Greg Abbott On The Cheltenham Draw

Last updated : 26 April 2009 By Thetashkentterror
Blues boss Greg Abbott
United manager Greg Abbott spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's Derek Lacey after Carlisle's 1-1 draw away to Cheltenham, Abbott unhappy with some of the refeering decisions of Simon Hooper :

" I don't know what I have got to do to get a win, I don't know to be honest with you. What we have to do to win a game, what we can do is keep giving the effort and the determination that we have given today and I think that the club will be in good hands.

" The players that have performed out there today have given their all, they have played with a complete attitude and determination that we are looking for. You have to feel sorry for them at times you know, we have been critical of the players, we have been critical of everything in some shape or form in recent weeks. I think that today though the boys deserve a bit of a pat on the back.

" We are thinking that if we can just defend the best that we can. We knew that they needed to throw men forward because they needed the goal to keep their chances alive. We just had two unbelievably good breaks at the end and Ian (Morris) has done fantastically well, the keeper (Scott P Brown) has made a good save.

" I think that David (Raven) is unlucky, he has just lost his footing at the last man and then we still get a shot away. We hit the post as well I think, had we got nine men on or ten men on when we hit the post, I think that it might even have been nine. A fantastic effort from the players, people will feel sorry for Cheltenham but we are feeling sorry for ourselves. "



" We can do it next week because you have seen what we can do today when we are together. We were 30 seconds off winning the game last week, we have come here and I think that if we keep the ten men then we win this game. We can win next week, you have seen that the fans believe it, the players believe it, we all believe it.

" So we win the game next week and we ask other people to do their job. What we must make sure now is that we take this spirit and this determination and the way that the game has panned out into next week, right through the training and into the game on Saturday.

" Where did Evan Horwood run to for the first booking, I don't think that he actually ran anywhere, he picked the ball up and walked about two yards. I think that it is a harsh booking, alright technically he (referee Simon Hooper) is right but Scott Dobie has had a smash round the face and that just gets waved on.

" We get a blatant kick out at a player down here which is a sending-off. If the referee is going to book people for picking the ball up then a blatant kick out at somebody when he breaks free, that is a sending-off as well isn't it. I just think that we have been on the wrong end of the decisions today. "



" If you are going to substitute people (Horwood) every time they get booked then we would picking players off all the time. He hardly picks up a booking all year does he and then he picks up two in one game, in hindsight, technically again you are correct. If we are going to start doing that though then we are going to find ourselves making substitutions after five or ten minutes in games.

" We can pick them up for next week because we have picked them up from last week. You ask me this question all the time, I tell you, one thing that that has shown is that the club is absolutely united together. They are absolutely united, you hear things said about this and that, utter rubbish, it is utter nonsense, the club is absolutely rock solid together, and the fans are together with it.

" We will pick them up, and do you know why we will pick them up? Because they want to be picked up and they want to perform and they want to produce a performance next week and they want to win the game. So I think that my job will be easier next week because they will be absolutely determined to put this to bed this week and get the result next week that we need to give us a fighting chance of staying up.

" Suspensions come with football and the Michael Bridges sending-off is the one thing that the referee did get right. He found the right ground and he has got that decision with Michael right, so he has done two things right today, that is about it."



" We can't pick the result, Martin (Allen) can't pick it and I can't pick it. We might as well have got beat but obviously the draw is not very good for us. Fair credit to Cheltenham though, they have put in a fantastic effort this last month of the season and they gave themselves a fighting chance right to the penultimate Saturday of the season. So fair play to them, well done, we have got to go again next week and get a result, find a performance and hope for the best.

" We said about his (Ian Harte's) experience and the way that he talks and his leadership qualities. We knew that from set-pieces he is an absolute threat, he has done it at the highest level possible. I don't think that were any complaints with that selection, it is something that I am not going to argue for or against anyway.

" I think that he has put in a tremendous performance and again, I spoke to Peter (Murphy). He is an absolute top man, we said that this is not about individuals but that this is about the team, it is about the club, it is about finding the result however which way we had to do that, and we nearly got it again today.

" I will lift the side to get a win as many times as I have to do, there will be absolutely no problem there. That is what I am here to do and I will go away from here with the encouragement that the players are fighting for their lives. We have a chance when they are showing that sort of spirit and what we have got to do is find that again next week and take it through to the game next Saturday.

" The fans always do give a good response when they see honesty and determination and guts and courage. Then that is what you get back from them and it is disappointing for them that we haven't been able to hold out for the victory, but I think that they have seen the team that is far from over. "



Finally, in response to Derek Lacey finishing with saying that it was a spirited effort but once again it just wasn't good enough, Abbott said :

" There you are, you have said it Derek, if that is the way that you want to look at it then that is your call. "





While before the game Abbott had commented :

" Everybody has got to come to the fore, there is no point waiting for him or him or him. It has got to be everybody, it is a collective thing now. I am not putting extra pressure on senior players or younger players or whatever. Whatever eleven goes out there collectively have to come to the fore and fight for the cause. So this is one that is tough but you will find out how tough we are over the next two games. "