United boss Greg Abbott (GA) spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's James Phillips (JP) following Carlisle's 0-0 League One draw away to Brentford, Abbott talking about the Blues grabbing their second point of the season:
JP
Nobody has come here yet this season and got a point, you must be delighted to have got that and continued what you have been doing away from home?
GA
Yeah, I mean, if I sound a bit downbeat it is only because we are absolutely shattered. It has been a long, long week this week and we are trying hard to fill gaps and plug holes where we keep picking up these silly injuries, well not silly injuries. They are hurting us with key players in key positions and we always knew coming here that we would be up against it as they are going to be right up at the top, there is no question about it at the end of the season.
They have got revenue for fun, they have got some really good players and they are very strong on their own ground. But, I think the shift, just the shift, that is not even talking about anything else that we put in really was enough to get us a point. The dressing room is bouncing again, that is two now, Colchester had only dropped one point until we played them and these have been unbeaten at home and haven’t given anything anyway.
So, we have got to take a bit of heart from that, and the midweek game for 45 minutes we were up against some top, top, top drawer players and that might have hurt us again because of the reaction. But, I think a lot of the reaction was that it was a really good side against a side that was weakened again, but we have come here in our league and I think we have performed admirably.
JP
Unbeaten overall in the league and 100% at home coming into this one they were?
GA
Yeah, listen, they are a really, really good side. We are setting our stall up to be tough, to be hard to beat, to not get goals put past us. I think the big thing everyone will talk about, well I am from a footballing perspective is ‘nil’, that makes me feel so good, just the nil against our name. I have got a headache and I will sleep like a baby tonight because we have worked exceptionally hard on doing things. I have probably fielded a hundred calls and made a hundred calls and I am shattered, I didn’t get to the hotel last night until quarter to twelve.
I missed most of the day chasing things and watching games and trying to make a deal happen for a new player to make us better. I am exhausted to be honest, but it is for the cause, and just for the fans that made that journey down today, it has all been worth it, because they were absolutely outstanding today and have stood to a man and clapped all those boys off. That makes you think that it doesn’t matter if there was one there or 5,000, it makes it all worthwhile.
JP
We often talk about what the fans are saying, but every single fan in that end was up on their feet applauding the players, who were applauding back at the end?
GA
Yeah, well that is what we want and given time, we can’t make too many excuses for some of the goals conceded and some of the things that have happened so far. But, when you look back at it, we have always said that when we get strong players and our senior players in then we will carry the young players along and they will be better for it, But, throwing them in at the deep end, you have seen it, even Brad Potts today, his confidence is so low that when they went down to ten men he didn’t really want the ball, he wanted to defend and defend.
But, when he had it and had the chance to feed David Amoo, he was a little bit awkward with his passing. Do you know what it is? It is confidence, he can pass it, he is a fantastic passer of the football, but when we get our first win and he gets a little bit of a momentum and confidence then he will grow into the really, really good player we know he is.
But, at the minute it is tough, it is tough for some of those players out there because they are fighting the reaction, they are fighting the results we have had and do you know what? Me and Graham Kavanagh are holding each other not to get too mad with them because the shift and the energy and the honesty they put into that performance today was sensational. With that you have a fighting chance and anybody that thinks that the team is not giving it their all, because I think that was a criticism on Tuesday, well I think they need to listen to you today or be here to see it.
I don’t want to say because sometimes people think I am being biased, but I think I am being as honest every week with my assessment of what we are doing. But, today, to a man, everybody, and the backroom staff, gave everything they possibly could to get a result here. That is exactly what was needed, and we did it, and we should feel a little bit satisfied with ourselves with something like that.
JP
Definitely should, but we shouldn’t brush under the carpet some of the other games, I mean effort has been in question, it is good to see it today but it doesn’t mean it has always been on display?
GA
No, effort has been on display, quality is the thing that has been lacking. I have just said to you, I want to fall out with you now but I can’t because I will get in trouble. The quality of the player is massive, we went into Bradford with three of the back four and keeper as teenagers. You are under-selling yourself a bit, it was too weak and we knew it would be too weak and we hoped we could get out of trouble.
What we are trying to say is that we need to protect these young players, not throw them into situations that they can’t handle. It is the same as any industry, you wouldn’t throw your teenagers in when it is a man’s job that needs doing. They will be massively better for it and it will be proven over a season that when we have got our strongest team we will be able to carry one or two of those young players at a time and they will grow into the really, really good players that we think they are and we think we have got at this club.
JP
Is it a problem with having that many youngsters in then that it is a harder job for the more senior players, because it has not just been the younger players that have underperformed has it, is it trying to carry those youngsters?
GA
Without a doubt, it is not the youngsters’ fault, it is nobody’s fault, it is nobody’s fault. What it is, is in football you need a nice blend and when you lose your key players like Sean O’Hanlon and Lee Miller and Paul Thirlwell and Matty Robson for periods of time, I mean you must see looking back at the last two league performances that there is a definite, well there is a massive improvement, do you know what I mean.
We have gone to Colchester and only conceded the goal and nearly nicked a win, and we have come here and not conceded a goal, which is massive progress. But, we believe that given that group and given a couple of wins and given a bit of confidence that we will be absolutely fine. Hey, that has not happened yet, we have got to do that, but we always knew, we always knew, that we would be up against it in some of the games we have had.
