United boss Greg Abbott (GA) spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's James Phillips (JP) following Carlisle's 3-3 League One draw at home to Oldham, Abbott talking about the Blues coming back from 3-0 down to nick a point in injury time :
JP
How on earth have you managed to keep your composure after a game like that? Or have you?
GA
I am an experienced manager now aren't I, three years down the line, if that had been my first game as a manager I would have thought I don't want this, I don't need this, don't like it, it is not very good is it. But, I don't know, I am probably the same as all the fans, how did we get in the situation we were in to start with and how the blumming hell did we get out of the situation to finish with. But, as a manager it is probably a feel good one because it is one that feels like a win, a bit like Mick McCarthy from Wolves the other week when you come from nowhere to get something out of a game.
If I am being really, really cheeky we might have even won it in the end with the play we provided and produced second half, but the unhappy or displeasing thing is the way we got into the situation, but the pleasing thing is we know that everybody should realise now that the dressing room is in good spirit and good heart to be able to come back from that. Not many times in your career do you come back from 3-0, it doesn't happen regularly, it certainly doesn't happen once a year, it is once every three or four years, but we have done it today and we have got to be pleased with that.
JP
The fans greeted it like a victory at the end didn't they, especially the way that Oldham got a final couple of corners at the end so clearly they are showing their feelings, I am sure you would mirror those feelings. You say it doesn't happen very often, have you done that as a manager? Pardon me if I am missing an obvious one, I don't imagine..........
GA
No, well we were 3-0 up against MK Dons weren't we a couple of seasons ago and got pulled back to 3-3 and won the game 4-3 in the end, but that is a feelgood because at least you have won it. But, I am not really thinking about stats and facts and where I have been in the last few years at the minute because I have enough to take in with that 90 minutes.
JP
What were the real positives out of that? I suppose bringing on Francois (Zoko) and seeing him go through and score that goal about 30 seconds after you brought him on was pretty good?
GA
Yeah, I mean it was a great goal as well, it was a fantastic move and he has taken it brilliantly. We have had a couple of nice chats with Francois recently about what we think he can produce and where he is in terms of his life in England, the second season is always harder. A lot of things maybe some people don't see which I have tried to explain, without going into too much detail, but he is sticking to the task, and yesterday he trained as well...........
It is funny I have just said it is no coincidence Francois, it is the best he has trained yesterday in a long, long time in terms of his ability on the ball, which we all know about, but his attitude on the pitch in terms of when he loses it, when things don't go his way. That is what we are trying to talk him into, we stick with him, I said while he loves us we will love him and today we love each other I think very, very much.
JP
And he won you your point today with a backheel on the line in the dying seconds of the game, what did that feel like? Describe the emotions you went through there?
GA
I think you have seen, it is the worst reaction to a goal I think I have ever done in my time as a manager, but that is what it is when you come from three down. But, it was just one that, do you know as well, the pleasing thing today, the fans stuck with it, they absolutely stuck with it, and probably the goal from Lee (Miller) gave us hope and the start of the second half. But, they really, really stuck with it, there were no boos, no jeers, there are obvious frustrations, there are obvious criticisms through the crowd, but they really stuck with us together and let's say they have got a bit of that point for the team as well.
JP
I think the fans, Chris Lumsdon talked about this in commentary, he talked about the fact that the fans maybe felt the injustice of the way you were so far behind, in particular the first, I mean did it look like a penalty to you?
GA
You know the answer to that innit, but it has got ridiculous where I spoke to the referee (Andy Haines) at half-time because I have already seen it and he (Miller) takes the ball as clean as day and I said that to him, and he said 'I don't care', that is what he said, 'I don't care'. So, I can't criticise him can I because him saying that blaise attitude of 'I don't care', it would cost me £1,000 to say what I really think, so I won't say anything.
JP
And the second goal then, just when you think your luck can't get any worse, it looked like a freak goal, I mean he certainly did well to get there (Tom) Adeyemi but then it balloons up and drops in, I mean what did you feel like then?
GA
You have called it, a poor decision for the first, then he has got his head on it, fair play to him, but it just loops up in the wind and drops in over Adam (Collin's) shoulder and ends up in the net. Things go against you sometimes but we had our slices of luck in the game after that, and Lee getting a goal so close to half-time sent us in and the lads were saying that if we get another one then we could end up winning the game.
Francois comes out and duly scores with his first kick or something and we are thinking then we might just win the game, and our second half performance, to be fair if you take the result out of it, what a fantastic game of football for everybody to watch again. We keep going on about attendances and I think SKY should maybe come and watch some of our games, because the one thing, they might not be full of absolute quality but they are never dull at the moment, they seem to be full of goals and full of incident and full of spirit, and for those things we can take positives from.
JP
And you would like to believe that the real fans of real clubs like Carlisle United don't just want to, well everyone wants to see wins, but they don't just come for the wins every week, with entertainment like that and with the crowd, in terms of the numbers of Cumbrians here I know the main gate is down because we didn't have all the Sheffield Wednesday fans here today, but still looking better in terms of the Carlisle fans, you hope they will keep coming now?
GA
Yeah, well they will keep coming I think if we do that, but I think the key was we got a bigger and better reaction today than we probably did when we beat Stevenage 1-0, much better, because they had seen a really, really good game of football and probably going home now thinking it is a really good result off the back of what happened in the first half.
JP
James Tavernier's loan expires at the end of.......... Well his last game effectively for Carlisle is the Exeter game, I don't think you can get him back for a little bit then even if they (Newcastle) wanted to let you can you?
GA
No we can't, he is finished after next week.
JP
Do you know if you will be able to get him back after that? Have you had that chat yet with Newcastle?
GA
No, we can't until the window opens.
JP
But, have you had that chat? Do you know if they................
GA
No, we haven't even discussed that, we have got Frankie (Simek) there sitting, we were hoping Frankie would have been fit by now. Listen, Tav is like we are at the minute, anything could happen, he can be unbelievable and he can have his indifferences, but he is a fantastic player on the eye, his pace and his drive and he wants to get forward, and he must have run up and down there today, I don't know, more times than any full-back I have ever known, it is brilliant. There is a mistake in him but that is his age and he will hopefully learn from this spell and learn the do's and don'ts of football, and that is probably what he is here for.
JP
Might you though have to go into the emergency loan market?
GA
I might have to, I am not answering your question am I. Yeah, if Frankie is not fit I think we have to try to do something about, but listen, you know that work will have gone on already with that. And I know Paul (Newton) has just pointed at my midfield and saying that every single one of them is suspended, so Kav (Graham Kavanagh) is already doing a run.
JP
Did (Liam) Noble get booked as well today?
GA
No, he should have done but he didn't, and how he hasn't done I don't know. But, that is daft, you have got a Geordie next to you here haven't you, they are daft aren't they. I don't want to be seen to be having a go at Geordies here by the way, it is a joke, it is a joke, for everybody that is from the other side of the A69, it is a joke.
JP
(James) Berrett and (Tom) Taiwo though are out for next week, a bit of work for you to do again there?
GA
Yeah.
JP
Good luck with that.
GA
Thanks.
JP
And on another one, the FA Cup draw I know is tomorrow, dare I ask you who you fancy? Tipton at home?
GA
Tipton at home yeah, with a goal start.
JP
A team that you have got a very good chance of beating at home is what you would be after?
GA
Yeah, absolutely.