United boss Greg Abbott (GA) spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's James Phillips (JP) at Thursday morning's press conference for the local media, Abbott first talking about Carlisle's upcoming game against Walsall on Saturday :
GA
We have trained ever so well, trained hard and I think the boys are ready, looking at Monday and Tuesday's training they are ready for a game, so hopefully it won't have an effect having a week off but we will find out on Saturday. But, the Premier League and Championship do it quite often so it won't have any effect, certainly the result will have no bearing on the fact that we missed a game last Saturday, the result will be the result whatever so it is not something we are even thinking about to be honest, we just want to get ready, get going and keep the run going that we are on.
MK Dons in their programme notes said we were a bogey side to them before they beat us earlier in the season. So, there's no easy games, there are no givens, they (Walsall) came from a goal down to win against Sheffield Wednesday, they've drawn more than they would have liked. But, they are a decent side, they work their socks off, they're fighting for their lives just above the drop zone so it won't be easy. It will be another one that if we don't get an early goal then patience is a key.
Last week we said all these things and we got the early goal and the game panned out nicely for us, and hopefully Saturday will be more of the same. But, I think we can't just throw caution to the wind and leave ourselves open to the counter-attack, which is probably where they will be looking, but they won't want to get beat so they will get men behind the ball and yet again it is up to us to try to force a way in and try to find a way of breaking that down and keeping our own goal intact at the same time.
JP
And the chance of three wins in a row for the first time under your tenure tomorrow?
GA
I didn't even know to be honest, I knew we were on a good unbeaten run but I didn't realise that we hadn't won three on the bounce, it has been two wins and a draw quite a lot because we seem to be on some decent runs through the thing. But, I didn't know that stat to be honest so there you go, let's hope to put it right.
JP
You have allowed Ben Mckenna to go out on loan, what do you hope for him to achieve from his time with Annan?
GA
We need to see where Ben is, obviously with the way the team has been playing and the way the squad has been building and the quality we have got, he was going to find it difficult to get through. So, we have sent him there and Harry Cairney is going to have a really good look at him and keep us updated, he is going to train with us on a Monday and we are going to see where we think he is in terms of level-wise. It is an opportunity for him to show people what he can do and the games will do him the world of good.
JP
In terms of a couple of players perhaps on the way back from injury, close to maybe being back in the first team, Stephen O'Halloran is one of them of course, how close is he now and how sharp and how maybe ready is he to be back in the frame?
GA
Yeah, we have had Stephen and we have had Welshy (Andy Welsh) all back now, we are just waiting for Craig Curran, that is the only one and we have got a full quote, and as a manager it is exactly what we need. We said that come the end of January we needed the biggest squad we have got with the depth of the squad, we were a bit thin on the ground over the Christmas period should we have had any injuries or suspensions, which fortunately we didn't, and now we have got a full quota we can look forward to hopefully picking up some more results and we have that depth to our squad. We should have a strong bench on Saturday with the players we have got available.
JP
Is O'Halloran like Welsh now back available for selection if required?
GA
Yeah, everybody is fit, so everybody is available yeah.
JP
Except Craig Curran, how far off do you think he is?
GA
Getting closer, maybe some time next week he should be around the squad, so Craig apart we are nearly there.
JP
I notice Rory Loy is starting to get a bit more prolific on twitter again, how is he getting along with his injury and recovery?
GA
I am just going to say it is going to be slow because that is what it is, he has broken his bone twice in two different places so I think he is just going to be sulking and moping about taking time to get it right. But, I don't think we will be looking at Rory getting back on the training ground much before May in the lightest possible sense. So, I think we have just got to leave him and stop reminding him about it by writing about him and talking about him, just let him have this next month or six weeks and then once I think he is walking pain-free I think we will probably see the start of a recovery in terms of what he does in the gym.
JP
I notice that Paddy Madden is doing a lot of cooking for him though, is that likely to help him or hinder?
GA
Probably hinder, but to be fair I brought Paddy back from training today because the lads left him, only because he did a bit extra, and he is telling me he cooked salmon last night, wrapped in tin foil, a little bit of milk, a little bit of butter and it sounded fantastic, so there you go, Paddy might have some other culinary habits that we didn't know about, let's not knock him until we have tried him.
JP
What about your new signing? (Jordan Cook) Is he likely to be in the squad? In the frame for the weekend?
GA
Yeah, I mean I think like I said everybody fit and here has got a chance of being in the squad. We haven't picked it yet, we are seeing how everybody is, one or two little niggles within that group but he has come to get involved and hopefully that will be the case.
JP
He has not signed in the way you perhaps brought (Chris) Chantler in early doors just to have a look at him, he is here to threaten that first team?
GA
No, he is one that is good to go as they say, he has been round Sunderland's first team, he has been out to a League One club last season at Walsall and did really, really well, so he will be chomping at the bit. I have told him we are on a decent run and he might have to be a little bit patient but he is ready to play.
JP
And one of the things he talked about on signing was how he knew about Carlisle United's reputation for developing players and he got good advice from Liam Noble as well, how important has it been for you to cultivate that?
GA
Well, I am not sure I would be giving anybody advice from Liam Noble to take seriously, but if he is giving him good advice he is getting there. But, listen, we know all about Jordan, we have known about him for over two years and we are in constant dialogue with Sunderland about their young players and their development and he is one that we know quite a bit about and we think he is ready to make an impact at this level, and given the opportunity I am sure he will. So, it is part of the recruitment process that we are ready, like I said at the start of the month, to make sure that at the end of the month we are as strong as we were at the start, and at the minute we are better off than we were.
JP
More on that in a minute but how important has it been for you though, you have developed this reputation since you have come here that Carlisle United are a club who help players on and clearly he has felt that in coming here, has that been one of the biggest things that you have achieved thus far?
GA
Yeah, if that's what you are saying and that's what people are thinking then fine, you know we don't bang our drum here. It is good that big clubs like Manchester City and Manchester United and Sunderland are trusting us to look after, and Newcastle as well, trust us to look after their young players and hopefully develop them.
We know what we do, we think what we do is right and if that is spreading back to the clubs that they have come from then that is fantastic because these clubs have got a lot of young players that need some football at an interim level, like even David Beckham went out on loan didn't he to Preston which is well documented. But, if we can be on peoples' lists that if their players are going to come here and be looked after and be developed and are going to come back better players then that is all well and good. If that is the case then that is a pat on the back to the club and everybody that is helping in that.
JP
A couple of weeks left of the transfer window, do you expect to see much more by the way of players coming in to Brunton Park?
GA
Not really, we have got a decent squad at the minute with a decent bit of depth to it, so I think where we are at the minute is not bad. So, unless there are some crazy things happening, which there always is, whether it will filter down to our level I don't know but we are OK as we are right now.
JP
How about interest for your players? Has there been anything else on that?
GA
No, worryingly, worryingly, we are either not as good as we think we are or people are going to come in right at the last gasp, but at the minute there is nothing happening.
JP
That was going to be my next question, if they were going to come in with serious offers would you not rather it was sooner rather than at the end of the month when you would have no time to react?
GA
Honestly, it doesn't matter what I would rather, it is what happens that means it is sometimes out of my hands. The good thing is that if they come in on the 29th or 30th of January then you have got a good chance of not being around to answer your phone for a couple of days or palming it off for a couple of days. So, the longer they leave it the less time they are giving for a deal to be done, so I am reasonably comfortable with all this that is going on at the minute.
JP
You are not inviting interest either way?
GA
Absolutely not, no way.