United boss Greg Abbott (GA) spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's James Phillips (JP) at Tuesday morning's press conference for the local media, Abbott in the second and final part of a lengthy interview first saying that Carlisle have had some terrific performances this season :
GA
The club has shown it can compete, it can achieve, we have won a trophy and we have had some terrific performances this year. There is no reason why players shouldn't be looking at us in a light thinking that they can get some success here. I certainly think throughout the football world people give us that respect and I think that the club has deserved that with the way it has performed. But, there is a long way to go and there is a lot of work still to do, we have still got to keep improving and it is never easy because of the obstacles we have got in front of us.
JP
There is a chance now, certainly in some of the fans' minds that the season could just fizzle out after this with the remaining league games that you have got. How much do you want that not to be the case?
GA
Well, we had a meeting for 45 minutes today about that, because there are a lot of fans paying good money to watch us up and down the country. We owe ourself performances, never mind anybody else, but you have certainly got to think about people taking time and money and expense to travel and watch us. So, we are looking to get as many points as we can and I will be very, very disappointed if we run out of steam.
But, at the minute losing Liam (Cooper) is going back to Hull and Harry Arter back to Bournemouth and losing Ben (Marshall) if we do for a number of weeks, it is going to make life very, very difficult for us in terms of numbers and quality and strength and depth. But, the ones that are playing have got to go out there and show that they can do it, and it is opportunity knocks for some players.
JP
I didn't know that Liam Cooper was going back to Hull, what is the situation with that one?
GA
Liam has just decided..... His loan is up, his 28 day loan is up so today he just informed me that he has not been playing so he wants to go back to his parent club and create a good impression with them for the rest of the season. So, you have to respect that.
JP
What do you do then for this weekend coming then? Two games once again, you are Saturday-Tuesday, back into that already, how do you get everybody's head off Wembley and on to League One?
GA
Well, the sooner you have done this sort of interview that puts it to bed really. We have got to start thinking about league points and league positions and making sure players take advantage of the fact that there might be some opportunities for players to play that haven't been playing. That is the key to the remainder of the season that we need to build on what we have already achieved and not let it fizzle out. But, it is opportunity knocks for some players.
JP
And what in particular about Saturday's game then, that is the one we are looking forward to, MK Dons, they will feel that they owe Carlisle a little bit and it will be up to you on their home patch to stop them getting that revenge?
GA
Yeah, we have done well against them in the past, I think we did the double over them didn't we last season and we have had a win against them this year I think have we, a good one this year, if I try to remember right. So, listen, we have it again to do, I think they find it uncomfortable playing against us and let's hope there is more of that on Saturday. But, they are on a decent run at the moment and they need points massively for what they are trying to achieve at the top of the table. So, we can go in there and try to dent that and just look after ourselves.
JP
And a team as well who like to play football like yourselves, which will be a bit different from the team that you faced at Wembley?
GA
Yeah, sometimes that style of play suits us and we do generally perform decent against MK Dons, let's hope Saturday is no different.
JP
Was that another thing coming out of Wembley because sometimes you have come unstuck against very physical teams, Brentford clearly were and you overcame that?
GA
I think the pitch helps because Brentford's pitch is not the best for playing football and it is probably better suited to the way they play. They are physical, they get the ball forward quickly, they compete for everything, but Saturday certainly earlier on in the game gave us the chance to get our passing game going and move them about.
We got into the back four, we upset their back four, and certainly the two centre-halves got turned around and we got after them really well, and Ben was causing problems before he went off, left, right, both crosses for (Francois) Zoko who nearly got on the end of them. It suited us well and we managed to pass the ball around them and sometimes it is difficult to do that at places like Brentford when their style of play and their pitch suits that. I think behind Brighton they are the form team in the league at the moment so it was a terrific result for us.
JP
I am saying that MK Dons will play a footballing sort of game, what sort of approach do you expect from them? What sort of match do you think fans who do make that trip down can expect?
GA
They are all tough games aren't they and they are doing well at home, I think they have got one of the best home records in the league as well. So, they will play football, but we have got to make sure we match that and then we compete like we did certainly in the second-half at Wembley, and keep the season going and keep the run of performances going, or start the run of performances which would be ideal, and everybody then can be proud we have achieved and we have seen the season out properly, which is the message to the boys today.
JP
What about Francois Zoko? He came off at the weekend, is he in any way a doubt for the game at MK Dons?
GA
Yeah, we are not sure if it is a bit of cramp or it is a bit of tightness or he actually has got a bit of strain in his calf, but we are going to see him probably today or tomorrow and make a decision on that tomorrow about the weekend. But, he doesn't look great at the minute, but we will wait and see.
JP
You had to cope without him for a lot of the match because of that injury at the weekend, but it also kept him out of the spotlight just a little bit, could that play into your favour?
GA
No, because I think if everybody knows about him now they know about him. So, people know what he can and can't do, I don't think he is a surprise anymore. It is into April now so if his season peters out then that might help us for retaining him for next year, but I would think if there is interest there is interest because they have seen him over the period already.
JP
Any other injury concerns going into that game or likely to miss out?
GA
No, that is it, we don't need any more just yet, we are getting down to bare bones a little bit with that but everyone else is fine.
JP
Paddy Madden maybe feature a little bit more as he has been doing in recent weeks coming off the bench? His energy was very important again at the weekend?
GA
It is opportunity knocks now, there are a few positions up for grabs, tomorrow there is a Cumberland Cup game, believe it or not a performance there might just get somebody a first team spot on Saturday. So, there is a space there for somebody and the best man will get that, and that is why it is important that standards are kept and we keep our focus on getting good performances out of our players and good results out of our players.
JP
With losing Liam Cooper, you have already talked about this arrangment with Manchester United and Joe Dudgeon, any chance we might see him back here with you having one less body in defence?
GA
Yeah, I think if we need Joe we could do that and we will be in touch with Manchester United this week to see how he is and what he has been up to. We will let them know of our situation so he is ready if we need him.
JP
And with the likes of him and also Liam Noble, in these final weeks of the season now, is this the opportunity where you can start to sow the seeds of finding out what they will be doing and whether they could come back here next season?
GA
Yeah, we have already made enquiries into a lot of players to be honest. So, we will be having a look into the whole situation and that will be our next step, is putting a squad together for next year. But, at the minute we have got some games to look forward to, but there is work going on already which there has been for quite a while.
I think we are almost there with the squad, the in and out and I have told John Nixon and the chairman (Andrew Jenkins) what I think. We will have a bit of a meeting about what mighrt be available next season and where we need to be. So, I will be hopefully tying all that side up and then going out and getting my targets primed for the summer.
JP
And just finally, a message from you for all of those fans who did make it down to support you at Wembley in the horseshoe rather than shoehorn as I think I said in commentary, inexplicably, what was it like having those fans there backing you on such a big day like that as a club and as a manager?
GA
As a manager and as somebody that is at the responsible end of the football side of things it was fantastic. I think I looked upon it as every fan that went down must have spent an average of £200 minimum to get themselves there and get their ticket and stay overnight and have their drinks and all that sort of stuff.
So, for me we had 60,000 fans there compared to Brentford and I think it is a wonderful, wonderful achievement in terms of the expense that our people put into it. So, I think we outnumbered them in monetary terms and the expense it cost them. So, I am trying to turn into a positive flip side for our people but they were awesome on the day and they had plenty to shout about as well.