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" It makes it quite exciting doesn't it, there is a lot of buzz on the bus, we're travelling down now, it makes it quite exciting. It's not a response to people saying we aren't spending money, if you start responding to that then you are in trouble. I'd much rather we'd paid £4,000 for him than £140,000 for him, the figure is irrelevant really. It's the player that is important, we had to pay that money to get him and we think that it is good value.
" We want the club to be in a position where we can continue to buy players that are good value. The fact that it is £140,000, OK, people almost him look at him as if he is a better player because he has got a big price tag on his head. It's the player that is important, the numbers - it's a record transfer but I'm not particularly excited about that.
" It's been a really tough one to negotiate, that is exactly the point. I think he is a good deal, we're excited because it's a great signing for the club, we think it's at the right money. I think people are maybe surprised that we got him for that price and didn't have to pay more. The player has got a damn good deal out of it as well, we've really had to push the boat out and we've spent all week getting him. It was touch and go but we are really pleased that he signed on the dotted line this afternoon.
" The club has got to leave itself in a position whereby the right situation comes along, we're not suddenly thinking that everything has gone and we can't do anything about it. That's a bad place to be, if you just chuck it about willy-nilly then you very quickly arrive at a situation where you can't take advantage of situations like this. "
" I know the fans get impatient, we get impatient as well, we are just the same as the fans, we want it to happen and we get excited about the football as well. We've got to keep our powder dry though for situations like this.
" We don't have to sell players but if it is the right thing for the club. If you look at selling Michael Bridges, that money has opened the door to build a strong squad, or help build the strong squad that we have got today. You are always looking at strengthening the squad, and you are always looking at options to strengthen the squad. If a situation came up where someone came and offered for even one of our best players it wouldn't be a financial choice, it would be down to Neil (McDonald) and his staff.
" We'd ask them quiet calmly that if we sold this player for this money then would we be able to improve the playing squad with the money that we get. If the answer to that is yes then we sell them, if it isn't then we keep them. We're in a position where we don't have to get money in and sell players to keep the club going, it's all about continuing to strengthen the squad and the quality of the football that we are putting out there.
" I think we are all confident for this season, whether or not it is blind optimism I don't know. We've had a great pre-season and I think we've got a really strong squad. I'm sitting on the bus and I was just talking to Dolly (Neil Dalton) before and the quality of players that we have got in this team now I think is going to be the envy of a lot of clubs. Not just the signings that we have made because some of our young players have been with us for a while and are getting more and more experience. "
" We've got a fantastic squad here, whether or not the wheels fall off the bus halfway through the season you don't know. I'm not going to predict that we get promotion but I think that everyone has got good cause to have optimism for a successful season, and looking at those play-offs and going for promotion. That is what we are trying to do.
" As far as off the field is concerned Leeds should envy most clubs because obviously they are in a hell of a mess. I wouldn't underestimate Leeds though, they will have a strong squad and they won't be scared to keep spending money, even though they don't have any. They seem to still have this ability to throw money at players and I've no doubt they'll have a strong squad. I don't think you should underestimate them on the playing side, certainly they seem to be in a mess and they have brought that upon themselves I suppose. That's their problem though and not ours, we just don't want to go there do we, we don't want to be there.
" Joe (Garner's) agent came to the Tranmere game, when we were down at Tranmere, obviously the agent is a big, big part of the negotiations in winning his confidence etc. Because there was a hell of battle to sign Joe, there were a lot of big clubs that were after him. Joe's agent was saying that he was at the Tranmere game and his socks were blown off by the atmosphere that the Carlisle fans had at that Tranmere match.
" It was absolutely superb and I think that had a bearing, I think people know about our away support and how passionate it is. People look at Carlisle United as a big club certainly in League One terms, a club that is going places and a club with the potential to build its fanbase. So the fans play a big, big part in it. "