United boss Greg Abbott (GA) spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's James Phillips (JP) following Carlisle's 2-1 pre-season friendly defeat at home to Middlesbrough, Abbott saying the loss tells the Blues they are not the finished article :
JP
A 2-1 defeat it was I suppose on the night, but the best friendly of pre-season, you must be absolutely delighted with what you will learn from that?
GA
Yeah, I mean it tells us what we need to know, it tells us that we are not quite the finished article, it tells us that we have to play the game at a good pace. But, it tells me that there are a lot of good things going on and it tells us that we if we continue that type of work then we could be OK.
JP
Where do I start on asking you to describe the way that your team have played tonight against such a good opponent?
GA
Well, you know we are trying to play football the right way and the right way to play is the best you can moving the ball quickly, keeping it on the floor and getting people in good areas. We have seen the ball, been comfortable on the ball, but the key to the game is winning as well.
We need to play winning football as well, I said at half-time that I felt that we will get a lot of friends and be really popular because we look a really nice team on the eye, but I thought the cutting edge first-half and the pace and the incisiveness of our passing wasn't quite there. I thought second-half even though we conceded a goal to Middlesbrough I thought the pace of our game was up, the incisiveness was there and we put the ball in some really good areas.
Maybe with a bit more luck we would have not lost the game, and I didn't want to lose the game even though it is only a pre-season friendly. I want the players to get a winning mentality and we have got beaten tonight, but I think we have won a few friends.
Again Tony (Mowbray) is a real gentleman of the game and he tells us what he thinks of us and they were very, very complimentary words so we take heart with that. The real stuff starts next week for us against Accrington and then obviously then the league programme, but we are in decent form at the minute and reasonably plenty to be happy about.
JP
How didn't you get something with the chances? (Peter) Murphy guided a header over the bar, (Dale) Hopson guided one just wide of the back-post and (Mark) Beck forced two really good saves from their goalkeeper (Jayson Leutwiler), how on earth didn't you get something?
GA
Yeah, you are making chances which is important. The system we play we want to get the ball in the box, we want to get players on the half-turn in and around the box and slide people in, and obviously crossing is a big part of the game. Matty (Robson) has put some crosses in and Bradley Potts has put some more crosses in and we have got the ball in good areas.
The key is making sure on league programme and important games that we put the ball in the back of the net, and then you will see us play some really attractive football because confidence grows with goals. I thought we started the game tremendously well first 15 minutes and should probably have got our noses ahead early on in the game. But, it wasn't to be and they are things, little things, that we have to work on.
JP
Talk us through your first-year professional Brad Potts, what on earth is going on with him?
GA
Erm, listen, he is a good player, we have talked about him that he is a good player, but listen, we don't need to get carried away with Brad as well. You have seen the problems he had against (Marvin) Emnes but maybe many full-backs would. But, there are so many positives in his game at the minute that we want him to keep improving and keep developing. It is a big year for the boy and, listen, if he proves that he is worthy of challenging then he goes in there.
But, he has certainly made people sit up and take notice of his performances, and we as a staff are absolutely delighted with the progress of him and Mark and David (Symington) as well, we haven't seen much of Josh (Todd) because he has had an injury, but he is another one that we have high hopes for. So, with the senior squad and them coming behind things are heading in the right direction.
JP
Although tall Mark Beck still looks like a boy doesn't he in his physical thing, the thing about Brad Potts that we have talked about is that he looks like a man already doesn't he as a teenager, he is built out like a man?
GA
Well, they are good, the game is to give young players a chance they need to be physically developed to play at 17 and 18, you look at Wayne Rooney at 16 and he was a man, and he is only about 26 or 27 now isn't he and you are talking about him with loads and loads of appearances, but he was a man at that age.
Bradley and Mark are big strong powerful athletes and that gives them a chance of getting first-team recognition maybe a tad earlier than the more slightly built ones who have still got to develop and grow into their body. It is important, these are important things before deciding when young players are ready to make their debuts.
JP
What did you make of Alessio Bugno as a Carlisle player rather than a Carlisle trialist?
GA
He is the first player I have ever known get applauded for having a drink, so that just tells you that I think some of our fans have quite taken to him, but I took a drink and never got anything, he takes a drink and gets a standing ovation. Well, wow. But, he had better start tackling like an Englishman rather than an Italian if he is going to persevere with me and and that little thing over there when he sort of tried to nick things.
But, we are having good crack with him, again, learning about our culture like Francois (Zoko) did early and learning about the pace and the power and the physical side of our game you know. It is slightly different to what he has been used to, but he seems to be taking to it like a natural and we are really pleased with his progress as well.
JP
Was it really important to get this big of a test against Middlesbrough, conceding your first goals of pre-season but really getting worked hard, at times some of their passing they really went through the gears, was that essential tonight?
