as up for it as you are we will do alright today?
AH
We need it, we really do as a club, it has been the message all week, we weren't able to do the press conference this week because we have been busy out and about with the sponsors and things like that. But, I think we wanted to because we needed to get a message out, sometimes you can't, you are busy. We do really need this and hopefully it will come off for us.
JP
And just finally, a familiar name in there, Jennison Myrie-Williams, a player who I remember when he was in on trial with United, he was a little bit overweight I think it would be fair to say. But, I was just speaking to the chaps from BBC Three Counties and they were surprised when I said that because he looks a lot leaner now, and they, although they haven't seen a great deal of him, just four sub appearances, they say he looks very exciting, surely not?
AH
I think we got him at a time when he hadn't played much football, so he was catching up a little bit, but John Ward always spoke very highly of him, if we are honest we didn't see that did we, he didn't really spark for us. But, to have played at the clubs that he has and to have got the chances he has there has got to be something there, and Stevenage speak very, very highly of the lad, so good luck to him, but hopefully not today.
Meanwhile United goalkeeping coach Tony Caig commented :
The approach this week has been a lot like any other week, but obviously there is a real emphasis on trying to get a home win, which we desperately need. You can't start over-analysing things and blow by blow accounts minute by minute but we know that we have to defend our box better, that is first and foremost and we build from there. Then whatever comes from there we will take because we feel that we have got the players that can go on and win us games.
We have got the forward players, the midfield players, maybe they need to start chipping in with the odd goal like they were last year, which will definitely come. The forwards, their job up there is to help us develop the play and get up the field and ultimately get on the end of things, but we are endeavouring to get things right and we keep working hard every single day and we will keep persevering until we find the right formula.