United left-back Chris Chantler (CC) spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's James Phillips (JP) following Carlisle's 0-0 League One draw at home to Stevenage, Chantler pleased to finally get a run of games for the Blues:
JP
I guess the first and most important thing for you is to be back in the team, you have got a little run in here now, how is it feeling?
CC
Yeah, exactly, it is getting easier for me as well fitness-wise and sharpness-wise and just to now get three or four games on the run is brilliant after what I have been through.
JP
A bit of A bonus actually for everyone because you are a bit like a new signing for Carlisle United because you have been out for that long?
CC
Yeah, exactly, obviously we have had a fair few injuries now and it is kind of weird that I am one of them who is staying fit. So, I just hope that this can continue and I can keep playing now until the end of the year.
JP
And the biggest compliment I think we can pay you is that for all we miss him on the pitch, we would love to have him there, Carlisle haven’t missed Matt Robson as much as they might have missed a player as crucial as him?
CC
Obviously, Robbo is vital to how we play a lot and has been this season, he drives forward and is solid defensively. So, it is a compliment that as you say we might not have missed him as much. But, I mean, he could come back and play with me like we did last year hopefully.
JP
I think there is a lot of nodding going on in the press box around us here. In terms of the match today how frustrating was it that as well as you played you couldn’t just find that way through?
CC
Yeah, it was very frustrating because I think if we had got one we would have comfortably won the game. With it still at 0-0 you have to concentrate a lot not to concede, because the worst thing would have been if we had lost the game. But, if we had got a goal then it would have been vital really, but it was not to be.
JP
A point above the bottom four, Graham Kavanagh is talking down the impact of each game at the moment as a manager would and you may all well be thinking that, But, is it on the mind of the players about how tight it is at the bottom of the table?
CC
Well, I mean let’s be honest, we all see the table and we know the situation we are in. So, the quicker we can get away from the bottom of the table the easier it will make the season basically. But, you just go into every game trying to win that game and you just forget about the pressures on the outside of it.
JP
Stray goals have been the difference between teams and Carlisle coming into this match, and then a clean sheet today, defensively against adversity really when you consider how many changes there have had to be at the back, Carlisle are actually defending alright but they just need to find a way to score more now?
CC
Yeah, I think you are right, we have had pretty much a new back four in the last three or four games and sometimes it takes a lot of getting used to. So, maybe we are concentrating more and we are making no silly mistakes because none of us have really had that many games together, so we are all trying to help each other. But, if we can just add the goalscoring touch to a solid defence then we will be moving up the table.
JP
Do you recognise most of the players that you are playing from when you actually were last fit and before your major injury?
CC
I mean it is weird, you look round the changing room and you have probably played with three of them consistently for more than like three games. But, again, you have just got to get used to it and they are all good players coming in so you have just got to learn each other’s games and try to do it quickly.
JP
Graham Kavanagh talked about it being a surprise to him for how well Carlisle United have played that we are so close to the bottom four as we are. Do you think that there should be enough in the squad to get Carlisle clear for all the injuries that there are?
CC
Yeah, obviously you say so and in the last four or five games we have actually played quite well and have not really got what we deserve in terms of points. But, again, the name of the game is to score goals and we have had games where we haven’t really scored. Again, if we just get a few goals, maybe we just need a lucky goal just to get us going and then we will start getting the wins.
JP
I know there have been good times at the Etihad over recent years, but Manchester City fans are always practical because let’s face it, before all the money came in it wasn’t always good times with them.
CC
No, it wasn’t.
JP
So, practically looking at Carlisle United’s situation now what do you think it is going to take to get them clear enough away, what sort of result, performance, what thing will make it the difference now?
CC
Well, I think we need to keep going the way we are defensively because we are not giving too many chances away and we are not conceding too many goals. Then we have also got to get like a little bit of a creative spark and just kind of turn the chances we are getting into a goal. Once we do that then I think we will kick on a bit, but again, it is going to be tough but we will be up for it.
JP
I must talk about your injury a little bit, it is so long that you were out, you came in and I don’t think it is wrong to say you were the star for Carlisle United. In terms of your injury how frustrating has it been and how great is it to be back on the pitch now?
CC
It has been terrible to be honest, even when I came back, when did I come back? Like October time, November, it still wasn’t great. I mean it has been a really tough time for me to be honest. But, now I am feeling better every game, recovery is taking less and less, I am feeling better the day after. So, for me personally getting these games has been brilliant for me.