United boss Greg Abbott (GA) spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's James Phillips (JP) following Carlisle's 3-2 League One win at home to Sheffield Wednesday, Abbott saying that in his job you are open to all of the criticisms :
JP
How on earth do you feel after a response like that from your team?
GA
Well, to sum it up, when you step into this sort of job you are open to all the criticisms and everybody knows how to do it and we never get the right things right and we are never doing the right things. But, a lot of the time there are moments like this make it all worthwhile, the performance, not the style of the play and the quality of the play but just the effort and the togetherness and the crowd and everything. It makes it all worth it, it is just a wonderful feeling, we talked about a good feeling in the dressing room from Saturday, we needed to have that good feeling because football is about enjoying yourself and enjoying the game and living the dream.
Tonight there are nights like this that are special, under the lights, and I think we had one against Sheffield Wednesday in the Johnstone's Paint last year didn't we similar, but probably our quality of football tonight was even better, and the edge, it is a league game, was higher. Just wonderfully proud, wonderfully proud of everybody, not just the players, people connected with the club, it is hard for us to compete against Sheffield Wednesday, you look at their team and their money and their resources.
They travelled up last night, we travel on the day, don't even stop, and they travelled up last night, full day in Carlisle, another rest today and we competed, and we are pushing ourselves up against people with miles bigger resources. Tonight I think we have done ourselves a tremendous credit, especially after Saturday when we made silly mistakes, we are better than we were Saturday, we know that but you are judged on performances and Saturday we were a poor team, tonight we are going away thinking we are a half decent team.
JP
Ben Marshall chatted to us ahead of the game and he said Carlisle United, he said we when talking about Carlisle United always bounce back after defeats, he said it was up to Sheffield Wednesday to stop them, and despite his best efforts they couldn't tonight?
GA
Well, we do don't we, but that just speaks volumes for the type of players we have got, we are not going to lie down, we are not going to roll over, I don't know where we will end up in the table but if we get effort like that, and to be fair quality like that, we could be the surprise package. We know where we can be if we can get the consistency we are all looking for but with the type of players that we have got comes a little bit of that inconsistency at times, and we have to put up with that and we have to live with it and manage it and not get too down on the players.
Because, we have got a lot of honesty through the club and I think if the fans see that the players every time they go across the white line are going to give of their best then I think that is all we can ask, that is all we can ask. The quality is something that comes with excess revenue and we don't have that so we are trying to drag every bit of quality out of our boys. Tonight I don't think there can be many complaints about the style of the play either, I thought it was really wonderful. We are proud people tonight and we were very disappointed, and we were open to criticism on Saturday, we got it and tonight we think we probably rectified that.
JP
When Ben Marshall scored so against the run of play in the first-half did you have a bit of a sinking feeling or did you always feel you could come back?
GA
I don't know, the dressing room was really buoyant at half-time because I think they felt that they had.................... I think the important bit was the two minutes before half-time when they could have had a second from those corners that they were slinging in, and they are a massive side and they play route one. I mean you were talking in football terms who looks the nicer on the eye, and I think we win that one hands down.
But, they are effective, they get the ball in the box, they have got some brutes of players, and they put you under pressure from what you have seen at the end with ten men, they still boomed it forward and one of those drops fortunate and you could get hurt, and we have come out of the game winning 3-2 and we are absolutely delighted with that.
JP
In terms of your goals, (Lee) Miller's prod after (Danny) Livesey had forced the save from the goalkeeper (Stephen Bywater) was all about getting the equaliser, but the (Rory) Loy goal and the (Liam) Noble goal were just sensational?
GA
Well, we have said haven't we, I mean we have got the perfect sort of three, you have got your striker scoring, one from midfield and one of your wide players, or sort of we are calling them three strikers at the minute. Rory is due one and I am so pleased for him because even his shot in the first-half when he thinks he should have scored, he beats himself up massive, he is unbelievable.
We don't criticise, we didn't pick on James Tavernier on Saturday when he made a couple of mistakes, we don't because that is the type of people we are. People don't mean to make mistakes and he didn't mean to miss that goal, but he has got his reward second-half, and it is a fantastic finish and he has done ever so well over the last sort of month in his football and he is getting better, and we have to persevere with him and keep trying to improve him, and he looked a good player again tonight.
JP
Sponsors man of the match went to Loy but it could have been pretty much any of the eleven?
GA
It is a difficult one, I wouldn't like to be a sponsor tonight, there are times where you think as a sponsor who do we give it to? I have seen some poor performances, but tonight I don't know, I am looking at Lee Miller thinking he is awesome, J-Ps (Jon-Paul McGovern's) shift is terrific, three midfield players sensational, back four, Murph (Peter Murphy) doing a job on Ben (Marshall) who is a threat and Murph has handled that, no qualms about doing it either. Certainly six or seven could have had it but if Rory has got it then God bless him, he doesn't know the time anyway, he can't tell the time so I think he wins a watch and he will be on time for training tomorrow.
JP
In terms of what this could do, I mean you got probably around about 5,000 Cumbrians packed in here tonight so it is up, that is what we need, and plenty listening have commentated on how exciting it was to listen, so hopefully we can maybe get even more on the gate for Oldham on Saturday?
GA
Well, we have banged the drum haven't we but we can't plead for people to come, they have got to listen to what has been going on, and the last few home games have been decent, and hopefully that style of football and that energy and that honesty from the players, and the club needing the extra people through the gate will encourage a few more to come. But, idle criticism just gets on the back of me, let's come and be positive and brave and talk about a club and a group of players that need help and support and have given their best every time they cross the white line.