United media officer and kit manager Andy Hall (AH) spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's James Phillips (JP) this evening ahead of Carlisle's League One match at home to Tranmere, Hall first talking about the recent wintry weather across England :
JP
It is just great to have a game of football on for the club after a couple of freeze-offs and a couple of recent away trips?
AH
Yeah, there is nothing you can do about the weather at this time of year is there. Greg Abbott was talking to us the other day about people asking for a winter break and it is a case of when would you schedule it? Because, if we had done it over the Christmas period which seems to be the favourite idea then all of the games would have been played, and then you come out of that and get back to this and all of a sudden they are dropping like flies. So, I sort of agree, it is a winter game, let's just crack on, try to beat the weather and get on with it.
JP
And just hope that all the different covers that grounds have got on up and down the country go on at the right times and can keep the pitch clear of some of the frost?
AH
Well, I think there are a few lessons to be learnt from the way Dave Mitchell and his team did it, because they play in front of the weather. It doesn't always work, we lost one last year but that was when other teams were losing four or five games in a row. So, if you keep on top of it, if you do monitor the Met Office reports, make sure the covers go on and off during the day, don't just leave them there, then you tend to be able to beat it.
JP
James Berrett has scored three times in his last three matches against Tranmere Rovers and has come straight back into the starting line-up. Was that something that was a factor or is it just the quality that he brings that you think get him back in?
AH
I think it is very much Greg (Abbott) looking at the way the team performed in the first-half against Chesterfield who we played in the last home game, wanting to make sure that we are up and at it. I think he feels that James Berrett at the moment has got a real momentum behind him, probably why he has picked up a few yellow cards along the way because he is pushing hard this season and playing really well. It is really unlucky for Liam Noble because I thought he had a great first-half you know against Chesterfield, he was the one looking most likely to score pulling the trigger from distance.
JP
He was one of the few lights in that first-half in a way wasn't he?
AH
Absolutely agree with that, but the manager has got to make these decisions hasn't he, I mean we have had a few tweets asking why Paddy Madden hasn't been picked, you could probably argue across the pitch at the moment about a player playing in place of another one. Greg has got to make those decisions and try to get the team to win the game.
JP
And something that is different of course from this game to the Chesterfield game, Chesterfield very much played a 4-4-2 and when Carlisle matched up pound for pound with them they were just better. Tonight Tranmere are likely to play a 4-3-3, we pretty much expect they will play a similar formation to Carlisle's normal one and I guess the hope there that will be if you match up pound to pound with them then you will be superior?
AH
I think with the Chesterfield thing what happened there was we didn't get out of the blocks, and if that happens in a game, if you don't start it properly then you cause yourselves problems. It is so hard for the players to pick themselves up, Chris Lumsdon can tell you all about that, if they haven't got the right tempo then it spreads across the team. Second-half they rectified that, and they deserved, just about deserved the win in the end, we don't want that again tonight, we have done so well, I think it is ten games unbeaten here at Brunton Park because we have come out of that dressing-room ready to go. So, if we can get back to that then hopefully whatever formation it is we will brush Tranmere aside.
JP
And a special game tonight for different reasons than normal this Valentine's night, a great cause being helped by Carlisle United and all of the Football League?
AH
Yeah, Help The Hospices. Everybody in every family can look somewhere and find where a hospice has helped with horrible situations, and they really are, but the hospice makes it that much better. I think it is a fantastic cause and it was brilliant, we all had a big smile on our faces when the Football League chose it as the registered charity. Because, it is important that they make that decision and get it right, they got this one right and it is brilliant to be able to do the £5 off every ticket, give it to the hospices and you know, you know fine well it is going to a fantastic cause.
JP
Yeah, it is really great, well look, thanks for joining us, great to get your thoughts on that and hopefully we will be speaking to a very happy Greg Abbott come the end of the 90 minutes this evening?
AH
Eleven in a row, that would match him being the eleventh longest serving manager, what is that like?