United boss Greg Abbott (GA) spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's James Phillips (JP) following Carlisle's 4-1 League One loss away to Chesterfield, Abbott saying that the Blues didn't defend anywhere near as well the Spireites did :
JP
What do you say after that then?
GA
Erm, we just find it difficult to understand how we can be so tough and so competitive and play so much decent football on Tuesday night, then come here and the game is won and lost in the penalty areas. We have put in as many quality crosses as them, played as well as them, but we haven't defended anywhere near as well as they have.
We didn't put our chances away when we had them and the goals 3 minutes, 45 or 46 or 47, what it was minutes, really, really soft goals, and we have had the ball, both times we have had the ball and given it back. I think the toughness side of it in terms of when you give the ball away, you have to defend and we didn't defend our box well enough and it is always going to cause us problems.
JP
We have just had a fan on who said that this wasn't necessarily a bad display from Carlisle but you keep making silly mistakes?
GA
Do you know what? The fan is absolutely right because that is what we have just said in the dressing room, we have said to them that you could look around the pitch and say that you didn't do this, you didn't do that, you didn't do that and rage and rant. But, we actually played quite while and probably contributed to a game to a neutral nice, but we have given four goals away and that is totally unacceptable, and do you know what? It wasn't actually the back four's fault, it wasn't just directed at the back four, it was situations where we have lost the ball and they have got into our back four, into those areas too cheaply without the nastiness and toughness that you need at, well not just at League One level but any level.
But, certainly this level we need to defend better, and you look at the chances we had and you look at where the ball went in terms of great opportunities for us, we should be sitting here thinking that we could have had two or three. If we get the first two or three then we win the game but in the end it looked like we got dicked, it looks like we have really got a good hiding. Going in there all the talk is about our toughness and our side of the game when we haven't got the ball, and we have been talking about it for a few weeks now.
JP
Why is it that these mistakes have crept into the game, because I know it is not something that you will be wanting to see in there, I know you will be trying to stamp them out, but how can you do that if the players are continuing to make them?
GA
I think listen, we have just talked in there openly, and I don't like criticising the players in public, you know that, and at the end of the day I will take full responsiblility but the players have said it is them that once they have crossed the white line it is them that have got to stop making mistakes and stop giving the ball away, and if they do they are the ones that have got to defend the goal better.
To be fair they are a really good set and group of players and I need them probably to be not as such a good group of players, be a team of brutes when they go out there with a nastiness and an edge to them to think that they are not giving anything away because what they don't want to do is give anything to Chesterfield, and I think today like we did against Hartlepool last week, I think we have given points away when our overall play might have warranted a bit more, our attacking play, but the play without the ball is certainly the week that we are going to have ahead of us to make sure that we do something with a bigger toughness to stop the ball getting in our net as easy as it has done.
JP
Clearly a key factor was losing Lee Miller, what is the situation with him at this stage?
GA
Yeah, I mean that is a key factor as well, and like I said, I am never going to make too many excuses but he is a big miss and he is a big player for us, and he has proved it again today. He has knicked his groin and we have got our fingers crossed that it is only........... not going to be as bad as a tear, because a tear it is three to four weeks possibly even more. But, we will have to have a look at that one, we won't be able to tell you that today, hopefully Monday Dolly (Neil Dalton) might know a bit more.
JP
I presume if it were a longer term one you would have to go into the loan market for him because he seems such a key factor, that big man upfront?
GA
Yeah, but there aren't so many out there that you can just go and get with that type of quality, it is easy to say go and get another. We have to see first, listen, we will cross that bridge later on, let's just find out what is wrong with him first and then we will just have to melt ourselves down and see what we do from there. But, he has been........... I thought we lost............... I thought the two lads worked tremendously hard as well, fair play to them, Rory (Loy) and Craig (Curran), but they didn't look like scoring like Lee has done and that is what I have said.
What I have said to the lads, Craig and Rory, is that you need to make sure that people don't miss him when he is not there and they are talking about you and Craig rather than thinking Lee is not here. Because, he has come in and he has scored goals hasn't he and it is a big miss for us today, but people have to go in and try to prove that he is not our main priority, but it has turned out that he is.
JP
I have to ask you about this, there were a number of fans very unhappy in the away end, I mean 563, it is a great away following but a number of them very unhappy at the end, what would you say to them to try to inspire them and make them feel that you are still going to take it forwards for them?
GA
Well, I mean, I don't know where we are in the table? Are we mid-table in the table? It is not a disaster but listen, they don't want to come here and pay their money and see us get turned over like that. I think a lot of the sensible ones, not the sensible ones, the ones that have really............. they have probably seen us play alright and are so disappointed, like I am, that we have conceded cheap goals.
Listen, I know where the buck stops, I have no problem with that and it is up to me to do something about that, and it will only be hard work on the training ground. There is no magic formula, there is nothing I can say now that would help that situation massively as we speak, we have to put it right Monday to Friday and beat Stevenage, and beat the team that we play after that and after that. Three wins in the next four of five games would see us in the top six, it is ridiculous, but you know, fans don't want to pay money and come and see their team get beat, that is a natural fan reaction, I am alright with that.
JP
Do you have to try to do things differently this week to try to stamp out these mistakes that have crept into the game a little bit? Do you try to change things around at all?
GA
We have to assess everything really, I have to sit and have a look at the whole thing. Do we change the system? Do we change the personnel? Do we go with tougher players? Do we sacrifice passing and attacking play to make us more resolute? They are all things that we have to think about but the fans at Brunton Park have been chasing attacking football for a long time, but I am sure they would rather see us win in some shape or form than play open football and get beat. That is the key next week, results are important at the minute, not probably how we get them, just for the short term period.