United boss Greg Abbott (GA) spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's James Phillips (JP) on Friday evening ahead of Carlisle's League One game against Brighton at the Withdean Stadium tomorrow, Abbott first talking about the challenge the Seagulls will pose :
JP
What a weekend it is for you going to a side like Brighton, and people genuinely optimistic despite all they have done this year?
GA
Yeah, they have been terrific Brighton, I did tip them I think at the start of the season with the money they had available, they bought well. Gus (Poyet) has got them playing good football, they have tried to play their way out of the division, they have got some fantastic results, and they hold all the cards at the moment.
But, this weekend is about us coming down here and ruining their party and trying to stop them progressing. It will be a tough game for us because points are really important for them at the moment, but they are close to the finishing line really and they will probably see this as four or five good results would maybe see them cross the line. But, it is up to us to make sure we cause them problems, like we have done most teams on our travels and try to come away with something out of the game.
JP
I know how you like stats, here is one that is still under a little bit of debate, and it is that Carlisle haven't won four matches in the league away from home on the trot for about 16 years minimum, what about that?
GA
Yeah, I am not bothered about stats and stuff, it is nice to have that and it would be nice if we could make it four, it would be nice if we could make it five and six and seven. But, we will not get carried away too much with all the things that are documented, but we are just coming here tomorrow with a bit of confidence, not a great deal of fear, the boys are looking forward to it, it is a nice place to come to play football, although the Withdean sort of spoils that.
But, that doesn't come into the equation because we won't let the players worry about that too much. But, I think everybody is in good spirits and reasonably pleased with the sort of progress we are making with the group we have got. We have added to that this week which is great and it will give us a little bit more strength and a little bit more experience. So, we are looking to push on now, it is important for ourselves to get as many points as we can before we do the Wembley thing, and we give ourselves a real target for after that.
JP
You mentioned changes within the squad, we will talk about each little one in due course, but I will start with your new man (Harry Arter), in from Bournemouth, what can you tell us about him?
GA
We felt certainly after the Sheffield Wednesday game that we needed to try to change sometimes within the games the way we play. We can change to an extent at the minute but we haven't got any width really, we have been using Matty (Robson) at full-back and (Ben) Marshall is probably the only one that is a genuine out and out wide player that can play there. But, we feel he has been quite effective down the middle as well, so Harry has got that ability to play left or right to be fair.
So, if we wanted to change and give ourselves a little bit more width and a different sort of option within a game, he is a good footballer, he is a really good footballer who is quite comfortable wherever you put him. He could play central like Ben and could play left or right, he doesn't have the pace that Ben has got but certainly has a real good footballing ability and makes things happen.
So, he gives us that option. Marco (Marc-Antoine Gbarssin) is a little bit like for like with what we have got, and he would be a like for like change if you understand what I mean. But, Harry certainly gives us that ability to be able to change the formation within a game, which is what we have been looking for. It is an awkward time to try to find players, because nobody wants to let anybody go at the minute, everybody is either chasing off relegation or trying to get into the promotion pack.
So, players are difficult to come by but we have done well to get Harry and hopefully he will play a big part and he is somebody we will certainly look at, not just for a month but for something further down the line if he is successful.
JP
Just on the left-sided option, one fan raised the point with me when you were talking about not having that genuine left-sided option after Charlton, why you didn't put Gary Borrowdale back to left-back and use Matty Robson, is he not a genuine left-sided option?
GA
Matty Robson is genuinely left-sided without a shadow of a doubt, but if you look at Matty's performances this season, he has probably been more successful this year at left-back, and I can't explain why and he can't explain why than he has been playing on the left-wing. It is funny because the games he has been playing left-wing he hardly gets any crosses in, but when he has been playing at full-back he has been getting loads of crosses in, so try to explain that one.
