United media officer and first team kitman Andy Hall (AH) spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's James Phillips (JP) this afternoon ahead of Carlisle's League One match away to Notts County, Hall first talking about the recent good form that the Magpies have shown :
JP
Great to be here and what a clash it is, two of those three sides who look like they are starting to step away now to scrap it out for the final play-off spot?
AH
Yeah, Notts County have come with a bit of a spurt haven't they and Keith Curle has got them playing really tight football, that is shown by the 1-0 victories that they are picking up along the way. That is a bit of discipline, a bit of organisation and obviously keeping alive and alert to try to get the goal at the other end.
That is pretty much what Greg Abbott has said to the lads in the dressing room at about half past one there, this lot now that Martin Allen has moved on have got a new manager and they all want to play for him because they all want to play for a place. They have stepped up to that and they are right on the brink, or indeed they are in a really good position, as we are, to push on into the play-offs.
JP
In terms of this game, in the build up here Keith Curle has been at pains talking about how he wants his team to focus on what he sees as Carlisle United's weaknesses and build on their own strengths and find where the two can sort of clash against each other. So, he is going to be having a real go at Carlisle and it would appear he is the sort of manager who has really done his homework in his infancy really as a boss?
AH
Yeah, and he is the kind of fella you would expect that from, he is a real professional isn't he is Keith. He will want his lads out there to reflect that, we have got to play against the pitch as much as anything today because we had a wander around it earlier and it is hunt the blade of grass, it really is that bad, they share it with the rugby club so that is not their fault.
But, it does make for a different type of football and I think if you tried to play the old pitter-patter style through the middle of the park then it won't always come off. So, we are going to have to contend with that, adapt the way that we like to do things because we do like to play football, I think that is fair to say of a Greg Abbott side. So, we are going to have to adapt that, make sure that we do things properly and beat the conditions and a very good, strong Notts County side.
JP
Did you just really technically say that we are going to have lump it up to Lee Miller and get people up alongside him?
AH
Not so much lump it up but certainly look for supporting the front men as soon as you can, making sure that if they have got the ball you are with them so that they have got somewhere to lay it off and then get off to.
JP
In terms of the match itself, they are in great form aren't they, they are looking for their fourth win on the trot, a stat which kind of lies in a way because there are only two games that have been played, but Carlisle still to score away from home in 2012. In that same period though they have conceded eight, so it is not that they haven't had the opportunities?
AH
That is the key figure is the conceded eight, that hurts and it hurts badly when that happens. It is the way we did it as well, even before the sending off of Lee Miller things weren't going well at Hartlepool, so that didn't affect the result. It did affect the way things happened after that, and it is not good enough, Greg Abbott has told the lads it is not good enough, they know it isn't, they hurt more than anybody when they are sat in that dressing room and there hasn't been a performance.
So, today it is all about coming here, two teams who are level pegging and just show everybody that actually it is a blip away from home because everybody was talking about the fact that we could do it away and not at home just a few months ago. It has reversed itself now, if we can get the consistency right across the board then who knows?
JP
Chris Chantler given the nod at left-back?
AH
Yeah, and doesn't he deserve it, he played again on Tuesday night against Penrith, he started a bit slowly, he said that himself, but once he got into the throes of it he was fine, and what a first performance against Walsall I think it was when he filled in at left-back. He looked as if he had been playing there for 15 years, so he will be OK will Chris and he will do a good job.
JP
And Danny Livesey, a big blow to him, he has just his got place back in the team and then he has picked up an injury?
AH
Yeah, if you think back to the game against Yeovil he was laid on the ground for quite a while holding his side, that was it, it was bruised ribs. He has had it scanned so it is just the bruising but everybody who has had bruised ribs, you know you can't laugh, breathe, sometimes you can't even stand up. So, it is one of those really frustrating niggling injuries and all you can do is wait for the bruising to go away before you kick on again.
JP
I have had that you know and my great friends wouldn't stop trying to take me laugh and sort of digging me in the ribs, and also I kept sneezing for some reason, it was the worst possible time because you can't really expand your ribcage can you when it hurts, it is awful?
AH
It is one of those injuries that you know it isn't as bad as it could have been, but actually when you have got it, it is awful.
JP
What has he been like then because I am sure getting his place back in the team and then losing it in this way is going to be awful for him?
AH
He has been trying to train to be honest with you, he has been running and trying to expand his lungs but he has got to be honest and if he takes a risk in a game like this with an injury like that where he is only 70-80% then that would be letting the team down, and Danny isn't that kind of fella, and he knows that Lubo (Lubomir Michalik) is there and waiting.
JP
And what about Lubo Michalik? Have you seen any sort of a reaction from him around the place? Has he looked like a man who realises that there is maybe competition and maybe he just needs to step up a little bit in his game?
AH
Yeah, I think every player needs to know that don't they, they need to know that it is not a comfortable spot, and certainly with the way he has played over the last 18 months you just expect him to be the first on the teamsheet. But, Greg has given him a little bit of a push in the back to say it is not always going to happen, if we think that we need to change it we will. So, he is aware of that and he knows that Danny is always ready. so there you go.
JP
And a few games coming up, and a couple of home games as well at Brunton Park, it would be great to go into those now coming up Tuesday and Saturday with something out of this game against one of the sides who United are going to probably going to have to slug it out with for the rest of the season if they want to be in that top six?
AH
Well, nail on the head again, we could be sat here in a week's time, well not here but at Brunton Park in a week's time saying wow, look where we are right now with another home game ahead of us, and then two hours later we might just be thinking about getting some champagne bottles ready. I know that is a bit previous but you know what I am saying, in the space of eight days this whole scenario could change one way or the other for us, so it is all about what happens out there on the pitch.