Again, I am never ever going to excuse the fact that we have given goals away too cheaply and we have got that to rectify, but we are making a fist of it now. We have got our group together, we have brought in a tremendous centre-half today who has been absolutely colossal for us. We have missed it, what a difference that makes, you must see that as a commentator, I hope you have remarked on it.
JP
We have, he had a great game.
GA
Good man. I am trying to have a bit of fun here, have you got a sense of humour?
JP
I have got a sense of humour, look, I am smiling at you right now. As well as him though, Danny Livesey almost had all of us and it looked like himself in tears he was speaking so passionately after the defeat to Leicester, the block he made on 82 minutes basically kept your point?
GA
Well, this what we are trying to say to people, there is a lot of honesty in the group. Ability, are we the best team in the league, probably not, are we the worst, definitely not. But, there is a lot of honesty in the group and people like Danny, he wears his heart on his sleeve, and to be fair there was an emotional meeting on Wednesday. Full of honesty, ended with a bit of humour, but I will tell you what for the first 15 minutes we sat down and anybody could say what they wanted.
I said I wanted to say what I wanted, I could point the finger, I could criticise, they could point the finger, they could criticise and we ended up all hugging each other and all determined to give a good account of ourselves in the upcoming games. We have got a group as honest as that and open and as brave to come out in front of people and hold hands up and accept responsibility then you have got a fighting chance.
JP
I will see if you have got a sense of humour now, do you think you should have actually got the win with half an hour against ten men?
GA
I have got no sense of humour, absolutely none, we were lucky to hang on.
JP
Genuinely?
GA
Listen, it is a good point, sometimes in a situation like this you are more frightened of losing then you are of winning, and we had to get a result out of the game today and we have got the result. Looking at that, at nine o’clock this morning when I had my bacon and egg and low fat hash browns, then it is a top result.
JP
I can see you are delighted with it, in terms of the player that you were working on last night, a certain Francois Zoko has become very much available, not just available for transfer but a free transfer, is he a player who would still interest you?
GA
Well, he is deemed not good enough for Notts County who are bottom of the league, so I am just wondering whether he will be good enough for us. He is a good player though isn’t he, but again, it will depend or whether he is affordable or not and what his attitude is, what has gone wrong at Notts County, why isn’t he playing, you have to ask those types of questions, did we get the best out of him? He is certainly a player we know about and he is certainly a player that you think about, but we want as strong a group as we possibly can.
I think the board have backed us, Troy has come in and that was a good one for us and that was one I have fought pretty hard for by the way and I have nearly had my wings clipped with that one. But, I think he made a difference didn’t he, so I am hoping I can go back and tell the powers that be that I might just be right with that one, but he has got another four or five games to prove it and hopefully we get that out of him and he goes on from there. But, I think today was a good showing from him.
JP
Was it essential with the likes of Troy to sign a man rather than another boy to try to help the cause?
GA
There was never a question, unless he was an absolutely top, top, top drawer boy from one of the big, big clubs who was an absolute certainty to go forward then we had to get a man. He looked a man didn’t he, Clayton Donaldson is a phenomenal player at this level, Farid El Alagui, terrific at this, strong, tough, and then they have got the movement from either side of the likes of Adam Forshaw and people like that and Sam Saunders.
I think he has done fantastically well and to be fair is it a coincidence that when we brought Sean O’Hanlon in Danny’s game upped, we brought in Troy in and Danny’s game has upped again. So, sometimes, when you have got Paul Thirlwell alongside you, yes you have got determination and nous and understanding positions and reading the game, but you don’t get that physical presence that you have got with two big centre-halves. Most successful teams in League One have two tough and dominant centre-halves.
JP
Hopes this week of making another signing then, you have talked about being on the phone all last night after Troy had come in, so clearly something is still on the agenda?
GA
No, I was on the phone, I was out, I didn’t get back, I was out, the last phone call I got to do with any incomings was about seven o’clock. Because, Troy went missing yesterday afternoon, he went missing with his suitcase, so that was a panic. But, then I was watching a game after that and then I had to go and pick him up from his door with his suitcase and drive him to the hotel.
JP
Great story.
GA
Well, it worked didn’t it, it was worth it, and sometimes we did say that you get rewarded for having a tough week. Maybe I will have to work as hard as that, I mean I am tired now, I really am, and I am just going to go home and maybe switch off tonight and maybe enjoy it. I didn’t even see my family on Tuesday night, they came to the game, they drove two hours up and two hours back and I didn’t even see them after the game because I was trying to plan and plot what we were going to do for the rest of the week and speaking to you people and speaking to the board and stuff like that. They were all working in the morning, so I think I owe them a low fat lamb kebab and some koftas.
JP
A couple of quick final questions then so you can get off and see them, Paul Black, any early news, do you know what he has injured?
GA
It is not a good one I don’t think, the way he went down would tell me he is going to be a period, it is a groin but that is as far as I know at the minute until he gets it analysed.
JP
And Adam Campbell back to Newcastle, what can you tell us about that one?
GA
Yeah, he didn’t figure in the first couple of games and I spoke to the people at Newcastle and we just agreed that at this point in his development that it might be the right thing to do. He needs to be around their first team, or a first team, and where we were probably wasn’t an ideal time to throw a young player in. We have all agreed it was the best thing to happen just for now, but that might happen again, no problem.