United boss Greg Abbott (GA) spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's James Phillips (JP) following Carlisle's 1-1 League One draw away to Colchester, Abbott talking about the Blues grabbing their first point of the season:
JP
You must be relieved to be on the board tonight?
GA
Yeah, I mean, what is the word, relieved, pleased, we talked before the game didn’t we, me, Dean Walling, Tony Caig and Graham Kavanagh about what we would do if we were players. I spread that message in there and we were getting upset with each other before a ball had even been kicked, and I think that was the determination that spread.
I have to tell you that was a massive, massive collective effort, the players know where we have been over the last four games and listen, everybody blames the manager because that is what you have to do and that is what happens in football. That is fine, but it is a collective effort good and it is a collective effort when it is bad.
But, tonight the response from the players was very, very good and you have seen players dying for the shirt. Two players going down with cramp, Matty Robson not wanting to come off, he has not kicked a ball all season, he could have had a hat-trick in the first-half. It gives you encouragement of something to hold onto but I thought we defended miles better, filled holes better, broke really quickly, especially first-half.
With a bit more confidence and belief we might have got a second goal and we would have been out of sight, and we had opportunities with the ball bouncing there with a bit more clinical finishing. With a bit more confidence I think we would have got the second goal and I don’t think Colchester would have got back into it to be honest.
JP
Even though I am sure you would have liked to have won out here, just the fact that you came here and it was just such a different performance from what we have seen in the last two in particular?
GA
It loathes me to say ‘told you so’, but we have got our better players back. Matty Robson makes a difference, Lee Miller makes a people, Paul Thirlwell, people like that, it makes a difference. We lost Sean O’Hanlon by the way 20 minutes before kick-off time and we have put in a tremendous performance. Paul again, he is a monster isn’t he is Jabo Ibehre, strong, tough, brave, quick, aggressive, and Thir and Danny Livesey have done a terrific job.
But, the big players are coming to the party, I thought Danny Butterfield was really composed and experienced and managed the game really well. That is what we need at the moment and I thought Brad Potts in the midfield showed some fantastic pieces of quality, probably should have pulled the trigger a couple of times on the edge of the box and he has got to learn from that. He is the sitting midfield player and he can’t give the ball away with two people in front of him otherwise they are right into our back four from when we look like scoring opportunities.
But, loads to be encouraged from and the dressing room have said it is a start, it is something to build on. We think we are a decent side, we believe we are a decent side, we haven’t shown that, we absolutely haven’t shown that, but tonight we have given a good account of ourselves and with a bit of luck we might have nicked all three points.
JP
James Berrett and Liam Noble have come in for a bit of flak for not controlling the midfield like their talent suggests that they should be able to, the dogged side of the game was really there tonight and the fact that your three midfielders all got yellow cards for what they call ‘good fouls’?
GA
I am so happy, I am so happy with the three yellow cards, exactly what we should be doing. When in danger and you can’t recover quickly you have to do things on the professional side. Their manager would have done it, other managers would have done it, we don’t advocate it but sometimes we have to get good bookings. We didn’t need to lose this game tonight did we, at all, so if people think that I am just telling them to boot people up in the air, no I am not, but sometimes you have to get good bookings in certain situations of where you are in a season. We didn’t need to lose tonight.
JP
They were good fouls, no doubt about it. Described as make or break this game, where do you think it has finished?
GA
Who described it as make or break? I didn’t know that was make or break.
JP
Your director, I think Norman Steel thought you described it as make or break by some of your comments after listening to your interview?
GA
I don’t know what Norman says, he comes on and says all sorts doesn’t he but I have never said make or break, never have.
JP
A game that certainly the fans thought was make or break?
GA
It was an important game wasn’t it, but listen, it didn’t need to get any worse did it. But, I think we have got our best players on the pitch and we look a better team, we did look a better team didn’t we or am I seeing something you didn’t. That is the way forward, and we need to integrate the young players bit by bit and time by time, the inexperienced ones as well, bit by bit. But, we certainly look better when we have got the seasoned professionals and the campaigners in that we know are tried and tested.
