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" I think it has obviously been common knowledge that we have been trying to do this deal. Even this one has been complicated and has taken a while, we thought that Richard was going to get down first thing in the morning but there had been a complication. We didn't speak to him until about 4.15pm but first things are when we speak to him and get across the table, it came across that all he wants to do is play and score goals.
" It was refreshing to hear him, he had only one club in his mind and that was us, so that makes the whole thing better. It finally got wrapped up around-about 6pm so we are pleased that it is done and dusted and we get on with it. We can get him on the training ground and force his way into the team.
" With the problems we have had this summer always we were thinking what could go wrong now? He has committed himself, he has made his statement saying that he wants to play for us. Hamilton were happy, we were happy and still there were problems. So you always think that something is going to go wrong until you have got him and that is why we try to keep things as quiet and as clean as we can. It is done now though and we look forward to him playing and pulling on the shirt and scoring some goals.
" I think that he fell out a little bit with Hamilton to an extent without any serious fallout. I think he felt that it was right for him to come back to England and prove himself here. England is probably, unless you are in the top four or five in Scotland, is still a big place to play football. His concern was coming to what he thinks is a good club that is going in the right direction. "
" He wants to come in and get involved, he watched the game on Saturday and was really excited with what he saw. He thinks that he can come in and find the goals for us, so he just felt that it was the right move for him. You can probably talk to him yourself and find out the ins and outs of it but on the outside of it that is what he is saying to me.
" He has got a lot of power, he has got pace and he finishes things off. He comes to life in and around the box and he will run past defenders because he has got genuine speed. I just think that he likes the idea of the crosses coming into the box and plenty of things for him, passes and crosses for him to get on the end of.
" It is a message saying that we have worked hard to bring in better players than we have already got, or people that we are going to bring in that will improve what we have got, and add to what we have got. I think that Kevan (Hurst) has come in and he has shown people what a good player he is and we are hopeful that Richard can have the same impact and show the same sort of quality.
" We think that the basis of the team is good, even that shone through again on Saturday. What we need to do is maybe convert the good play that we have got and the territorial play that we have got into goals and winning performances. "
" I don't know if that is the last of the transfer activity, I would think probably so but if people come in and take one or two of ours, or take one of ours, then we would quickly act and do something with it. I think that we have got a squad now though where there is good depth and competition all over the pitch and it is one that we are reasonably happy with and we are hopeful it can go and produce some good performances and some victories.
" There hasn't been any interest in our players at the moment. The thing is quiet just at present but you know what football is like, that can change in an afternoon. At the minute though we are comfortable with what we have got, we think that it is a good squad with a bit of strength in depth now in all areas. We look forward to that squad picking up some good results.
" Craig Lindfield is an interesting one, as a 17 and 18-year old he was going to be a real top player but I think that he found his route blocked. I think that there is a big foreign influx in the set-up at Liverpool and they have decided that he is not going to get through there. He is one that was part of Liverpool's Youth Cup winning side, I think that he scored a hat-trick in the final possibly.
" I certainly know a lot about him as an 18-year old but his route has got blocked. He has come to us, he has done quite well, he has had a double hernia, not played a lot of football just lately. What I have seen is somebody that has not done a lot of training and it was quite an encouraging performance and certainly one that tells us that we need to take an extended look at him. "
" Obviously we are away all week now down in Bristol, so what we have said initially is come for the whole of next week, try to organise a bounce game for him, because there is no reserve game next week. Try to find a game that we can pitch him into on either maybe Monday or Thursday, and then at the end of the week we will tell him where we think he is at and we will move it on from there.
" John Hawley (55-year old former Bradford City player) is not really helping out at the club, he has just got a bit of company that is doing some computer and internet skills things for kids. He has just come and shown it to our first-team players and he has shown me what he is doing possibly around the schools in Carlisle.
" At this level and this stage of the Carling Cup, probably bigger clubs don't take it just as seriously. If Bristol City step off the mark then we are hopeful that we can go in there and give a good account of ourselves. To be fair though in the last couple of years we have played Coventry and Queens Park Rangers, they have been bang at it and have made life difficult for us.
" So hopefully tomorrow we can go out and just continue our play and continue the way we are playing, and hopefully cause them a few problems on the night. Team-wise just little Bridgey (Marc Bridge-Wilkinson) is still out with his back problem, apart from that everybody is fit for selection, and obviously Richard (Offiong) is not eligible to play, so he will stay and train with us on Thursday and Friday. "