GA
Absolutely vital. I thought we defended a bit too deep in the second-half at times, I think we should have been braver with going out and imposing ourselves on certainly Emnes who was dropping into a deep position, and then we needed to be a bit more narrow behind him. But, I think we were frightened to come out of our back four, but to be fair against normal League One sides I don't think you have that type of movement with your two wide players rolling in off the line like Middlesbrough did.
They caused us a few problems, listen, they are a good side and I would expect Tony would have high hopes of them challenging for the top of the Championship. So, I think we have more than held our own so that is a postiive, but they did cause a few problems. But, we needed that because we know we are not the finished article by a long, long way, and tonight has shown us that we have to work harder and be a bit more determined out of possession.
Just like Liam Noble, typical of Liam, he has played the game first-half as a pretty player, we want him to be pretty when we have got it but really determined and challenging when we haven't. He did that down in this little corner here when he went to war with the left-back and wrestled him around, and that is what we need to see from the little fella.
JP
Just talking about war, you just reminded me of the tackle from Potts on the Brazlian Dudu here, Chris Lumsdon's comment was that he will wake up at the end of his trial back in Brazil next week and wonder where the rest of it went?
GA
But, I asked for a tackle, I did ask for it because the first-half was too nice, the game was too nice, and we won't get that type of game at Stevenage away or Accrington. We need to see fierce, full-blooded, honest, fair challenges and I think there were more of them second-half and that does please me because it becomes more real as to what to expect a week on Saturday.
JP
Just one thing I must ask you about, four players out with injuries of sorts in the forward areas for you. Rory Loy, Paddy Madden, Jon-Paul McGovern and Danny Cadamarteri, does that hurry the need to maybe look at getting somebody else in or are any of those close to coming back?
GA
I think two and possibly three by the end of the week will all be training, so that.............. I think it would be great for us to be sitting here with Emnes, that type of player in our side wouldn't it. I know we are never going to be able to, but that type of player I would think we would be a real threat. Because, he has got that pace to go past people, get behind people and unlock doors.
He is the type we are looking for but for the amount I have got to spend I might be struggling to find one that is an international and cost three and a half million and who is on about £25,000 a week, so he might be just a tad out of reach but let's keep hoping. I haven't given anybody's wages away there by the way, I was surmising. But, he is the type, we would love to have that type of player within our group, I think we would be really, really dangerous, we are keeping looking.
JP
Cameron Park looked half a sniff, the guy who got their winner?
GA
Yeah, we have known about Cameron for a while, we know about all their players to be honest, it is a good relationship between the two clubs, Tony speaks to me regular, I am asking him for favours regular, he keeps saying no regular. But, I keep trying regular.
JP
All very regular that, probably got good bowels as well. Finally, Francois Zoko.........
GA
Very regular.
JP
Francois Zoko signed a two-year deal with Notts County today, a few fans saying that it seems a bit more sideways, maybe even backwards, what is your take on that one?
GA
I am really only interested in my lads. He is leaving us to go the Championship and he has gone to a team that is in our league and that says it all. He was well liked here, he was well looked after and he was well respected, let's see where he goes.
JP
Yeah, disappointing, would you have had him back here after he didn't get that Championship move?
GA
No, no. He said to everybody that he didn't want to play for Carlisle United so it is very difficult then you know to see that player play. Once he makes that statement then you have to go forward, not look back and looking at what I have got we are reasonably happy. We know we need that type, we know we need that excitement, but we are on our way doing our own job and we wish Francois the best. We really, really liked him, well documented that, but he has made his move, he has made his decision, we move on with us and he will go his way.
JP
Dale Hopson and Ryan Donaldson, have you seen enough or might they get a bit more time?
GA
No, I think we will see Ryan again on Tuesday, we will have a chat with Dale, after I have finished this interview I will go and sit and talk to him and we will see where we go.
JP
See where we go with that, and any other injuries ahead of the game on Tuesday? How are you shaping up on that front?
GA
They looked alright, they looked alright, in the dressing room there there are a few knocks, a few bumps and bruises, normal pre-season stuff, a few tired limbs, normal pre-season stuff, but I think most of them will be on the training field Monday.
JP
And given an opportunity would you like to still add before the start of the season with the Accrington game a week tomorrow?
GA
I would like Emnes.
JP
You would like Emnes?
GA
Yeah.
JP
Would you like to add anything realistic?
GA
Er, we have to keep............... Yeah, realistic yeah we would like that type you know, that type for our level. They do take some searching out, they are like gold dust, but that type of spark and that type of pace would be I think just what the doctor ordered.
JP
Very good wasn't he?
GA
Very good, but that is what you pay a lot of money for that type.