United assistant boss Graham Kavanagh (GK) spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's James Phillips (JP) following Carlisle's 2-0 League One loss at home to Crawley, Kavanagh saying that the result was a difficult one to put his finger on:
JP
Shall we do the interview from Wednesday night, you have just come up here and the first thing you have said to us is 'I don't know how we have lost this one', and I don't think the fans will either?
GK
No, it is a difficult one to put our finger on, today we created as many chances as we probably have done all season, we got on the end of quite a few, a lot of good delivery, a lot of quality into the box. We just couldn't seem to get that goal, we thought maybe the elements second half obviously with having the wind that we could dominate the game. I am not sure what the stats were but we put the ball in the box an awful lot and we just didn't get on the end of it.
Clinically at both ends, defensively obviously we conceded two goals, the first goal is a sloppy goal to give away which we are very disappointed with, and we don't actually put the ball in the net. So, it is a frustrating one, it is a difficult one to actually sum up because, as I say, if you create that many chances in a game then you do expect to win.
JP
A few years ago there was a period Carlisle went through where scoring goals and conceding cheap goals was a problem at both ends, it has not been a problem for a long time but it was a little bit of that today wasn't it? There were so many chances for you and the goals, certainly the opening goal that they scored was poor wasn't it?
GK
Well, it was, as I say, we were dominating possession of the ball, I thought we were delivering the ball wide and getting it into good areas, and then probably got done on the counter a little bit. We have gone to play the ball forward, the ball gets cut out and then they are into our back four straight away. Defensively we could have done better I thought and you go 1-0 down and you think OK, regroup, which I thought we did do, I thought we stood up man to man, I thought we got back into the game, we still created chances, but today for some reason we just couldn't put the ball in the net.
JP
Any idea why that was? You did have a multitude of chances?
GK
Well, when you talk about chances and you talk about balls in the box you wonder if your striker is going to get on the end of it, and today they did. But, for whatever reason, don't ask me why, we simply didn't put the ball in the net and it is frustrating, it is disappointing, we were concerned a little bit after the game on Wednesday how physically the boys would be able to cope, because they put a hell of a shift in.
But, all credit to them, we trained really well yesterday, we had a good warm-up, we started the game well. I thought we matched them all across the pitch, we created more chances, but yet we come away with a 2-0 defeat, so it is difficult. There are obviously one or two fans frustrated and disappointed and I understand that because we were the same, but it is a strange game today.
JP
I think perhaps the disappointment, and it is just on today's game, it wold be based around the fact that the fans see how good you guys have got, but just today I mean they were not a great side were they Crawley? They do not deserve the three points from Brunton Park?
GK
Well, I am sure they will say different but when you dominate the ball in the areas we did today, you get at their back four and you get into the final third and you deliver the quality which we did, and even then recycle the ball to get it again and go back out wide when they have cleared the first ball, we actually felt there was only one team going to win the game. I did think there was going to be maybe one goal in it, so obviously completely surprised when they scored and disappointed.
But, I was quite pleased the way the boys reacted, they didn't let their heads drop, they still kept going at it. But, then we concede the second goal and it is a difficult one to take today you know. Luckily enough for us we come in now on Monday and we have a game on Tuesday, which obviously makes the midweek game a little bit more important, we certainly want to be coming back with three points. Then we go into another away game, hopefully having had a good performance behind us. Today's game wasn't a bad performance, it was just obviously a bad result.
JP
We were at pains to say going into the commentary that a win today could have put you into the play-offs so people shouldn't treat it as all doom and gloom, but how important is it now that you do get that sort of kick ahead of that game against Bury on Tuesday?
GK
I think the players realise the importance of every game, we stress it to them every day in training and we also stress it to them on a matchday. The only concern that we really had was obviously the physical tiredness that the boys were going to have, because they don't generally play on a Wednesday, it is usually Tuesday so we have an extra day's recovery. That wasn't a problem today and it didn't look a problem at all over the 90 minutes because they kept going.
But, the importance of staying in the top half of the table, always in and around the chance to get in that top six is huge. We as a club and as a staff, obviously that is where we want to aim to get. Sometimes we know over the course of a season you are going to have maybe bad performances but we are going to get results. I definitely think over the course of the rest of the season we will probably create less chances in games and win by more goals, we could win 2-0 or 3-0. But, it is frustrating and disappointing.
