United boss Greg Abbott (GA) spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's James Phillips (JP) after Carlisle's 1-0 win at home to Bournemouth, Abbott saying that the Blues won ugly :
JP
How do you feel about that one today?
GA
I am absolutely ecstatic to be fair, not a classic but a really tough week, we have had a really tough week haven't we. I know where I was this time last week at ten to five and I feel a bit better about it, and so do the whole squad and so should everybody else. But, that has been probably the most hard-fought victory of the season, a lot of guts, a lot of character and we have won ugly if you like. But, we have won the game, we have 52 points now, that is the first job out of the way and we have still got nine games to go.
JP
You are just about safe in the division would you say now looking at that? I am just looking down the stats over the years since they became three points for a win, 80% of teams on those points have stayed up, so you will be fairly happy that that at least is out of the way for this season?
GA
It is the first line, I am not settling for staying up in this division, but we have got nine games to go and I would be upset if we didn't get another point with nine games to go. But, we will be trying our hardest to do that and trying our hardest now to get 60 points and then see where we can get to from there. But, it is the big thing in a week in football from where we were last week at this time and where we are now is miles better, and the dressing room and the boys are a lot happier. We still know where we need to be and what we need to be doing, we still need to improve on certain areas but all round there is a tremendous amount of spirit involved in the dressing room and they have proved that this week with the two performances.
JP
Peter Murphy as well got the sponsors' man of the match today, got the goal as well, the decisive one for you, and could have had a second as well, was very unfortunate at the end of the first-half. Talking about where Carlisle are a week on, Peter Murphy as well a week on from that one, he will be a lot happier and I am sure you will as well?
GA
Yeah, listen, I am not going to single out Peter and make an issue of that because a lot of players didn't perform last week, and a lot of players have performed much better on Tuesday night, and then again today. Certainly that effort, if you put in the effort you won't lose games three, four, five or six-nil, and the effort was there on Tuesday and it was there again today. Some of the quality was missing but everybody has improved tremendously, and you actually saw at the end that the lads are actually out on their feet near enough.
Tom, little Tom Taiwo is absolutely shattered at the moment and he needs a rest and we are going to give him a rest over the next few days, and then try to regroup and go down to Brentford and get another good result. Which if we can do that and Yeovil as well before Wembley then everybody is in really good spirits, but they need a breather now and they are going to get one. A lot of young players have put in a hell of a shift.
JP
They made you work very hard today Bournemouth, but were you a bit surprised by a team where they are with the amount of quality in the game itself?
GA
Well, I think Bournemouth may be suffering from what we did, they have lost three quality players, absolutely top drawer players, and a club the size of them who are probably the same size as us in terms of finance and fanbase and levels and that, it is very, very difficult for them to replace and recover. They are finding it hard like we found it hard to replace our big, big players.
It is testimony for them to be still going at this stage of the season right up at the top end of the division. I wouldn't decry anything from what they have achieved and they have got to keep that going and try to gain some momentum between now and the end if they want to kick on. But, it just shows you that when teams like us and Bournemouth lose big players, what effect it can have.
JP
What about yourselves now? It is the first time in is it eight weeks that you have not had Saturday-Tuesday-Saturday-Tuesday. You have got a bit more of a break but then quite a big game, quite an interesting game coming up on Friday?
GA
We have needed a break more than anything and we have got it now. We are going to look after the players and hopefully they will look after themselves and then we need to regroup and then we go down to Brentford. But, we are desperate for a rest, desperate for a breather and fortunately we have got it now and we will take advantage of that.
Because, not just the players, I think Kav (Graham Kavanagh) and myself need a breather. We feel like we have played a game here today with the amount of involvement we have got, but it is just because we are passionate about the players, we are passionate about the club and passionate about doing well and improving. We felt like we have kicked every ball there today and we are tired also.
JP
Any of the players carrying any knocks that might affect them for the weekend game?
GA
At the minute they are all alright, if you tell them they have got a day off generally they are alright because they aren't going to want to come in on their day off are they, so they are fine and they should be OK.
JP
And what about having Liam Noble back? That is the case isn't it I am right in saying for Brentford, that will be a boost as well for your options off the bench as well as your options in that starting eleven?
GA
Yeah, but we have said that all along, we need Danny (Livesey) back, we need Liam back, we need everybody fit. We are a club with not a great depth to the squad in terms of experience and we just need everybody fit so we have got a full quota to pick from and it gives us some options coming on from the touchline.
JP
And 1,000 up on the gate from midweek, that must be great for you and the players to have that extra level of support here for the final time before Wembley now?
GA
Listen, it is a tough time for everybody, everybody is saving up for Wembley as well so we can't be......... Well we haven't been critical at all, it is great, the weather is a bit better, Manchester United weren't in a European Cup semi-final today and nor were Arsenal, so it gave us a chance to get those few floating fans in. Anyway, we thank them and hopefully now we can then look forward to seeing them at Wembley after the Brentford and Yeovil games, and fair play to them.
JP
Just a final one, England didn't interfere with you either in that Grand Slam attempt against Ireland, any interest in that game whatsoever? Do you like Rugby Union?
GA
I am one of the best fly-halves ever to come out of Warwickshire, I have to tell you that, I used to fly everywhere, fly up and as far away from a prop forward as I could.
JP
You gave us your preditcion on the Gold Cup, what do you think for England? Will they get this Grand Slam tonight?
GA
I got my prediction massively wrong didn't I, so England are going to win aren't they because I can't have Kav coming into the racing trip tomorrow and telling me that Ireland have beaten us again. Beating us at cricket was bad enough, beating us at rugby would kill me.