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JP
What went right and what went wrong for you today then?
GA
Goals again at the wrong times, we feel we are doing alright for a start, they are a strong side, they have got some quality, obvious quality through the team. Disappointed to concede the goal right before half-time but then I thought with our effort and our determination probably deserved a goal from Ian (Harte).
It was a terrific free-kick, a fantastic free-kick, and then from there we gave ourselves a platform to battle and scrap away in the second-half. We are saying keep it tight, don't give anything away, the longer the game drags on it is still 1-1, we have got a terrific chance, we knew we would get another chance in the game at some point.
But it is an Achilles heel with us, the players are thinking they have done OK and we are saying, yes to an extent we have done OK and certain players have done alright. But we can't keep giving goals away, 1st minute, 44th minute, 46th minute or the 90th minute.
I know we didn't let one in in the 90th minute today but they are the times of goals in the games this season that have killed us. I have got to say to them that we can't keep coming in and having the same sob story and making the same excuses. People have got to stand up and take responsibility and make sure it doesn't happen.
JP
An accusation from Saturday was that it looked a bit like the season was petering out. That certainly wasn't the case today, we made sure we said that, the first-half was a really good effort from Carlisle United. But what did you say to them at half-time and what did I guess happen?
GA
I have just told you, I have just told you, I said to keep the thing tight and defend for your lives. Work even harder in the second-half because they are going to come out and they are going to be devastated that we have got the equaliser.
But we have got to fight for our lives, you have got to defend for your lives, you have got to put your bodies on the line and we don't need to concede an early goal. Keep the thing at a draw and the longer the game is on we will frustrate them and we will get our chances eventually.
But we have gone and shot ourselves in the foot again, two really, I was going to swear then but I can't because I am on radio and live. But really poor goals and that is what we are really, really disappointed about, because going into the future we can't give goals away at those times.
They didn't have to work particularly hard for them and they are goals we could have stopped. They had other chances in the game which they created which were very hard to stop with the passing and the pace and the ability that they have got.
But we think we could have stopped the two goals and then you scramble one back and if we keep a clean sheet in the second-half we scramble one back in the last minute and we win the game 2-1.
That is what we have got to try to be doing at these types of places, even though they are very, very difficult to come and get something out of. Because of the obvious quality that they have got around the place.
JP
What did you say to the players then after the match about the opening stages of that second-half?
GA
That we can't keep putting up with it. People have got to take responsibility and if we want to get through and improve and progress then we have got to cut out certain parts of our game.
What happens is we seem to be saying too often, not as often this season as we did the last season, but mistakes, soft goals, timings of goals, they are less then they were last season, that is why we have ended up a little bit higher. But they have still got to be eradicated if we want to progress even further.
We looked at honesty and we looked at some people going into their shell a little bit and we looked at rolling your sleeves up and going right the way to the wire and making a tackle. Whether it is 4-0, 5-0 or 6-0, if you have got a tackle to be made you make it, simple as that.
Nobody shirks a tackle, nobody shirks a run, nobody shirks a shot on goal, all different things. But we roll our sleeves up and we completely battle, and do you know why?
Because we need to do it for each other and they need to do it for their team-mates and they need to do it for the back-room staff. Everybody that goes out on that pitch has to roll their sleeves up because they are representing a good group of people.
JP
You have talked about the goals, you had to, and you said what was right and what didn't go right with those. But let's talk about that first-half now, how happy are you with how well you competed with a team who did look a cut above you a month ago? And you made it a level game in that first-half, how happy were you with that display?
GA
I am not particularly happy, I expect that, I expect determination, I expect commitment, I expect spirit and I expect desire. If you get all those things then you generally compete with anybody, Everton, Portsmouth, Bristol City and Leeds United, you will compete with anybody.
You drop below that and expect to come here and get results without putting in that type of effort you will absolutely get hammered you know. There is nothing about us seeing the season out, we have come here to a really difficult place today and tried to make life as difficult as we can against Southampton.
