Greg Abbott - Radio Cumbria Interview

Last updated : 16 October 2009 By Thetashkentterror

Blues boss Greg Abbott
United boss Greg Abbott (GA) spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's Paul Newton (PN) on Friday evening ahead of Carlisle's League One match at Yeovil tomorrow, Abbott talking about his first impressions of new signing Vincent Pericard :



PN

How has the day been so far?

GA

Good, good, we are nearly there now, we have just got the last three or four miles to go and then we are there. So the bulk of it is out of the way, that is the hard bit done, and we can get on with enjoying the football match after that.

PN

We have just talked about your new striker Vincent Pericard, how has he been looking in training this week?

GA

He has been good, we have all been impressed with his attitude and the way he has come into this football club. Because he is a player used to bigger things or higher levels of football, but he has come with a refreshing attitude. He just wants to do well, he wants to help himself and he wants to help the football club. So that is nice, and he has been very, very easy to deal with and very, very easy to work with.

PN

Are you still confident he has got a hunger to get his career back on track?

GA

Well if he hasn't then he is not going to get his career on track, so that is down to himself. He has come in with a great attitude, saying all the right things and ticking all the right boxes. He can only help himself now, nobody else can put him back in the Premier League or the Championship, only himself. So he has got to have the hunger and desire to do it because people very, very quickly find out that if they are not made of the right stuff it is very difficult to get back where he wants to be.

PN

And do you think perhaps the problems he has had in the past could be a positive in that they could make him more determined to get things back on track?

GA

Well you only get so many chances don't you and that is down to Vince as an individual. But I have spoken at length with him, I am in a situation where we can't take too many chances because we need that instant impact from him. When I spoke to him I spoke to him at length, I drove all the way to Manchester to meet him and talk to him for over an hour.

We have sort of monitored him closely in terms of what he is saying and what he is doing and how he is approaching things. And he has ticked all the boxes for us and hopefully tomorrow when he goes out, if when we pick the team he is in it then he goes out and gives of his best.

PN

And can you tell us at this stage whether Vincent will start tomorrow?

GA

No, not because I don't want our people to know, it is just I don't want Yeovil to know what we are going to do and how we are going to play. But he is certainly going to be in the frame and if he and when he gets time on the pitch, we want to see something that has a big impact.





PN

I have got to ask you about another striker, Gary Madine, Coventry's supposed interest in taking him on loan has been reported in the press this week, what is the situation with that?

GA

Well I have not spoken to Gary yet because he is ill and he has not been at the football club all week, he has had a week away with a virus so I have not spoken to Gary yet. But they have expressed an interest and we will see where that goes next week when I get the chance to speak to him face to face.

PN

Would you allow Gary to leave on loan and if so would that mean you would have to look at bringing another striker in? How far down the line is that?

GA

Well I don't think we need another striker, we have got four now and that is enough for our club, and they have got to start producing otherwise we are going to be in trouble.

PN

You have got a player in on trial at the moment, Emmanuel Richardson, what can you tell us about him?

GA

It was just a contact of Eric (Kinder's) from London who said that he looks decent, he is 17-years old and would we have a look at him. We have had a look at him and he has done ever so well, so he is going to spend a little bit more time with us before we decide what we do with him. He is at an age where he is probably going to be with Eric for a little bit and then if he progresses and if he produces then he comes with me as quickly as his development allows.

PN

What position does he play?

GA

He is probably one off the striker, inbetween midfield and attack. He can probably be up alongside him but probably the first striker coming short. He is an attacking player, possibly he could even have a midfield role but he has definitely got an attacking slant to his game.

PN

Onto tomorrow's game, you slipped into the relegation places this week after Brighton's win. Does that add extra pressure tomorrow?

GA

I don't think it does right now, listen, it is something we can't ignore, it is something that we are not happy about and it is something that you don't like to see when you look at the table. But I think it is too early in the piece to start talking about definite pressure, if we were sitting here on the 45th game of the season then we wouldn't be too impressed with it, but we need to get some results.

You look at the table and 14 points is stuck in 11th position so the table is a little bit cockeyed at the moment but we need those wins and those results to move us away from that area. Because it is concerning and it doesn't look good when you see it in the newspapers.

PN

And injury-wise, how are you looking ahead of tomorrow's game?

GA

Fine, we are absolutely fine, we are still without David Raven and we are still without Paul Thirlwell, apart from that we have got a clean bill to go from.