United boss Greg Abbott (GA) spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's James Phillips (JP) at Thursday afternoon's press conference for the local media, Abbott first talking about the deciding day of the League One play-off race coming up this Saturday afternoon :
GA
It is going to reach its climax on Saturday and hopefully it will be a really exciting climax and we we have something to look forward to after that. But, to take it right to the last game I think is testimony to the players and the way they have gone about their jobs and the way they have gone with everything, and the disappointment that they have suffered. The blips in the season they have responded to fantastically well, and they have had some really good long extended runs through the season. So, they have done brilliantly and let's hope we can finish it off on Saturday.
JP
Are we going to have 48 games, maybe 49?
GA
I wouldn't like 48, it is either 46 or 49, I think the worst scenario in the world is to do 48, but 49 or 46 will do me fine.
JP
How exciting is this game then at Oldham on Saturday? How excited are you about it?
GA
We have not built it up too much, everybody knows the importance of it, we have dealt with everything that has been thrown at us in the right manner. I thought the performance on Saturday was the right type of performance in the circumstances, we need to reproduce that without worrying too much about anything else. If we can get a win then we can start looking with a bit of anxiety around the country, but we need to win first and we are going to approach it in a positive manner, that is all you can do.
JP
They are all tough games, but do you think it is a good game to have, Oldham, because you could be playing a really top team or a really bottom team, both of those have their own pitfalls. You have got Oldham who you have had some cracking contests with this year?
GA
Yeah, I wish I could pick the perfect team and pick the perfect performance, but it is not that easy. We didn't know what to expect from Exeter, I thought they were terrific on the day in the way they attacked us. They were a bit vulnerable defensively but there is an obvious reason for that, they were looking for goals. Oldham might decide to play a little bit more cautious and defensive because they have not got a great deal to gain.
They certainly won't want to open up and be as expansive as us I don't think, but it might work out against us because they have got nothing to really go for broke for. Exeter had to come out because they needed that win, so there is no perfect team. I suppose a team that has not got a promotion push or a relegation fight is as good as it gets if you want to put it that way.
JP
Been on the phone to them asking for a favour for a fellow northern team?
GA
You get no favours, even my bestest mates in the game you get absolutely no favours. You wouldn't get a favour in training, I am telling you now in terms of football you wouldn't get a favour off anybody in training. I love Dicko (Paul Dickov) to bits and Gez (Gerry Taggart), they are good lads, and Lee Duxbury, I played with Lee, it will be war for 90 minutes just the same as it would be any other time. If the roles were reversed they wouldn't expect any different from me, so I don't expect to get one little drop of sympathy out of them, and we will see what happens at the end of the game.
JP
How do you manage the pressure on the day for the players, because they might say go a goal up and then the crowd might out of nowhere do a big cheer because they get wind of something else, it is going to be a tense sort of day for them all?
GA
Well, I hope that is the situation because it means we are closer than we are right now. So, if that is the case where we are a goal up and there is a roar from the crowd, it means we are right in the mix. What happens after that I am not sure I can do a great deal about it. They are on the pitch, they are going for a result, they just have to crack on and try to do that.
JP
Is it impossible to try to keep them away from all of that and get them just concentrating on their match and their 90 minutes?
GA
Yeah, because if you watched the West Ham game they knew that Southampton were 2-0 up after ten minutes and it was like a morgue, the atmosphere was really, really solemn. So, they are going to find out, the players are going to know from the reaction at our end that results are going our way and that will spread to the pitch. There is nothing you can do about that.
JP
Nothing like being greedy, but I guess I hope whatever happens it does go right through the 90 minutes, because you don't want a morgue at Boundary Park from the thousands of Carlisle fans who are going down there?
GA
Well, listen, that is something that we can't.............. The way the season has gone it is out of our hands, the Stevenage manager (Gary Smith) made a very good point, at least the situation is in their hands now. So, there will always be tension around Stevenage, there will be tension around ours if results go our way. But, we can't really affect that so we just have to try to do our best in our game.
JP
Sheffield United obviously just about in the end did their part for us at the weekend, but how chuffed were you with the way that your team handled getting your part of the bargain done?
GA
Well, we have been pleased across the board this season with the way that our team has coped with near enough evreything thrown at them. Saturday, after a run of games where we could have had points and we had got nothing, and we could have had five or six points quite comfortably. So, we were disappointed, but the players have gone out and put on a positive performance, they have created loads of chances and they have got four goals, so we couldn't ask any more.
JP
You have got obviously a bit of a decision to make upfront with Jordan Cook having returned to Sunderland, how clear in your mind is that at this stage?
GA
Erm, it is not done, it is not done and dusted. I have had a look at them over the week and I have had a look at them in training today, tried two different things out and we will have a good look at it, well I will on my own tonight because I have had reaction and advice from everybody else. I need to make a decision now and then work on that tomorrow. But, the two systems that we thought about we have done today and I will make my mind up on personnel tomorrow.
JP
In terms of the squad, how is the injury situation? Couldn't probably cope with any more players being unavailable to you?
GA
No, apart from the obvious with Lee (Miller) and Chris (Chantler) everybody is on the pitch and everybody wants to play and everybody wants to be a part of it. So, we are alright, those are the bodies we have got left and those are the bodies we go with. But, at this stage of the season I think a few more clubs will be in a similar position to us. It is difficult to carry so many injuries but it has been a long hard season and we are just about there with enough bodies to get through, and we hope to do that.
JP
With those two, Chris Chantler and Lee Miller, and of course Rory Loy as well, we have seen this season quite famously how Jack Wilshere's injury has just dragged on and on and on, is there any fear that those injuries might stretch on a bit for you, or are you hopeful they will be firing for the summer?
GA
No, I think they will be fine, I don't think they are that serious, I think they are just ones that have come at the wrong time, we didn't have the timespan left to get them right, I don't think they will dwell.
JP
Rory though as well, he is looking to be fine?
GA
No, Rory's is straightforward, it is a nasty, nasty injury but it is a straightforward break that generally nine times out of ten, or even nine and three quarter times out of ten, he is a fit youg man with a terrific youth body on him. So, it will have to mend, the bone that breaks has to mend and it generally just mends, there is no.............. The complications are ligaments, cartilages and knees and things like that, tendons, stuff like that, but generally bones fix and it is just a time thing with that. I think he is almost certain to be with us pre-season.
JP
I must ask you about one player who has already been released, Christian Ribeiro who did very well in his loan spell here, is he the sort of player who would interest you and would you maybe have a look at him at this stage?
GA
Yeah, Frank Simek is not too interested in him. So, we will have to leave that one at that won't we.
JP
An extra body in the squad though if you can carry it?
GA
We don't carry two right-backs do we. You had better ask our board, if you can get another right-back in of that sort of quality with that sort of expense then you are a better man than me. Type of player, correct. Absolutey right. Done great for us and he is the sort that if we are going to move the club forward we are all looking at. But, we have got our own players's futures to talk about first and I think out of respect we need to talk about those players first. There are a whole host of players on my mind if and when our squad is put together that we start looking forward to bringing in.