United boss Greg Abbott (GA) spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's James Phillips (JP) following Carlisle's 0-0 League One draw at home to Crewe, Abbott saying that the Blues aren't as fluent as they would like to be at the minute:
JP
The league is anyone's for the taking is a thought from a Carlisle fan there on the text?
GA
Yeah, it is a good point, I have just come off the back of hearing it and it is a good point. We are in the dressing room there and we are saying that we are not as fluent as we would like to be just right at the minute. We are playing a slightly different system without our creative players, we are out without a big player upfront in Lee Miller, so it is going to be a little bit more difficult. But, the players have given an honesty out there and they have worked hard, and at times we are asking them to be better.
You look at Danny Livesey, we have just had a bit of a laugh about it, Danny makes the game at times look so complicated doesn't he, he looks one way to head it and it goes into the crowd. You just get a bit frustrated but we all want to be better and we want to play better football, but we have got to get through this period picking up points as we go along. Crewe got a great point on Saturday at Stevenage, they are off a promotion, there are no easy games.
We thought we huffed and puffed, they possibly could have nicked a goal, we could have nicked a goal. We have tried to put the foot on the gas but we haven't found that fluency yet and we might have to just start looking at a different style of play and find another way of doing it. We are better with the three in midfield when we pass it, we look prettier and nicer on the ball.
But, at times against Tranmere when we go back to the Tranmere game we didn't put anyone's back four under pressure, and we have got to put people's back four under pressure. We have got to use our strength and Danny Cadamarteri at the minute is a big strength for us and we think Joe (Garner) will come in and be a big strength for us as well, and that gets us high up the pitch and that is important to us.
JP
We have introduced in the last few weeks the Chris Lumsdon man of the match and he has so far just about agreed with the sponsors I might hasten to add, but Danny Cadamarteri has got two out of three and he was so good to watch tonight?
GA
Yeah, I mean we have taken Jake (Jervis) off and Jake loooked a bit disappointed from the minute the game............... But, he has got to look at somebody like Danny at 32 and the energy and the enthusiasm and desire to work the line and put centre-halves under pressure. He did it near enough single handedly first-half and we need that from our two, and Joe will do that as well, once he finds his feet, he gets his feet, he has only travelled up today to be fair to him, I asked if he was fit and he said what do you think?
You know what he is like and we will see some of Joe and we will help him and he will help us hopefully. We are going to try to bring another player in for the weekend as well to give us that extra bit of quality, and we will try to find a way of winning games. But, at the minute that is three unbeaten, it is a clean sheet which we have been desperate for, so there are some things to look at. We know we can play better, we absolutely know we can be better but at the minute we are trying to find a way through this period.
JP
We will talk plenty about the game more, but congratulations on landing Joe Garner, that has really got the Carlisle people talking, sadly it couldn't get more of them down here tonight but I suspect maybe the news filtered through too late perhaps to inspire that sort of surge, but that is a real coup for Carlisle?
GA
Yeah, we know Joe, I have kept in sort of touch with Joe and his career and where he has been and he needs a bit of help at the minute. He is in the last year of his contract, he has had a couple of seasons where it has been bitty and scrappy for him. Now, like I said, because he is in the last year of his contract he needs to find some form, find some goals and we will see where he ends up. But, you know what you are going to get with Joe and it is not a difficult one when we are in a situation where we need that physical presence and that type of player that upsets defenders. We need it and it gets us high up the pitch and hopefully in his period we will be able to do that and pick up some good results.
JP
Nothing like wanting more straight away but already Carlisle fans saying is this maybe a hope for a longer term with Joe as well?
GA
Yeah, we will have to see how it goes, if he scores goal after goal after goal then you think somebody will come in for him. But, he likes us and we like him and the fans like him. If we can do it until Christmas and buy ourselves some time, see where he is with his performances and his goals and we address it there and then. It is a 28 day thing at the minute but the chances are we can improve that, buy some time for Lee Miller to get fit, Lee is going to be like a new signing when we get him back.
