United boss Greg Abbott (GA) spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's James Phillips (JP) at Thursday's press conference for the local media, Abbott first talking about the news that Carlisle's former loanee from Manchester United, in James Chester, is set to sign for Hull City on a permanent transfer :
Blues boss Greg Abbott
GA
It is a big blow, it will be determined on what we can do about that situation, how big it turns out. But, if we can replace him with something as good then it won't be a blow and we have seen a young player develop and go on to better things from our club as a platform. But, at the minute it is a big blow.
JP
How key do you think that is that you have just mentioned there? The platform that Carlisle provide in terms of you attracting the attention of other big clubs and perhaps getting more of their players?
GA
It has been a massive success story for this club, and again in the bigger picture, and we have to look at the bigger picture, there are a lot of Premier League managers taking notes of what we are doing. We are getting a lot of credibility from the work we are doing with these players and certainly you can go back to Adam Clayton, Adam Clayton has gone on to bigger and better things, James Chester has gone on to bigger and better things.
Other players have gone on to bigger and better things from this level and that would encourage I would think Premier League managers to leave them with us and let us develop them and see how they turn out, so it has been a success for us.
JP
Speaking of which, Ben Marshall, has he been encouraged to continue by Stoke as you know it at this stage?
GA
Yeah, at the minute Ben's is a tricky situation and it is one that we are hoping will get resolved today. But, there are a couple of issues, I will probably give you more on that maybe Friday or certainly later on in the week. But, I would hope that gets itself sorted out today, but again, the issue, I have got the full support of Stoke City.
I have spoken to the manager (Tony Pulis) today who has been absolutely outstanding, terrific in what he has said about us as a club and the way we have dealt with Ben and what he wants to see Ben doing from now on in. That has given me a real boost this afternoon to think that we can wrap that one up today and get it all sorted out.
JP
And your inkling on that one is you are hopeful that one will be completed?
GA
Well, after the conversation with the manager now I am more than hopeful, which this morning I was still hopeful but until you actually speak to Tony and then get it first-hand of what he wants and sees from Ben, I think now it will take its course.
JP
What is the latest you can tell us about the two players (Mike Grella and Lubomir Michalik) on loan from Leeds?
GA
Er, Leeds haven't returned any of our enquiries at the moment, and obviously it would tell me that they are looking to see if they can get the best deal for their football club in terms of Lubo and Mike. That might even be to keep them with Leeds United, but at the minute we have not had dialogue with Leeds, so they are at the minute not coming back to this club as we speak.
JP
Have you spoken to the two players? Do you know of their intentions at this stage?
GA
It doesn't really matter what their intentions are at this minute, it depends on what Leeds United do because they are actually employed by them and they direct them. Sometimes choice isn't with the player, it is with the club, and in this instance the choices are with Leeds United, and we haven't had dialogue with them.
JP
What about Tom Cruise and Arsenal? He has got a little bit longer on his loan deal but he is one of your few left-back options at the moment, are you intending to try to keep him longer-term?
GA
I am going to speak to Tom after Saturday's game, his loan is up on Saturday and then we will speak to him after the game and then everybody else will know at the same time as Tom does himself.
JP
Are you looking to try to get somebody in on a permanent basis though? Do you need to do that with the situation with poor Sean McDaid at the moment?
GA
I think the left-back is a situation that needs resolving, I think the minimum I would want is a half-term loan for that position. That is something we are looking at, ideally we would like to do a permanent deal because then that resolves the situation and we bring a player into our back four who we can work into our back four, who can learn the way we want to do things. But, we will have to see how that resolves itself, but ideally minimum would be a half-season loan for the left-back position.
JP
What is the situation with Marc Bridge-Wilkinson at the moment?
GA
Bridgey is at Darlington, we are speaking to Darlington about possibly them extending that for the half-season loan or even a permanent. That is what I think Darlington want to do, I have got to speak to Bridgey and see what Bridgey wants to do and see if we can make it can all happen.
If it can happen and it suits all the three parties then we will resolve it, but at the moment I haven't spoken to Bridgey so I am not sure what he is actually thinking. But, Marc is very keen, he has done well for Darlington and we will wait until I have spoken to Bridgey for that one.
JP
I have just seen Jason Price back in the office out there as well, is he looking to come back into your reckoning at the moment?
GA
Well, he is back training so I think he has enjoyed the fact he has had some pitch-time at Bradford. But, yeah, Jase is back and the situation remains the same with Jay, he is a great lad to have around and he will back in the training and he will be looking to get as much pitch-time as he can now with us while he is with us.
JP
I believe you have finally got the clearance through for Marco Gbarssin, great news and might the fans expect to see a bit of him at the weekend?
GA
Well, we have got him as cover, again he is on a short-term contract, we want to see what he can do. We will have a look at the squad and what we have got available and what has been done before Saturday and if there is anything done. We are working all the time to try to make the squad better but he looks good in training, so he will be part of the squad, that is for sure on Saturday, and we will see how we use him later on in the week.
JP
And Nahki Wells, is he closer to being a Carlisle player and how is he in your reckoning?
