United boss Greg Abbott (GA) spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's James Phillips (JP) after Carlisle's 4-1 win at home to Colchester, Abbott saying that the Blues played some terrific football in the game :
JP
What was your view of today?
GA
There was some terrific stuff out there, there is no question, the way we want to play and the way we have tried to play, teams don't always let you do it and you have got to earn the right to do it. But, today there was a lot of effort from the boys and people labelled that we might be thinking after the Wembley thing that we might just see the season out, and we have turned in three terrific performances, albeit not got the results or the goals we have always wanted. But, I thought they were terrific and we just reiterate what a good group they are to see the season out properly and put on a performance like that, when apparently there is not a great deal to play for from the outside world, but for me there is a lot to play for.
JP
The thing that was most impressive about it, is that they were so impressive, they didn't look a bad team, you just beat them very well rather than they had an off day and you had a good day?
GA
I think they still had an outside shot at the play-offs maybe so they have got a lot to play for, but I thought we were good today and we stopped........ I mean look at their team, they have got some really good players throughout their team, but we stopped their threats and we smothered them in midfield and we passed the ball really nicely. We got out wide with Frankie (Simek) and Matty Robson and everything that we are trying to do comes off. I think we have been threatening this type of performance and this type of result for quite a while, and today unfortunately for Colchester it is against them.
JP
We will talk about Craig Curran getting his two goals and man of the match in a minute, but it could easily have been man of the match to Liam Noble again today. A player who has been out with his suspension then not straight back into the team, but he really has gone for it since getting back in?
GA
Yeah, Liam is a decent little player and he is learning all the time, he still did a rash challenge down here which we are trying to stamp out of his game and talk about his good things. But, I thought there was a lot of them that played very well today, I thought (Paul) Thirlwell was outstanding in the middle of the pitch, he keeps the game simple, keeps the ball moving, just exactly what you need to fit into a performance like that. The (James) Berretts and the (Tom) Taiwos are learning off him and Liam too, so I think all round there were some really comfortable good performances.
JP
You have expressed a desire now to have Liam if possible from Sunderland on loan again next season, he is the sort of player you could start to build a team around?
GA
I think what I want to do is build a team round some really good young, honest players and we have got a few of them in the squad at the moment.
JP
Craig Curran getting the two goals as well, the two best goals of the match for teamwork and finishing?
GA
The second goal was a classic centre-forward's header across the front post, a great ball in from Matty, the first goal, if Arsenal had scored that you would have it said it was the perfect goal. Let's not start comparing us to Arsenal just yet but it was a superb fluent one and two touch move and it ended up with Craig getting his goal, which his play over the last six or seven weeks has absolutely deserved, and we are delighted for him.
JP
It is going to be the $64,000 question but how can you get him in those sorts of areas to score those sort of goals more often, because he has shown that he can do it today?
GA
Yeah, well he will do and we will keep working with him on the training ground. The one thing Craig has got is a willingness to train and get better and improve. We have said a lot of those players have come in with room for development and Craig is one of those, Liam Noble is one, little Tom Taiwo is one, Bez (Berrett) is one and they are all getting better. Rory Loy, Nahki (Wells) and Paddy (Madden), they are all going to get better and to be fair at the minute we are getting results along the way and buying them time to improve their game.
They are all 19, 20 or 21, it is a fantastic young squad that is being assembled, and what they can achieve is down to them but we will keep trying our best to add to that a bit of experience and a bit of quality with the Lubos (Lubomir Michalik) and the Murphys (Peter Murphy) and the Thirlwells (Paul Thirlwell) to help them and we think we are going to be a club going in the right direction again.
JP
And in terms of you talking about momentum and progression season on season, you have talked about wanting to finish in the top ten, just two points off it now with four games to go, is that your big aim now for this mini-season in the last four games to try to make sure you are in that come the end of League One?
GA
My thing now is to try to get 12 points from the last four games, and if that takes us to 8th, 9th, 11th, 12th, that is it, and if we lose next week then it will be nine points. So, my key is always to try to win games and if there is one fan from Carlisle at Rochdale next week we need to put on a performance for that one. I am sure there will be more, but that is the way we work and we will be keeping going, we are going to work hard again this week, I have told the lads that and they have got plenty of time to rest and get the sun lotion out come May 8th, and at the minute we want to finish the season on a real high off the back of Wembley and everybody can look forward then with momentum for next year.
JP
Difficult to have a gripe on a day like this, but one that there is from some fans is for the other players in the squad, your Loys who got eight minutes today, (Ryan) Bowman potentially, Ben (Mckenna), Wells and Madden could maybe get a bit more game time between now and the end of the season?
GA
Yeah, we are in the industry of winning football games and if we had put players on there and that 4-0 had got tossed away and we had drawn 4-4 or whatever, then I would have been massively criticised. The industry is about results, I know what those boys can do and hopefully come the end of the season there will be time where they can get a bit more time. But, there are 5,000 paying fans here that want to see a successful side, now if the odd one wants to see some of the others then that is a gripe, that is a fair gripe, but I have got to make sure.......
I see them every day in training, I know what they can and can't do and pitch time won't do them any harm, but at the minute I don't want to go out there and throw leads or wins away needlessly. They have got to earn the right to get on the pitch, I have always said that, every player that gets on doesn't need to get a cheap performance, he has to get on there and earn the right to be on there, and I know what they can and can't do.
JP
And just finally, how important will it be for you to have a whole week off now with your players?
GA
Massive, we have had an unbelievably tough time of it and we are going to rest a little bit but we are going to work very hard again, and look forward to next Saturday.