|
JP
You must be immensely proud of the way that your team battled out there today?
GA
We have got a lot of honesty haven't we in the camp, we know that, and we have got a lot of determination in the camp and we have come up against the odds today haven't we. We are coming to a big club with a lot of top players and then to go a man down the way we did makes the odds even bigger.
But, I thought that in the second-half they asked all the questions to be honest, I know that (Alex Oxlade-) Chamberlain got through with the one bit of skill and quality from Southampton in the second-half and it was a great save from Adam (Collin).
But, apart from that we have more than matched them which is a compliment to the players, it is a compliment to the players, let's laud them up a little bit. They have not rolled back and gone under, they have come out and tried to play to a system that enables us to make a couple of chances.
But, it was tough, but fair play to them, we said if we can just hold 20 minutes and then just push forward a little bit more with a few more numbers. But, it was very difficult because getting the ball back is one thing, but then trying to do something with it with a man down was hard. I suppose there is a satisfaction there that it has ended up at one against a really good side and a man down.
JP
The turning point though clearly the sending-off, it looks like we can only imagine you were sent off for something you have said as well. But, Dave Merrington the former Southampton boss sat behind us on BBC Radio Solent said if he has gone for the tackle it is a disgrace, if he has gone for mouthing off then he needs to look at himself. But, it is not, it is the tackle he has been sent off for?
GA
Well, I don't get in trouble then because Dave Merrington has got it absolutely right. It is not a foul anyway, it is not a foul.
JP
Six and two threes?
GA
It is not a sending-off, it is not a sending-off, it as simple as that, that's it.
JP
And it just rocked the team just for a few moments perhaps and just let Southampton have that one breakthrough moment in the match?
GA
Yeah, we have kept a really good side at bay and stopped them opening up and causing us too many problems really. I thought we were sitting quite comfortable and there will always be a stage in the game where we wear them down, you are hoping to get to half-time at 0-0, the crowd start getting onto them a little bit and getting a bit frustrated and then it gives us a chance to play our stuff. We just feel a little bit hard done to to be honest.
JP
In terms of the referee (Rob Lewis), do you get to talk to him after the game?
GA
I am never going to speak to the man again ever.
JP
You feel that strongly about it?
GA
Well, it is just a waste of time isn't it, because by the time I get to speak to him there will be every reason for it to be a sending-off going. Because, they have had ages to make that argument up for themselves.
JP
How much of a turning point was it in the game then? Do you think it was and then it killed you?
GA
Well, it was a big one because they scored straight after and then against ten a goal down, if we can just get to half-time even at nil we think we have got a good chance. But, we couldn't get Matty Robson on quick enough and get a balanced back four if you like and we got done in the reorganisation quickly after the sending-off, so that has killed us in the end.
JP
Just looking here at the second-half and my notes, both sides kept the chances down but you had more chances than them, you have battled all over the park, some of the displays from your players were inspirational, how much can you take out of that inspite of the defeat?
GA
Yeah, loads, absolutely loads, listen, Frankie Simek has had his best 65 minutes for about six weeks. (James) Berrett has come into the game, little Tom (Taiwo) has worked his socks off with Liam Noble, they have ran around and chased and challenged. The two centre-halves (Lubomir Michalik and Peter Murphy) have competed with everything against a powerful strikeforce.
We have grown actually after the sending-off, if we could have just kept the goal out up to half-time we have actually grown and got better. As the game went on we played better, that is a funny one. But, maybe it is one of those, everything is against us, you fight that little bit harder but I would like to think we could fight as hard with eleven men on Tuesday and get a good result.
JP
More than the luck which went against you, you just needed a bit of luck and you could easily have got a point out of this well?
GA
Yeah, well, that is the margins in football, but we haven't and we have to regroup now on Tuesday and take all the positives out of today, which you are talking about, and take them on to the game against Oldham.
JP
You talk about that though, there is clearly a feeling of being hard done to out there that really got your players going, can you try to use that again on Tuesday? Because, on the face of it it is four defeats on the trot, you have got to try to do something to turn that around?
GA
Yeah, of course, you are counting Tuesday night as a defeat? Well, I would count that as a victory because it was a two-legged affair.
JP
But, I am just talking in terms of games, your last four games.
GA
Yeah, it is a defeat, yes it is a defeat, you are right. But, listen, we are taking positives forward, there are some tough games coming up but hopefully today we have found out we have got a tougher group than we thought.
If they play with that toughness and that determination then we have got a fighting chance on Tuesday, and if we don't win on Tuesday then we will try to win on Saturday. We have just got to find that performance that gets us a win.
JP
We have been saying here to the Carlisle fans listening that they really must respect what a good effort this was by the players, Oldham is not so far away, how important could a good following coming down there be as you try to get back on track?
GA
Well, I think the fans have been terrific, the fans see common sense a lot of the times. They will be disappointed with the result, but you look at the whole thing, it is a pretty positive performance. Tuesday night they will be there in more numbers and they will be hoping we get a result, and we will be trying our hardest to do that for them.
JP
The best part of 400 here again, I know that is swollen by the groups from the London Branch here, but still a lot have come down from Cumbria and a lot from London as well, and singing at the end there 'we love you Carlisle', that must make you feel pretty good?
GA
Yeah, I think in adversity people come together don't they, and I think everybody has come together. But, we have got to take this on to Tuesday now and we will hopefully get the benefits out of it and get a result on the Tuesday night one.