United manager Graham Kavanagh (GK) spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's James Phillips (JP) following Carlisle's 2-1 FA Cup first round replay win at home to Boreham Wood, Kavanagh first talking about the ugly scenes between the two sets of players at the end of the match:
JP
Firstly we need to talk about the fracas at the end there?
GK
Forgive me, my voice has gone at the end of the game, so I apologise. But, I spoke to the lads at the end of the game and just asked them what went on and what happened. I think their midfield player had been giving our players quite a lot of stick, especially when they were winning, some ugly comments that he made.
Anyway, that being said, I think the only way you get your retribution is by winning games and scoring goals. So, we won, we weren’t pretty, the first-half was very, very poor, I thought the second-half was a lot better, I thought we played and passed in the manner we wanted to.
But, we just didn’t the work the keeper enough until the last ten minutes of the game so pleased, very pleased to be in the hat, pleased with the spirit of the group, pleased that they kept going for 90 minutes but we have got to play better than that. But, as I say, the FA Cup does strange things and you have got to give them credit, they were very honest about their work tonight, they gave us a difficult game and it is something that we are going to have to address.
JP
You really do sound quite hoarse, in terms of the match I think one or two fans concerned with the run that it was a similar pattern tonight, but the FA Cup is not like that is it, we tried to impress that in commentary that these things happen, this is how upsets happen, in that respect Carlisle United have done very well tonight to avoid one haven’t they?
GK
Well we have considering we have gone the length of time we did without scoring, and obviously they were winning 1-0 and the longer the game goes you are thinking whether we are going to get anything. But, when we got the first goal and Matty [Robson] crossed and it hit the bar I thought maybe our luck is just changing and maybe our momentum is starting to swing.
We were playing with the wind, conditions were difficult, it was frosty at the Warwick Road End and it was quite wet at the other end. But, that is no excuse, we didn’t play, we didn’t pass the ball well enough first-half, we didn’t have enough bravery in possession with the intelligence that we want to play with and we need to play with wasn’t there.
As I say, I have said all week, it is important that we have a run in the cup or we certainly at least get into the second round because it gives some finances and I will be asking John [Nixon] to give me some of that money to improve the squad.
JP
In terms of the performance that the visitors, I mean they were quite magnificent weren’t they, I mean I don’t know about all of the antics on the pitch but their actual effort to try to get that game won and the way they went about it was, if you can say this as a Carlisle man, almost a joy to behold?
GK
It wasn’t a joy from where I was sitting. I was taking quite a bit of stick from the fans behind, there was a lot of impatience, there was quite a bit of anxiety and a bit of anger, which fair enough, they pay their money and they are well entitled to have that argument. But, I just felt tonight I think the longer the fans can stay with us, I mean I understand, I totally understand as a fan, you want success and you want it yesterday.
But, I think when I first took over we hadn’t won in six games, it is basically the same group of players, we have got one or two in, Prince [Buaben] was ill tonight, he wasn’t available. It is trying to turn the mindset round of the group and the way in which we do things I think is, I do honestly, I think it is going to be a long process that is going to take time.
The building blocks that we are putting in place are not assembled in the manner in which we want them working at this very moment in time because I think I would have a very different press conference if we got beat obviously. But, it hopefully gives us some money and some movement in the market to be able to do something.
JP
In terms of that, you clearly do need time to get your own stamp on it and in due course you will get your own Graham Kavanagh squad in there, but you have got what you have got haven’t you for the timebeing, how do you go about trying to get that bravery and football intelligence that you are looking for, clearly with how long it took you to get the win tonight clearly you are lacking in parts?
GK
Well I am not bigging myself up but I thought the tactics were quite good tonight. We played 4-4-2 and then the changes we made with Paul Thirlwell back and James Berrett at the top, Bez did very, very well, David Symington on the right came in and did well. I was a bit concerned with having the two big men up top, I mean my concern was that they were going to keep shelling it and shelling it for us isn’t the way we play.
We are not going to have a big man, little man situation, if one runs in the channel then one plays on the shoulder, one actually goes to the link the play. We are not going to play like that with the two of them up there, so it is important that we keep passing the ball and when we get into the area obviously we can drop quality it and then we are actually going to be able to commit to attacking balls.
So, it is understanding and having the intelligence as a player to understanding what is required with the personnel within the team. But, I think it is going to be a long process, I think the way we play at the minute is very much a pass and move and interchanging and interlink and that is what I want. I want to create the overloads out in the wide areas if we possibly can and we certainly didn’t do that.
