United boss Greg Abbott (GA) spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's James Phillips (JP) following Carlisle's 2-0 Carling Cup second round defeat away to Aldershot Town, Abbott saying that the result was a big disappointment :
JP
Disappointment, League Cup campaign comes to an end here at Aldershot?
GA
You're right, big disappointment, you're right, can't argue with that. The amount of work we have put in and hard work we have put in to get to a situation where people have been commendable and have commended us and saying how well we are doing and how much determination is in the squad, and we throw in this one again you know, we throw in this one again. It is starting to get very frustrating as a backroom staff, we are a bit upset and we have told the players that.
They have to stand responsible for stuff, we take the criticism, we take the pats on the back but, like I said to you before, I don't want to take too many pats on the back when we are doing alright, I just want to maintain an even keel where we continue the progress we are making. But, we keep having these blips and we sat for an hour today, this afternoon, talking about what it would be like here, what they will be like, the importance of the game, the importance of the performance and we haven't been given that back on the pitch tonight I don't think.
JP
Did anything they did, Aldershot, surprise you? Should it have surprised the players?
GA
What, that they were going to work hard? And they were as bad as us for the first-half but after they got the goal they were very, very good and we made what is a very hard-working honest team look very, very good. Nothing surprised us, they were physical, they were strong, they got the ball forward quickly, they played with a lot of energy and a lot of belief, they wanted to win the game and we commend them for that. But, that is not my issue, I am more upset with the way my players were against that, I don't think there was anything there too fantastic that we shouldn't have been able to handle if I am perfectly honest.
JP
A lot of players were missing for you, do you see that as an issue or do you think the ones out there should have been good enough?
GA
Well, we are missing good players aren't we, you know that, but, I am loathe to come on and offer excuses, we were understrength a little bit but that was the situation we were in and people have been knocking on the door wanting to play thinking they should play. Well, I don't think people will be knocking on my door Thursday or Friday when I pick the team for Saturday, the team I pick will be the team I think is the best. I think some of them might be lucky if they are in that and some of them aren't very lucky that they are out of it. that is the way it is I am afraid.
I don't think the door that will get knocked on Friday will be a team that I pick, possibly if we win a game it will see us go near enough top of the league. It is ridiculous how hard we have worked to get into that situation but that is what we have got to look forward to now from Thursday because this is done. I can't let the players forget about that but I have told them that they need to come in on Thursday ready to work towards Saturday and work towards getting back where we were at quarter to eight tonight.
JP
You are the one who has to come out and face us, what have they said to you after the match tonight?
GA
They don't say anything because they haven't got too many arguments, they can only argue if they think they have got reason to. We played at Bristol City (Rovers? - ed), I don't think it was last year or the year before, I can't remember when it was, we got beat 3-2, I think they scored in the last minute, I thought we were superb, I went in and actually commended the players on the performance. Didn't like the result but commended them because they lost but they gave everything they had got, tonight if that is the best they have got to offer it wouldn't be good enough would it?
I don't mind coming and facing you, what you are saying is perfectly right, we have let ourselves............ The players have let themselves down tonight and I say I have let myself down because we are all part of it and I can't hide away from that and I am not just going to throw away the responsibility to them, we all take responsibility and 24 of us in the dressing room all stand together through thick and thin, through good and bad, and we will stick together Thursday and we will probably win on Saturday.
JP
Has it done any sort of harm? You were on such a good run of form and it has sort of derailed a little bit by this tonight, do you hope that that doesn't ebb into the other performances?
GA
Well, I can't live as a manager in hope, you have got to work hard again on Thursday and Friday, we have missed some big players, Lee (Miller) made a big difference didn't he? Lubo (Lubomir Michalik) has been terrific, to be fair Danny Livesey has not done a great deal wrong, I would say all round him we weren't as good as we have been and I feel a bit sorry for Danny. He is coming in and trying to prove his point and get a place, but he has been let down a bit tonight as well.
JP
He seemed to twist something or tweak something in the game, is he a doubt at all for Saturday do you know?
GA
I think over the 90 minutes he twisted just about everything so we will have a look, I don't think.............. Danny is one of them, he always looks like he has been to war and back every time he comes in from the field, so I think he will be OK.
JP
Likewise, Stephen O'Halloran, he got an enormous cut on his head, is he any sort of a concern?
GA
Probably, we will have a look at them, I think cuts and that, they heal don't they, just put a few stitches in and a bandage on them and throw them out, I don't think he will want to come off the pitch on Saturday if selected.
JP
It is a potential problem though isn't it because with (Peter) Murphy carrying a knock and Lubo Michalik not available?
GA
Yeah, I mean, to be honest I have not even.............. Let's get this one, let's look at this one first, I don't know what they are going to be like on Thursday, I know people will want to play because they won't want to lose their place in the team, and they know at the minute I have got a free hand to do what I want with the team on Saturday.
JP
And some of the fans who were here tonight, very practical on the way home, we have had a couple of them call in with us, what would you say to them, the people who have made the near 700 mile round trip tonight?
GA
I hope there is not too many to be honest because we don't like............ The draw was a terrible draw for the fans, it is not the big one they wanted and we haven't performed. I hate the fact that fans have been disappointed by coming all the way down here from Carlisle, the local ones it is not so bad, still not a good performance, but the ones that have come from Carlisle, it is a dreadful night and we haven't.............. We have let them down to be honest.