Greg Abbott - Radio Cumbria Interview

Last updated : 04 April 2007 By Thetashkentterror

Greg Abbott
United first-team coach Greg Abbott spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's Derek Lacey on Tuesday afternoon as he talked about the excellent 2-0 win at Tranmere on Friday night, and especially the team performance as a whole :


" It was a good performance, I think it's what we've been aiming for all season. It probably goes close to being one of our best performances in terms of the whole performance, and in terms of first-half, second-half, defending play and attacking play so the manager (Neil McDonald) and me took a little bit of enjoyment out of that. Satisfaction to see that near enough every area of the pitch and the game was terrific and of the highest levels and we're really pleased with that.

" You look at the defensive performance and the whole of the back four, and Keiren (Westwood) were magnificent. Without that platform you can forget what the strikers do because if you are conceding goals, or shipping goals, it's harder to do at the other end, you're going to always put yourself under pressure. I think Keiren has been terrific and the back four in the last few games have really, really shown what they can do, they have shown a real resilience not to concede goals.

" We spoke to them individually and as a unit, Gillingham never looked like scoring against us and certainly Tranmere - they had lots of attacking options but we threw bodies on the line. We made great saves, we made great blocks, decent headers - Murph (Peter Murphy) has cleared off the line and that is what defending is all about - putting your body on the line. We got that and that gives you a platform then to go and score your goals, we'll always score goals and we have done again. The two lads have scored and given us a 2-0 result which is again, down to everybody and not forgetting the midfield players too.

" Joe (Garner) is a park player, Joe will play the same wherever he is, he just loves playing football. He wants the ball all the time and you've got to try and curb that because really his main work is to put the ball in the back of the net. His appetite and his desire, and the pressure he puts on defenders, spreads, because Danny Graham does that who is not a natural at doing that. Danny Graham is an out-and-out goalscorer who comes alive in the last third, and if he can get that part of his game together then you will have two players there who will cause anybody in our league massive problems.

" I just keep on encouraging Joe, he gets kicked from pillar to post by centre-halves, now if they can't take him leaving a foot in, pushing them around and using his physical strength… I call him a terrorist because he's a nightmare to play against, I'm not taking anything out of that, I love to see him put a centre-half on the deck. "


" Obviously we have to curb the fact that he can't get booked for it, and he has to just go to the line and not play off the line. The best players in the world all have that edge and all have that nastiness and he's got that. If he can just get that to the line, and I thought his sending-off was harsh, we looked at it loads and loads of times on the replay - did he dive, did he not dive, you couldn't really tell.

" He hasn't really got himself into that much trouble with the referees, he never really back-chats, he just needs to keep that thing in his game going, but go to the line. If he steps over it and gets booked or suspended then there is a problem but for me that's a massive part of his make up. I have to encourage that without sounding like I'm wanting foul play, that determination and that nastiness, that horrible streak in him is a massive part of his game.

" The one thing that when you reflect and we should have been sat on Saturday really enjoying the afternoon, is that we've lost Ziggy (Zigor Aranalde) and Paul Thirlwell who have been terrific. Thirlwell's attitude, passing and ability has been fantastic, and Ziggy is a terrific professional who has been absolutely solid at the back there all season. He gives us presence and enthusiasm - even at 34 he wants to win, he has a real determination to do well for himself and the team.

" We'll miss them, without a shadow of a doubt we'll miss them but the players that we have got to come in have got an opportunity now. They are coming into a side that is doing well, they've got to stake their claim and hopefully prove that we haven't missed them that much, we'll know that after the game on Monday.

" You wouldn't want to change any back four that has just had two clean sheets, Gillingham at home we were desperate for points and then Tranmere away who are a top side with a lot of attacking options. We don't want to do that but our hand is forced to do that, what the manager does there is yet to be decided but whatever he does his players have opportunities to go and then prove that they can come in and do a job. Another two clean sheets and you never know where we end up, it's vital that we perform and the players come in and prove themselves. They are all chomping at the bit, they all want to play at the minute because it is getting to a nice exciting part of the season. "