GA
Well, he is not very well at the moment, he is back from Bermuda, he has got that flu bug that is going around. So, there are a couple of complications with that, which is normal with where he has come from. I think the club are trying to resolve that, but it is a circumstance that we didn't know about and might make it a little bit tricky.
But, we are trying to resolve it and bring Nahki in for a five-month period and see what he does. But, again, like I said to you, you need to maybe leave Nahki for a month while he finds his feet. It is his first time at a full-time professional club and we don't expect big things from him early, but we are hopeful he can show us a little bit to do something further down the line.
JP
We will talk more about ins and outs in a short while, we must get on to the FA Cup, how exciting is it to be back involved with that competition at the weekend?
GA
Well, it is very exciting, we think we are going there with a good chance of progressing. We know we have got issues at the moment that are taking some sorting out, but we are trying very, very hard and exceptionally hard to do that.
But, whatever squad we go down with we think we have got a squad capable of getting a result at Torquay. We would love to be in the hat for the fourth round draw and that is the be-all and end-all is make sure that in a cup tie you just make sure that you get through, and you are in the hat for the next round.
JP
What do you expect from Torquay, they seem to be a team who try to score more than the opposition but don't always manage to?
GA
Well, let's hope they try to score three but concede five and they don't get through. They will want to prove that they are better than League One players and they will want to progress for a number of reasons.
JP
One player who is doing well for them since their promotion, Elliot Benyon who they are saying has been the subject of a number of enquiries already. Is he the sort of player who might interest you and is he a player who you expect to be a bit of a threat against your guys?
GA
He will be a threat, he has done very, very well for Torquay and I am sure he is going to be a threat.
JP
How far off is Danny Livesey at this stage? Presumably he is not going to be available for the weekend?
GA
He is going to come with us because now we need to really……. He has missed a lot of ground with the weather and the training facilities, but I have told Danny that he has to come with us. He is going to train on Saturday before the game and then he is going to do the warm-up as well with the game. But, again that is to try to play a bit of catch-up with Danny.
We are probably looking at having him possibly, possibly on the bench for the following weekend. But, Dolly (Neil Dalton) is telling me that is too early, but we will have to see how he does in the training and see what his progress is next week.
JP
What about Andy Cook? What is the situation regarding him at the moment?
GA
What do you mean?
JP
His future at Carlisle United, we are hearing that he looks like he might be moving on in the near future?
GA
Well, no, you will have to speak to your contacts then, if your contacts have told you he is moving then they need to be telling me. But, as far as I know he is our player and he is contracted to the end of the season, so that is a strange one.
JP
Richard Offiong then, the news has come through this week that he has moved on, what are your overall feelings on that one?
GA
Erm, that it was time for him to go, time for him to move on, trying to get some football, trying to sort himself out. Let's look at it this way, it didn't work for him and it didn't work for me, and I think what I do now is that Richard has got to go and find himself and get some football if that is what he wants to do, or somebody is telling me he wants to go down a different avenue, if he wants to do that then he has to do that.
But, I think it was time for Richard to sort of make the move because he was sort of not going to get through here through whatever reason. People can blame whatever they want but sometimes as an individual you have to have a good look at yourself and think why didn't that work? I have had a look at why I didn't think it worked and Richard has to do the same, but he is off now, he has gone now, and we wish him all the best.
JP
What about the players within your squad? Any enquiries coming in at this stage? Anyone pressing quite hard for anyone in there? Are you fending off bids?
GA
Yeah, massive bids for everybody, we are getting money thrown at us and all sorts for all sorts of players. But, it is busy, it is really busy, loads of enquiries about loads of players, but at the minute I am trying to recruit not dissect. So, until I can get somebody in there is no way that anybody is going out.
But, there are enquiries about people, some just polite ones to find out what is happening with certain players and some to find out what we have got available, and from all different levels as well. But, at the minute I am sort of deflecting those phone calls and concentrating on recruiting and not getting rid.
JP
Are you close on anyone at the moment?
GA
Er, not far off.
JP
For any fans who are a bit anxious for you to strengthen the squad, should the Richard Offiong saga serve as a reminder that you mustn't be rushed and the club mustn't be rushed?
GA
Yeah, I think that is a good statement, I think that is a fair point. We have got to make sure that we get players in that are going to make us better and not rush in to stuff short-term. But, if fans are anxious then they want to be sat in my shoes.
Because, I am the one who has got to put a team out on Saturday that is expected to win and needs to win and wants to progress in this competition. So, if they are anxious just let them be me for a day and they would know what real anxiety is. But, we deal with it, it is part of the job and we are getting on with it and we are trying to rectify it as quickly as we can.
JP
And just finally, you have talked in the last couple of games about the league form and where you want that to be, does this provide you with an opportunity to take a bit of that pressure off the players and try to just get back to playing the football they enjoy?
GA
Well, there is pressure on every game, there is pressure on us because there is a lot of money at stake, and there is a lot of revenue to be gained. If we win the tie and get Manchester United then that is massive for this club isn't it as everybody knows.
So, there is pressure on this one as well, but take the league thing out of the way and we just concentrate on the cup thing. It is nice, the cup has got a nice side to it, but still we have got the same pressure attached to it as a league game has. But, we are going there to try win a game and that is the pressure I am putting on the boys at the moment.