United boss Greg Abbott spoke to
BBC Radio Cumbria's James Phillips at Monday morning's press conference for the local media, Abbott first looking ahead to Carlisle's Johnstone's Paint Trophy Northern Area Final second leg tie at home Leeds tomorrow :
"It is excitement ahead of tomorrow night, it is nice to see the people queueing up for tickets. I think we are going to get a nice crowd, it is a nice game to look forward to. We have worked hard over the past few weeks to give a good account of ourselves in everything we do. So tomorrow night is another massive tough game, but a lot at stake and we are hopeful we can do the same tomorrow, give a really good fist of it and see where it takes us.
"So we have given it every attention right the way through from round one and that is the way I operate. I don't need anybody from above or within the club to tell me to play and win games, I try my best to win every game. Because I think there are only bonuses come from winning games, I don't think there are any positives out of any game that you get beat.
"I think on a personal note it is a huge night tomorrow you know. I think most managers would dream about leading their team out at Wembley, I think most managers would like to reach a cup final as well, so it has got positives all round. Most managers would want to win their next game, and that is what it is.
"I am keen for the club to do well. I was keen in the first round, I was keen in the next round and as things build you get a bit more excitement with it and a bit more of an occasion. But we have got an issue there that we could be at Wembley if we win the game, so it is a big night for us.
"It is going to be another tough game, they have got some terrific players, they have got massive strength in depth, they have got a real big squad to pick from. They will come here thinking that they have got as good a chance of getting to a cup final as we have.
"It will be the toughest game we have had in a while, because they always are against Leeds. They have got some quality there but we think we are a tough proposition as well at the moment. So I think it will be a crackerjack game and one full of excitement, and let's hope we are the ones who come out on top. "
"I think if Jermaine Beckford doesn't play then Mike Grella might play with Luciano Becchio, and they have got Gary McSheffrey as well and Bradley Johnson and Robert Snodgrass as well. So I can keep reading names out so we will give as much respect to them as we would Jermaine.
"But he is a goalscorer and he is obviously a major player for them. I don't think we can start thinking we are lucky if he doesn't play or does play. I think we have got to prepare as if it is going to be a really tough occasion and get the balance of our team right. We get our performance right and hopefully we can sort it out.
"I think winning the midfield battle is the key in every game. If you win your midfield area it is where everything ticks and where everything happens. It is the engine room and a lot of games are decided if you get the upper hand in there.
"Because if you get control of possession and you are compact with the ball and compact without the ball then you protect your back four and it gives you licence to get forward and a platform to build off. If you do that then you generally have the upper hand in games and that is another thing that we will be trying to do. Not just tomorrow night but in all the games we play.
"The pros coming out of Saturday's game at Huddersfleld are that we have got a really strong united squad. We were powerful in the second half, we thought we were good for large spells of the first half. Certainly in the second half we thought we were very powerful, very strong, we finished the game with a lot of energy and a real togetherness about us and a real solid look to our team. "
"We made life difficult for an outstanding home team with outstanding players and we got a lot of positives from their camp, which is nice. A lot of people within the game were telling us how well we had done, they are positives and we have to maintain and build on performances like that. And even the Coichester one we thought we played very, very well to get nothing out of the game.
"So if we can do that against those types of sides, Leeds United are one of those types of sides, we feel we can do it again and we have to do it again. I think it looks good for the future because I think we are an improving side and we are getting a lot of respect within our division.
"We have no choice but to live without Darryl Duffy and Ben Marshall tomorrow. We have to cope because they are not available, we have coped with it before and we will cope with it again. But they have come in and done smashing, Ben looked a real threat coming in off the wide, got his goal and maybe with a bit more luck he could have had the header as well.
"But Darryl's attitude and the way he is around the place already, he is a top professional person. Like good people, he is low maintenance, he gets on with it and nothing is a problem. He comes in, does his work, plays his games and he is absolutely terrific.
"I think about lots of things all the time and at the minute Darryl's situation is that when he becomes available you have to be interested in those types of players. But it is something I have not really given a great deal of thought to at the moment. "
"Because we have got pressing engagements with the amount of games we have got. But certainly the way he is playing and the way he is around the dressing room, I like the type of person he is.
"I think our players are always playing under pressure, I think they produce the better stuff when they have been under pressure to be honest. In the play-off games against Leeds we were very, very good, we took a top, top club right to the wire. We are probably going to do the same again but I think both teams are under pressure.
"They are under pressure for different reasons and we have got our own reasons. But I just think that everyone has got to come and enjoy the occasion, I am looking forward to the occasion, I am sure the fans are looking forward to the occasion. We did at Everton, we enjoyed that and with a tad more luck we might have got through that one, so we didn't buckle over there by any means did we.
"We can point to possibly a little bit of paintwork as to why we didn't progress in that competition. So we have done it once, more than once, and let's hope we can produce again. There is nothing to be fearful of there is loads to look forward to and it is where you want to be. There are a lot of teams in our league I think would like to be in the competition fighting for tomorrow night's prize.
"Joe Anyinsah has trained today and looked OK. He is coming tomorrow night, he has trained today and it is probably the best he has trained since his injection. So we are going to see how it settles down. "
"We are not going to make any decisions yet because there is no decision to be made until we find out if Joe is comfortable with it or not. Because he had a reaction last week but he said today that he did feel better before training, so we are hopeful.
"Ian Harte has trained today, I think we have had to look after him. Hamstrings are nightmare injuries for footballers because if they go you are talking six to eight weeks and with a chance of it not clearing up properly and it coming back. So we are going to look at both Hartey and Danny Livesey tomorrow, but at the minute we are looking pretty positive on the injury front that we could be near enough at full strength again.
"We are OK elsewhere but we are going to wait and see with the amount of games we have had and the workload and the little niggles that have been there. We are going to leave everything until tomorrow morning and we are going to go from there. I am just looking to select a team tomorrow and try to win the game, that is what I am trying to do.
"I am extremely disappointed for Stuart McCall that he has left Bradford City and he will be hurting because it his club and he has it in his blood. But I will speak to him later on today because I knew, obviously reading between the lines on Saturday that things weren't great for him. But he has made a brave decision with the board and he will be hurting.
"He is a really, really good guy and you never like to see good guys upset, but he will be at the moment. Managing Bradford City is something I have ever even thought about, I am the manager of Carlisle and I love my job here. I have got a massive cup tie to think about tomorrow and that is basically all I have control over, I have no sentiment."