So, that is part of the reason why we have persevered with Matty and we are saying to him to try to make that left-back spot your own for the timebeing and keep Gary at bay. He has not really for me, and we have spoken to him about it, given his best performances on the left-hand side of midfield or left-wing as you want to call it. That is the reason we have brought Harry in, to see if he can keep Matty where he is who is doing ever so well, and give us that bit of quality on that side of the pitch.
JP
A bit of business with Walsall as well over the last 24/48 hours, one going there (Gbarssin) and one coming back from there, Jason Price back into the squad, how has he got on there and what is his immediate future? He gives you that option of a bit of height upfront which you have lost with Gary Madine?
GA
Yeah, his immediate future is not good, because he is going to have to have an injection in his Achilles which has been bothering him for a while. He is going to have that on Tuesday and we are going to have to wait for him to get properly fit, I think that is why his loan at Walsall has petered out a little bit because he has not been able to give them 100% because of his nagging, persistent Achilles problem. So, he is going to go down to London on Tuesday and have that seen to.
JP
What about Marco Gbarssin going there then? What is the thinking behind that move?
GA
Well, I just touched on that before that Marco is a little bit for like, we have got Paul Thirlwell back in full training on Monday, so that gives us another experienced body there, and obviously we think a lot of Paul. But, Marco is a bit like for like with the other three midfield players and Paul that he is basically a sitter, one that can hold his position in front of the back four, we think Paul can do that, we think (James) Berrett could do that, we think probably Tom Taiwo could do that.
So, we have let Marco go and get some games, which he deserves and we have swapped him obviously for Paul coming back and Harry that gives us that extra little bit of something on either side of the midfield, or even down the middle in front of that midfield quartet that can create something for us.
JP
And a good bit of news is that Liam Cooper is back with the club, Lubo Michalik hopefully getting closer and closer to the fold again. But, as good as that news is those players' emergence has really brought the best out of the two players (Danny Livesey and Peter Murphy) you have got in the middle of defence at the moment?
GA
No, it is good news, don't you worry about that, listen, I would rather have four or five fighting for every position. I know that finances would suggest that it couldn't happen in every position, but we have got that situation now and those sort of scenarios generally make people stay and remain on top of their form. It is pressure, and good pressure and nice pressure for everybody to be looking over their shoulder and thinking if they are not playing as well as they need to be then there is somebody else that can step in. So, that for me is a good situation as a manager.
If you look at my bench, on Tuesday night we only had six on the bench due to Francois (Zoko's) illness, and if you look at the age group and the experience of that bench and it is not what I would want, it is not what a manager would want. We want bigger and more experienced players on the bench, so we can change situations, hence what we couldn't really do against Sheffield Wednesday.
Because, we didn't really have that quality and that experience and that nous to change things. I think at the moment I am a really happy bunny because I have got a bit more of my experienced players and players I know that can come in to the team now and hopefully make a difference.
JP
There will be fans jumping on the coaches to come down here in the morning, a very early start for them no doubt, the best of luck to everyone and those listening to BBC Radio Cumbria Sport, what sort of game do you think they can expect from Brighton?
GA
Well, Brighton like to play out and out 100% football, so they are generally the teams that we have done well against. So, I think we are going to try to play, that is for sure, we are going to try to play our game and we know what Brighton can and can't do. But, we are certainly going to open up and come at them and play and try to score goals.
We know where they have got strengths, we need to make sure we are not too wide open, but generally when teams come at us they open up for us to go at them. So, I think it will be a really entertaining game, and one of the types of games that we have done reasonably well in. But, we are under no illusions of the size of the task, I don't think Brighton have been beaten at home all season, so we have to be positive, realistic and have a proper set out game-plan.
JP
Just quickly, one I have forgotten, Francois Zoko, has he recovered?
GA
He has recovered yeah, he is in the restaurant now eating his pasta, so he will be fine and hopefully he won't have a Dehli belly like he did on Tuesday night.
JP
Putting the half a stone on he lost on Monday then?
GA
Something like that, he is like myself, we are both losing weight, in great shape and looking forward to the rest of the season.