Over the piece I think they have deserved to win the game because they have an obvious amount of quality, but we have given a decent account of ourselves. But we can't keep talking about the same failings and I can't keep protecting the players all the time, and some things have to change. We have to make improvements if that is the case, we can't keep conceding goals at important times in games.
JP
Does that make these last two games for you then very important, because I suppose you want to say to the players who have facilitated conceding those goals today, do you want to say you have got two games to show me that I don't need to make big changes this summer?
GA
We have given them a challenge, we have given them a challenge. That is to win the Walsall game, I am not even talking about the Norwich game just at the moment. Just a challenge is beat Walsall at home, send our fans home with a bit of encouragement and a bit of optimism and a fairly decent end to the season.
But we don't want to get beat next week and we have told the players that. You would think we were preparing for a cup final because we are going to have a go next week, I will tell you that now, we are having a go.
JP
What will you do then this week? What will you try to get out of them? How will you try to do it?
GA
I just won't allow the beach shorts to come into the training ground, basically I mean that. We are going to train properly, we are going to train hard. We need to give one or two players a bit of time off because we are carrying an unbelievable amount of injuries.
We made three substitutions, forced substitutions, one was tactical, the others were forced. We have got some lame bodies at the minute but they are going to dust themselves down, they are going to get a breather, but come Saturday they had better be ready to go and roll their sleeves up and give a really honest performance. If we do that then the chances are we will win the game.
JP
It looked like Ian Harte did something to his groin was it?
GA
He has got a tight groin, he has had it for a few days as well, but we carried him and he has got through. He scored us a great goal and then it is hard work chasing those two isn't it.
JP
It certainly is, and of course you had to change your entire centre of your defence at that stage as well didn't you because you brought off Danny Livesey. Was that precautionary?
GA
He was on his last legs I think, his first game in a while. We needed him to contend with (Rickie) Lambert and the speed of the game and the pace of the match caught up with him and we made a change, and David (Raven) has come on and done OK.
JP
What is the latest with Adam Clayton who wasn't there today?
GA
He will be fine Tuesday.
JP
He will be fine, he will back in for you?
GA
Yeah.
JP
And what about the two upfront, it was something that Andy Hall told us ahead of the match that you really wanted to see what Gary Madine looked like with a strike partner. How did you feel about that?
GA
Yeah, alright, we try a number of things, we are not unhappy with playing any type of system or any type of thing. But Gary has done alright, he has got his goal again, he is going to be judged on goals and at the minute he is on a run of goals.
We still want more from him, we want more from (Scott) Dobie, we want more from Jason Price, we want more from them all. Because you have got to keep pushing them on, you have got to keep dragging as much out as you can.
They are honest enough to accept that and we will keep working to find the right formula. We have got a summer to try to improve things and bring the right types of players in that make us better.
JP
And you have talked in very exciting terms about that, the fans I am sure are excited about that. Are there still some players though with these remaining two games who have quite a bit to do still to prove that they should be here next year for you?
GA
I am just looking to improve the thing for next year and I will have to do what I have to do. They are the decisions that are tough, and you have to make sure you get them right. So whatever I have to do to make the thing better within the budget lines I am given, I will do.
JP
And for whatever reason, disappointment for the fans last weekend against Oldham, you have gone into that this week, the fans I am sure understand that. But 411 here again all the way down at Southampton, how do you feel about that?
GA
Every single one stayed behind as well seeing an effort, and that is all the fans want I think. They want to see honesty, of course they want to see quality, they want to see good football and they probably will see it here with the type of pitch they have got, it is like a carpet.
But they were magnificent today and I made sure everybody went over to say fantastic, well done, they never stopped singing, terrific. We need more of that and we don't want to serve up a 3-2 defeat, we want to serve up a 3-3 draw at least next season and maybe nick a win if we can keep a clean sheet, you never know.
JP
And a couple of weeks ago Brighton, then down to Southampton and we are just learning today that you have got Bournemouth as well, you must look forward to these long trips?
GA
It doesn't bother me, it doesn't bother me, we have to get on with it. We don't moan about stuff like that, that is part of the job at Carlisle, you know where it is on the map, it is not going to change is it?