United boss Greg Abbott (GA) spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's Paul Newton (PN) this week ahead of Carlisle's Good Friday League One match away to Wycombe Wanderers, Abbott first talking about the Blues needing to get through the Easter period unscathed :
GA
The important thing is that we just keep this little bit of run going. We are not............... It would be nice for the club to get some recognition but the most important thing is this Easter period where, again, if we can come through unscathed, five to go, we are right in the right area for the goal we have set ourselves at the start of the season.
PN
It has been a great month for you but I would imagine as weeks go you can't have had too many better than the one you have just had?
GA
No, phenomenal, I mean, it's funny, I think I have said this before but Eric Kinder said to me sometime in mid-February 'do you know you have got an unbelievable March, a really difficult March, and if you can get through that then we might be alright?' He said 'we are away at Bournemouth, we are away at Colchester, you have got MK Dons away, you have got Huddersfield at home and Notts County away and all those sorts of fixtures'.
So, to just get beaten in the first one at Notts County away and then go the rest of the month unbeaten I think as a club shows that we are making significant progress. Certainly on the road our form has improved dramatically in a short space of time, and now our away record over the season doesn't look ridiculously bad. But, it does give us a platform to keep doing what we are doing at home, and getting the points we need to be where we are. So, we have got through a really tough month with absolutely flying colours, and anything like that this month and we have got a fantastic chance.
PN
What has the past seven games in particular said about the character and the mentality of your squad?
GA
Well, it has said a lot, it has said that they are a fantastic group of players, really determined to make the city proud of them and give them something to cheer come the end of the season. I know how good they are, I don't need to say that because I have said it time and time again. They are a credit to work with, they are a joy on the training ground, and there are not too many times this season when they have let us down.
There have been the obvious blips but I keep saying, even the Huddersfields and Charltons and Sheffield Wednesday have had those types of performances, and they have spent fortunes with their players and we haven't, and for that the boys should take a great deal of credit and optimism for the rest of the season.
It is just trying to get the supporters to believe and not listening to one or two of the more negative comments. Over the piece, I was talking to Andy (Hall) about it the other day, since I took over after the Stockport game the club has done nothing but progress, it has done nothing but improve. Sometimes improve slowly, sometimes improve rapidly, but all it has done is go forward and for that you would think you would have near enough everybody on your side.
It has not taken a backward step really in all that time, we have had the odd individual performance not up to scratch but over the piece and over the periods the club has improved significantly, and for that we should be really pleased and look forward with optimism rather than too many negative thoughts.
PN
A crucial Easter period for you now isn't it, two games in quick succession, you will be keeping your fingers crossed no doubt that you come through relatively unscathed?
GA
Yeah, I think best said line of the week, I think best said line of the season I think from Jon (Colman's) newspaper, our local paper, was keep calm. I think that is the key, we have got to make sure that nobody gets carried away with what we have just achieved because at this minute we haven't actually achieved anything.
I know these two games will be as tough as the Huddersfield game, absolutely as tough, I think Wycombe have gone six or seven unbeaten, they were terrific when they came here, really unfortunate not to win, again you might put that down to our grit and our determination and a bit of luck on the day. Scunthorpe as well, fighting for their lives, on a really good run, winning games now, and need to get points to survive and make sure that their season ends peacefully and not going to the wire.
But, Wycombe look like they are going to go all the way so they will be very, very tough on Friday and we have to get this into our players' mindsets today, tomorrow and right the way through until we get to the kick-off that this will be really, really tough. The Huddersfield thing and the MK Dons thing, it takes care of itself because they are big games and players get themselves up for that. But, I think the backroom staff will have to make sure that we are a bit harsh with them this week and make sure they realise the job ahead and how difficult it will be.