United media officer Andy Hall (AH) spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's James Phillips (JP) this afternoon ahead of Carlisle's League One match at home to Notts County, Hall first talking about the challenge that the visitors will offer the Blues:
JP
It feels like a much more relaxed weekend doesn't it, a nice home match for us, no enormous testimonial for everybody to be contemplating tomorrow as well, and a rather big game as well?
AH
It is and it is Notts County who started off on a right little flyer, a couple of results recently will have stung them and it is always dangerous when you are coming into a game like this because you know that they are going to be smarting from that. They have invested wisely, they have got some fantastic players in and amongst that group of 18 that they have named today. You know that if they are on their game they are going to be a test, but we want to get things right at home, it is something that has been discussed not just inside the corridors, but rightly so by everybody else outside now as well. Because, three 2-1 away results is brilliant, but you need to back that up with some home form.
JP
Yeah, and that is what they definitely need to do, but there will be easier opportunities this season for United to get this second home win of the season in the league, because this Notts County side, I mean they are good enough, rich enough and have enough quality to leave Francois Zoko on the bench on merit apparently?
AH
Well, there you go, and that is Francois, consistently inconsistent was the phrase used during the press conference this week. I think that is right, not the best traveller, we saw that ourselves, didn't always get the best out of him on the road even though he scored a winner against this lot when we played them down at their place. So, what we do know is that we can talk about their team, but you also look at our lads and you know we have got ourselves a good little squad assembled. There is some experience, there is some youth and there is some quality in there as well. So, if we play well, if we do it right, then as we have seen, Walsall last week was a good example, once we click we click well.
JP
Certainly do, in terms of their line-up by the way, I hear that Jamal Campbell-Ryce, and probably those of us who have seen him before will know this, he and Francois are a bit too much luxury, that is why they have (Alan) Judge in and they don't have both Francois and Campbell-Ryce in, especially away from home. When they do I am told it sounds like from Dean Yates they are very similar to Carlisle United, very patient away from home, wait for their moment, at home struggle a little bit to sometimes dominate the play, and it mirrors United a bit. Twelve unbeaten though away from home and unbeaten entirely away stretching back to last season under Keith Curle, they are impressive travellers?
AH
Exactly, and that is because teams come away to close up and stop the home side from playing. They all do their homework, they are all professional footballers and managers because they know how to read other teams. Greg Abbott will know Notts County and their capabilities inside out, and he will know that they will come here today not so much to play the flair football, not to so much do the Campbell-Ryce and Zoko stuff, but to hit us when they get the opportunity to. That is why all the onus is always on the home side to produce the football, we will try to do that but always in the back of the mind the fact that if we do leave the gaps then they will expose it.
JP
Yep, but the unchanged line-up for Greg Abbott, obviously confident with the players who he put out there against Walsall last time out?
AH
Looked very good didn't it, looked very balanced, once we got settled, and I think for me, and I hope the manager doesn't tell me off for saying this, we have started slowly in quite a number of games in the last four or five out of the six or seven, and that is a problem. Because, you can gave away a goal and then you are chasing it, so if we get that bit of it right, because once we settle, like I said just earlier, once we click we really do click and we look difficult to deal with.
JP
Greg Abbott tells us that John Nixon is working on extending Joe Garner's loan, but at the moment he is not available for Tuesday at Bury, the rearranged game?
AH
Yeah, there is work going on all the time there and you are just waiting for things to be rubber-stamped. It is not always that easy because they have got games to prepare for, we have got games to prepare for and sometimes never the twain will meet. But, once the necessary phone calls are made we will know where we are at with that one.
JP
But hopeful?
AH
Very.
JP
Very hopeful, Andy, a real pleasure, the best of the luck today, let's hope that we are off to Bury with that second home win of the season here in League One?
AH
Let's hope it doesn't rain.