|
GA
The players have put in a wonderful performance, typical of what we are looking for. If we can compete and play with the quality and desire and the determination as we have tonight then we are going to be really fine. We feel that we have done alright this season, we have not always got the rewards that our performances I think have merited, but tonight we were very close to even winning the game, and I thought we were absolutely excellent.
JP
Do you think it was justice done as well in particular with the way Leeds took the lead?
GA
I don't think, I know, justice at last has been done because we have been on the wrong end of referees decisions and I am not going to talk too much about it. I know you are going to pump me for it all but we deserved to possibly win the game never mind draw it. So we are delighted, the quality and the determination that the players have given tonight was brilliant.
We are proud of them and we have got to do this on a regular basis because they have proved that if they can do it here then they have got to be able to do it on a more regular basis. Which we think we have been doing most of the season, it is just converting the performances into goals, but Oldham seems a long way away, that is unacceptable, this is much more than acceptable, it is terrific.
JP
We will talk more about that because I will prompt you on what happened regarding the penalty. But the goal itself that you got back, the equaliser, Scott Dobie has always given his effort but the goals haven't come, but now it is two in two for him.
GA
Four in ten, so that is a decent strike rate. We showed a lot of faith in him, we have shown a hell of a lot of faith in Scott Dobie and that is what we do with our players. We are loyal to the players, we work with the players, we encourage the players, we man-manage the players, we support the players. And Scott has repaid us handsomely tonight as he did earlier on in the week.
So we are delighted for him, the type of boy he is, the Carlisle lad, he will be delighted with his contribution and we certainly are. Whilst we stick together, while we keep praising and patting people on the back when they deserve it and encouraging them when things don't go quite right for them, because there will be times like that this season, we will be absolutely fine.
JP
It was a thundering header for the goal, and also if Joe Anyinsah late on would have spotted him then he might have been played in for a second of the match and a winner even.
GA
Yeah, I just said that in the other press thing that if he spots him early enough, I don't think that Joe has actually seen him. He has taken two of them on on his own and if he squares that with his left foot then Dobes is in again you know and it might have crowned what we think would have been unpopular, but it wouldn't have been undeserved.
JP
That said, a former friend of yours Jermaine Beckford could have pinched it for Leeds but blazed over at the end.
GA
Well that is Jermaine, quiet most of the game, contribution not the best, but he is Johnny on the spot and scores goals, unbelievably prolific. And he does that so many times right at the death of games when you think you have snatched it you know, and he pops up and probably should have scored, should have done better. But fortunately for us on the night he has popped it over the bar, a good friend of mine, thank you very much Jermaine and we crack on with a point.
JP
We must talk about the penalty, what was your understanding of why it was given?
GA
I don't know, you will have to ask the referee, I have no idea, we have no idea.
JP
The indications we have got from our colleagues at BBC Radio Leeds is that the foul, such as it was, wasn't even in the penalty area, how disappointing is that for you?
GA
(laughs) Oh dear, why do you think I got upset? We think he (Russell Booth) has taken far too long to give the penalty and then we think it is outside the box. I straight away said outside the box if it all a penalty, but we think he has just pushed the ball and run into Tom (Taiwo). Disappointing but do we have to keep quiet all the time with the referees? Do we have to say nothing?
When will they come out and say that they might have made a mistake, might have done it wrong. Surely somewhere along the line, freedom, let's be able to come out and dispute these things. All I did was ask the fourth official (Colin Harwood) "can I speak to you?" That was good enough for him to send me to the stand.
Yes I did walk out of the technical area, if we are starting to send people to the stands for walking out of the technical area then we have got problems, but I don't know. I am disappointed because I think we got the raw end of the deal on Saturday, I think we got the raw end of the deal at (Leyton) Orient, I am sick and tired of us getting the raw end of the deal. We need to be treated with a bit more respect than we are getting.
JP
And you were sent off, you will get your fine I would suspect, and you will get a touchline ban as well I think.
GA
I don't think I will do.
JP
Do you not?
GA
No, because all I have said is "can I speak to you", now if that warrants a touchline ban and a fine then there is something wrong with the game.
JP
We will see, but would like to see the referee at least saying to you behind closed doors "maybe I got that wrong?"
GA
I would like to see them say it but they don't, what is the point of me hanging around to speak to him because he will have invented something by now. Or he will have something in his head by now as to why it was a penalty. And in his opinion he can't be wrong can he, so it pointless me going to task to him.
JP
Is it funny how relativity works isn't it, a point on Saturday seems like heartache but today it is brilliant.
GA
Yeah, well this is a side (Leeds) that has not been beaten, 15 straight wins I think, the last team to beat them was Carlisle, the first team to break their run was Carlisle, be proud of ourselves tonight, terrific.
JP
And what do you think this can do for the season now, more than just a point on the board in the league, what can it do to inspire the team starting at Walsall on Saturday?
GA
I think it has got to give them belief and confidence. We think there is enough confidence flying through the squad but it gives you that belief that you can go to one of the favourites to win this league, and they probably will win this league. And we have come here and we have romped them, and they will be the first to admit, hopefully, that they have been taken to task by Carlisle United.
And that gives us the belief that we can be a really good side in this division as well, and once we get that run of games and that little bit of momentum in terms of wins then we can climb this league. We are looking like a decent side, Oldham apart we have done decently, we have played some decent football, but like I said, we need to keep turning those decent performances into good results, and that will see us in a rightful position.
JP
Surprise omission tonight was Paul Thirlwell, what was the story there?
GA
He has an achilles problem, we left it as late as we could but he is not going to be right and he is already doubtful for Saturday. But to be fair Kav (Graham Kavanagh) and Tom Taiwo were absolutely magnificent tonight in midfield. They covered every blade of grass, Kav rolled back the years, Tom played beyond his years and more than made up for Thir's absence, and well played to those two.
JP
You said something in the press conference downstairs which surprised me, you said that he has come in for some stick has Tom Taiwo, where has that come from?
GA
Yeah, because he left Leeds United didn't he to go to Chelsea.
JP
Right, from their fans, I thought you meant for his performances for Carlisle because I couldn't see where that was coming from. And another injury concern with your goalkeeper (Lenny Pidgeley) but he came through.
GA
Yes, he had a fitness test, he has travelled down with Dolly (Neil Dalton) isolated from the bus because he was feeling very unwell and he has got this flu bug. So we kept him away from the players but he did his warm up, decided he was going to be fit to play and did brilliantly. He will have to be away from the ground now until Friday as well.