Rory Loy is a couple of weeks away from joining in with the training, so all of a sudden things look a little bit stronger with depth we have got. Nobsa (Liam Noble), (James) Berrett fit, we have just had a bit of a tough time with it all. But, let's not make too many excuses because the boys out there are good enough to win games. We are doing OK without ripping it all up at the minute.
JP
Myles on twitter says that we should try Brad Potts in goal next week, there is apparently nowhere he can't play?
GA
Yeah, listen, he is versatile, I thought he did very well tonight, he has picked up the pace of the game, it is difficult when you have played on the outside of the game and I mean in the full-back areas, Lummy will tell you, in the midfield everything happens really quickly and if you dwell on the ball or take time people are on top of you, especially in League One.
But, I thought he handled the pace of the game very, very well and he looked solid alongside Thir (Paul Thirlwell) and he has come in and really we haven't noticed the miss of Berrett and Noble as much as we might have. I like the creativity we get with them and certainly in a three we do get a lot of passing and creativity from that area. But, he has done a sterling job for us and we needed him tonight.
JP
On another day without all of the adversity you are battling with, all the players you have got out either injured or suspended this might have been one that you might have pencilled in for three points?
GA
I pencil them all in for three points to be honest, but I am telling you now there are no easy games this season. Crewe have just gone to Stevenage and were 2-0 up with 20 minutes to go at Stevenage on Saturday. So, they are on their promotion push, you know when we had won the promotion to this division you had a season which momentum carries you a long way. They have got a good young side that plays some decent football, a bit of pace and a lot of movement in the team and they will be difficult to beat, certainly at home.
JP
You said that you are hopeful of getting somebody else in ahead of the weekend, can you tell us what sort of a player you are looking for there?
GA
A good one.
JP
Is there is a positional area that he might want to slot into?
GA
Again, it is an attacking type of player, he will give us more options up there, he is versatile but can play anywhere up the top left, right, middle, behind the front man. So, it gives us the ability to change the shape if we need to.
JP
OK, and Jake Jervis, that was the final game of his current loan period, any thoughts on him at this stage?
GA
Yeah, well I will talk to Jake tomorrow, we will have a sit down on where he is. He looked a little bit down on himself tonight, I don't know why, maybe the end of the month and seeing other people come in, he is looking in the thing in the wrong frame of mind. But, he needs to work a lot, lot harder than that in the games and he will be a decent player but the penny has got to drop for him. You don't get too long, so it has to drop and I will try to help him, he will be upset tonight because he has come off at half-time, but that is part of the curve and hopefully he listens and learns from things that have gone on in every spell he has.
JP
And with maybe another signing and James Berrett coming back, a lot more options already for you?
GA
Yeah, Nobs is back on Saturday as well isn't he, so it is a lot stronger picture that it has been tonight and we have carried that three match ban of Liam and now James and that is much better for us.
JP
And what a trip it is for you personally, but of course the fans because it is one of those stadiums that a lot of them won't have been to with Coventry, but your home town of course?
GA
Yeah, I mean, there will be a lot of people there watching, I haven't really thought too much about it, I am not into all that while we have got a game to concentrate on. But, now the phone has already been going ridiculous amounts, people I haven't seen for 25 years saying they were my best mate at school, well I didn't think I was that popular until this week. So, we will deal with that on Saturday, but I am looking forward to going to Coventry, it is my home town and I was proud to start my career there, and we will hopefully win the game and I can enjoy a pint afterwards.
JP
Your best mate at school might want a favour, they got beaten 4-1 this evening?
GA
He might want a game if they have been beaten 4-1.
JP
Any other problems with anyone on the injury front that we haven't picked up out there?
GA
No, we are alright, they are OK at the minute, they are ready to dust themselves down and go on Saturday.
JP
So the order is that they are all returning rather than any further out?
GA
No, all returning.