The formation that we played tonight suits us miles better than the other formation that we have possibly been looking to play as an attacking threat. But, we are far too open defensively to even think about at the minute, but we get through this period and then you will see, even from the system you are playing, it is not systems, it is players. You will see players grow in confidence from that type or result and that type of performance.
JP
There are still fans who have had enough and think this papers over the cracks, some have said that, I suppose all you can do is try to deliver this sort of performance and not the ones we have seen before?
GA
All I can do is this. I have got my best players back tonight which is what we have wanted. It is not papering over any cracks, there are no cracks, that was a good performance. So, we have had four bad performances, or three bad performances should I say, one very good performance in the League Cup and a good performance tonight. So, the results have been shocking and the results have to improve, that is the key. Whether fans grow to love me or hate me or whatever, like me, it is really irrelevant. It is what happens on the pitch that matters, that is all that matters.
Tonight was a good performance, whether they like it or not, to the fans that are doubters or critical, that was a good performance, so let’s talk about it as a good performance and not worry too much about what the ultra-critical fans are saying at the minute. Because, they were right to criticise last week, probably this week they have just got to take a bit on the biscuit and say it was decent. But, we need more, more, more decent performances.
JP
There is a broader context though, it is a time when you are under a great deal of pressure, you have found one of those performances again haven’t you and it was at a crucial time for you. But, there is still work to do with the fans and I am sure you are aware of that?
GA
The club has got work to do with the fans and as a manager, the board take it, I take it and the players have to take it, we all have to take our fair share. But, performances like that, it was a standing ovation tonight from everybody that was here, so that is a good sign, I didn’t see too many people moaning and shouting and screaming tonight.
I think they were really pleased the effort, I think they have seen and appreciated the better players back making us a better team, we have got to build on this and put what has happened behind us. While I am here, I don’t feel the pressure, you talk about pressure and the newspaper talks about pressure, we just get on with doing our job and doing our job the best we can.
We will be able to do it better with our best players available, which we haven’t had, like I said tonight regardless, even given the fact that we lost Sean O’Hanlon which is a massive blow 20 minutes before kick-off and we have produced that. Maybe the paper will write better things about us now and be a bit more positive about what is happening, but quite rightly in the past they have been critical because it has been poor performances, but that is fair and square.
JP
Out of a phoenix if you like from the flames of Sean O’Hanlon’s demise tonight was Paul Thirlwell slotting in there again and he and Danny Livesey really marshalled it well tonight?
GA
Yeah, there are a lot of good performances in front of him and a lot of hard work in front of him. David Amoo is absolutely………… David Amoo has got cramp, we want David Amoo to get cramp in every single game because that is how hard he should work. Wingers think they can just come to life when they have got the ball and they can’t, they have got to do both sides of it. Tonight for the first time he has done both sides of it and he got a standing ovation when he came off, and that must feel better than walking off not working hard enough and getting beat 4-0, it must do.
JP
Is that your team-talk really ahead of the next game, and in particular ahead of Brentford next week, just saying what did that feel like compared to what you have been going through recently?
GA
You would be surprised what my team-talks are all about, they are constructive and at the end of last week’s game when we got absolutely annihilated at home, I looked at the players and they were absolutely on their backsides and I put a consoling arm around them. Tonight was the gung-ho, let’s work together, let’s fight together, let’s make sure we make life so difficult for them and work as hard as we possibly can. If at the end of the day we get beat doing that then you have to hold your hands up, I thought we did make them work exceptionally hard tonight and we got our rewards out of the game.
JP
What is the situation with Sean O’Hanlon?
GA
I don’t know to be honest, I have just finished a football match, I haven’t been in the medical room.
JP
Any steer on it though?
GA
He has got a sore groin but I have no idea how bad it is going to be. But, to pull out like that tells me it is not great, but I couldn’t give you more than that just now.
JP
How do you view Tuesday night’s game, it is great to have Leicester at our place and great to have that exciting cup tie, but would you rather just be focusing on the league at this stage?
GA
No, I think Leicester is a good game for everybody, the fans can turn up and hopefully see us play with freedom and as much flair and as much endeavour and as much determination as we possibly can and make life difficult for them. We need games at the minute to play our way out, like you have just rightly said, to play our way out of the poor start that we have had, so let’s try to continue that on Tuesday.