United media officer and first team kitman Andy Hall (AH) spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's James Phillips (JP) and Chris Lumsdon (CL) this afternoon ahead of Carlisle's League One match at home to Charlton, Hall first talking about a much greater media interest in the game :
JP
It is a huge game for everyone today?
AH
Yeah, it is a huge one isn't it because Charlton Athletic have obviously done what they have done this season, and they are here, I mean the media interest today is parallel in that that we had in the play-offs against Leeds a couple of years ago, and that is because they all expect Charlton to win.
I had a few friendly digs at them about the fact that we never see them unless there is interest in another club, so hopefully they will take that on board because we would love to see them all the time, and if we are it would mean that we are the ones that are having the success.
JP
Of course it is a day where clearly the interest in this game is really highlighted, Charlton could go up, they could be promoted today back into the Championship after three seasons out. But, more than that it is a battle between two sides at that end of the table, and it is great for Carlisle to still be involved in that despite the setbacks that we have had and they have been considerable all season and recently too?
AH
Yeah, indeed, I mean the fact of the matter is that we are up there on consistency, as are Charlton, so you will see two sides here who like to play football. We mentioned it to Greg (Abbott) during the press conference that Charlton are another of those teams that bring the best out of us when we are on our game.
That is because they play an open, expansive type of football as well as we try to whenever we get the opportunity. You don't always get that opportunity in League One because teams come to close down, they come to shut up shop and they come to make sure that you don't get the space that you want. I'm not so sure Charlton will be as hardworking as that in those areas, but they have got so many threats in others that it is a game where we will have to be at our best.
JP
After the news sort of first materialised that Lee Miller would be out, Greg Abbott alluded to the fact that he might change the system, and might change the way Carlisle do things so the personnel fit the tactic, which they struggled to do last time Lee Miller was out. It would appear on the face of it like that has not quite been the case?
AH
I think, not giving too much away, you might see a little change in midfield as to the way we do things, a bit of a throwback to the earlier stages of the season with the personnel. Certainly the key for me today is (Jon-Paul) McGovern and (Francois) Zoko, how they interchange, how they act within the midfield job that they have been asked to do by the manager. Absolutely no doubt about it that both players can do what they have been asked to do and hopefully we will see the fruits of it with Jordan Cook and the pace, energy and determination that he has got doing the rest of it upfront for Carlisle United.
JP
The thing is, we talk about needing that targetman and needing that man upfront, and it is a big blow to lose Lee Miller, and it is and I know he will be here today and it is a great blow. But, Francois Zoko has been described by Graham Kavanagh as probably the strongest player in League One, it is just the different discipline of being a sort of a man in the hole and a man up there as the actual target is so hard to shift?
AH
Lee's strengths, I mean it is not so much the scoring, that speaks for itself, but it is back to goal isn't it when it is coming into him. He is either clever enough to win something from the referee on the back of a nudge in the back or he is even clever enough to keep the ball and feed other players into playing. Some of the goals of the season that have been nominated are on the back of the fact that Lee has held the ball up and players have played off him.
They haven't been worldies from 40 yards, they have been passing moves and he is at the hub of it. So, that is what you lose when Lee Miller isn't there, but then again you have got the likes of Zoko and Cook with his energy and McGovern backing it up and all the other players that still play the way they can. If they are all on their game then Charlton will know they have been in a football match today.
JP
Lummy, how difficult is it for a player like a Jordan Cook or like a Francois Zoko to step into that role and try to be the focal point for the attack having not been so all season?
CL
Yeah, they have not been all season but I have seen Francois drift in and out sometimes and go into the middle and be able to hold it up. Jordan Cook, obviously a Sunderland lad, I have spoken to him a couple of times and he said he has played upfront for the reserves. I think I have seen him on the Liverpool channel when they have played each other, play there for Sunderland.
So, they will know what to do, and even if they just mix and match there will be a gameplan there where they can do it. Zoko, as I say is the strongest I think, I think he is the strongest player in League One actually. He can be up there and he can be a threat and he can hold it up and bring the players into the game.
JP
And Andy, just finally, Chris has been involved obviously in some great dressing rooms with great characters, I suspect at a time like this when there is a bit of upheaval and change about how United will do it without one of their main men, I suppose those characters are very important?
AH
We fire back to Preston and when Rory Loy got smashed and his leg was damaged, there was a real determination amongst the other lads to do it for Loyman. I think there is a determination now for Chris Chantler, who we have forgotten, and Lee Miller, they are out of it now and the lads just want to keep going because there has been so much hard work done already.
JP
By no means have we forgotten Chris Chantler, I think he is wonderful and I will miss him, but I just feel that Miller is more of a player who is almost irreplaceable, but clearly they have and clearly they hope it is going to work out today?
AH
We have to hope that because we are still there and it is still in our hands, we have got that game in hand on Tuesday night, let's not forget that either.