We looked nervous, we looked edgy, we looked a little bit frightened if I am being honest first-half, and yeah it is the FA Cup and they have got everything to win and very little to lose. But, that is where the bravery has to come in, good players will stand up and be counted and they will keep hold of the ball and I thought we did it better second-half without a shadow of a doubt.
I thought we did better second-half but not to the levels we want, but in saying that we come back to the same old thing again, it is the FA Cup and it does throw up some strange things. Saturday will be a different game, I am hoping to have my voice back, I am hoping we can get some work done on Thursday and Friday and we are in the right frame of mind to go and beat Rotherham away.
JP
A couple of people not involved in the squad, we just wondered if they had picked up knocks, one of them was Prince Buaben and also Josh Gillies, any reason why they weren’t involved tonight?
GK
Well, Prince wasn’t involved because he has been ill, I am not sure how he is going to be for the forthcoming game, but he wasn’t available. I was mindful of the fact that Josh hadn’t been involved, I could have possibly put him on the bench tonight and in hindsight would it have made a difference, maybe I don’t know.
But, I thought Chris Chantler deserved to be on the bench because I think Conor Townsend is going to go back and I was hoping if we started well and we got a good run that we maybe could get him on again for some minutes on the pitch and that didn’t happen. So, I am thinking about the possibilities from the bench, how I am going to change it.
But, there are one or two in the squad that need to do more, it is all well and good saying I want him on the bench and you should have him. They have got to come to training every day and they have got to produce, they have got to perform, they have got to stamp their personality on the sessions.
They have got to make me believe that they are right for the team and if they are not right for the team then they are certainly right for the bench. There are a few who just at the moment who are on the periphery of it and they need to step up and do it quickly because this game doesn’t wait for anybody.
JP
Ahead of this weekend’s match at Rotherham are you concerned by some of the problems technically out there, or encouraged by the mentality that they showed to manage to still grind out the win on a night like tonight/
GK
Well, I will take the positives from tonight which is obviously we won the game. Was it the way we wanted to play? No. Was it the style and the quality we wanted to show? No. So, I am going to have to address that in terms of looking at the DVD, I am going to have show the players exactly what it is we want.
We have sat as a staff and every day we keep saying don’t presume they know. I certainly can’t presume they now but they have to understand themselves that every single day matters, I keep saying it, I keep going on. Listen, I am going to sound like a broken record, I know I am, but that is what good players, that is what top players do.
They pay attention to detail, they try to implement the detail and they have the bravery to do it. The intelligence to recognise when it is on and when it is not on and the style I want to play is passing the ball and to do that you are going to have to have movement and you are going to have to have options.
So, it is not always going to work, I know that, and it is going to take time but I just hope the fans stay with us, which I am sure they will. We are still in the FA Cup, which is a positive to be had, and I will have my voice back by Saturday which will be another positive.
JP
And just a final one, I must finish where we started, there are still people getting in touch actually talking about the scenes at the end. I know you have explained that the midfielder who seemed to be on the brunt of the issue at the end, a couple of Carlisle players running over to him after the equaliser, had been involved in a lot of stuff but can you see and I am sure you will be aware of how the club looks and the television pictures will show Carlisle getting the winning goal and then it appears going and goading a bunch of non-league players, can you see how that doesn’t look great and it is sad that the game ends that way when it was such an exciting game for everyone to watch?
GK
Oh, listen, I can totally understand how people feel. But, at the end of the day when you are right in the heat of battle and you step over that white line, if you give it you are going to have to take it. For a long period of that game we looked like we were losing that game and there were a lot of things said which I wasn’t aware of until after the game.
The senior players were the ones who actually said it to me because I was going to have a go at Nobza [Liam Noble] because Nobza always seems to be the one in and around what goes on. I think he could be a bit more subtle and a bit more intelligent and clever about how he does stuff.
But, that wasn’t the case and in saying that he did take a bit of stick, I don’t want to see scenes like that but there wasn’t a punch thrown, there were a few verbals and there were one or two bits of pushing. Listen, it is what it is, we are in the hat and I am pleased with it now and I am also pleased that the players actually stuck together and looked after each other. So, am I going to apologise? No, I am not going to apologise no because those things happen I am sure.
Listen, I told you before, I played for Stoke and we got beat 1-0 in the FA Cup and as a non-league team they are coming in and they are banging on the door, kicking the door, all the obscenities that you would expect. It was fine, we knew that was going to be the case tonight if we didn’t win the game, but it was nice for us to be able to give a little bit back in terms of the victory. So, it is what it is.