JP
Is it a positive I guess in it that there were so many good chances for the forwards to score today, or on the other side is it a concern that strikers who know where the back of the net is in Danny (Cadamarteri) and Joe Garner weren't able to take the chances that came to them?
GK
Well, the biggest concern would be if we weren't creating the chances, obviously I am sure every coach and manager would say the same. But, we did create them today, I think Joe just needs a goal, his honesty, his endeavour, his effort, his cleverness in and around the box is all for there to see, I mean he has been on fire in training. So, it is a little bit frustrating from his point of view, but I would honestly say also that if he gets his first goal he will get a bagful.
JP
One thing Chris (Lumsdon) talked about in commentary today was the tempo at times in the game, when you have been at your brilliant best in recent times, well in this season and stretching back into last, you have dominated the game and you have had periods where you spend 20, 25 minutes, half an hour, longer dominating the game and it just seemed a bit fits and spurts today?
GK
Well, we spoke at half-time and we were asking players, because we thought actually for the first ten minutes we thought we didn't start as well as we probably could have done. All the players to a man said that in the middle of the pitch it was swirling and the wind was very, very bad, conditions were difficult, probably more so than they looked. So, getting the ball under control was at times a little difficult, but the formation we have played when we have dominated games has sometimes really been the 4-3-3.
But, with the loss of Lee Miller we have had to go for the 4-4-2, and also the two strikers upfront give us more options obviously into feet. So, it is putting a finger on what system is right, whether it be at home or away, we have probably performed better away from home and is that because the onus has been on the home team to come out and play which leaves more space in behind? I am not really sure, but hopefully we will have an answer for it the next two games.
JP
Does Joe Garner give you that option to play in the Lee Miller role? Would he give you if you wanted to, that option to do the 4-3-3 again now or is he not quite the same player as Lee Miller?
GK
No, I don't think he is the same player as Lee Miller, Lee attracts two defenders to him simply because of his size. Joe is probably more ghost-like, he will go in behind players, he can definitely do what Lee can do there is no question about it, and he has got tremendous ability. He doesn't have that height obviously, which Danny probably doesn't have the height either but he has an abundance of energy that he never gives defenders a minute, and he also has a goal threat.
So, it is getting a right balance between our wide players, our strikers, our midfield players and also how much we are going to dominate games based on the formation we play. But, ultimately it is not about dominating games, it is about getting results as you have seen today.
JP
Just a final point on the team today, one or two fans are really wanting to see the young boys that you have got in there, we understand the situation that you are going through that you have got to blood them in a bit at a time. That is still the thinking at the moment that they just need to be eased in a little bit, I mean some fans are thinking that Brad Potts should be starting every game, but I mean what is the view from the club on that?
GK
Well, being totally honest, 12 months ago these players were nowhere near ready, and the development they have made in 12 months, all three, and a couple coming behind them, has been absolutely astounding. That is all credit to them with their honesty, with their willingness to listen and cope at our level.
Putting them in on a regular basis is difficult because as any young kid gaining experience, you can only get it from playing and I totally understand that, but putting two or three in at the same time and not really knowing what you are going to get, no disrespect to the players we have but we said to David Symington for instance on Wednesday night, as much as you should respect Tottenham, don't fear them.
At times I think Dave was running around looking and thinking he was playing against Tottenham here, and you can totally understand that because young players have that early in your career. It is only until you have played 50 or 100 games that you actually get that out of your system, so it is just at the minute knowing the experience and what the experienced players are going to give us, it is picking the right time to actually blood the players, knowing when they can come on.
I mean Becky (Mark Beck) came on today, he looked a threat, he was unlucky not to get his goal. So, it is a balancing act and I understand, certainly because they are homegrown players the fans want to see them. But, you don't want to ruin them either because confidence-wise they could go, so it is blooding them and knowing when and probably picking the games for them as well.
JP
A big game now on Tuesday night with Bury?
GK
Huge game now, they have got a new manager, they will all be looking to impress no doubt. We obviously had a very good result there last year, we know we can beat them, likewise we know we can compete with any team in this division, it is a matter of going and doing it and when the opportunities come we must score obviously, But, I think collectively as well today we should have defended the goals better and that is something we also need to address.