United boss Greg Abbott (GA) spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's James Phillips (JP) following Carlisle's 2-2 League One draw at home to Swindon, Abbott first talking about the resources the Robins have available compared to the Blues:
JP
You must be happy with a point today, which you probably won't always say when you are playing at home?
GA
No, but sometimes you have got to be realistic in the type of team you are playing. It is not me crying a poor tale but I just wish I had the resources available that other people have got. Paolo (Di Canio) has had the pick of the best players in this league to put together because they can afford it, and we haven't. But, what we do is we group together, we make ourselves difficult to beat, we are trying our hardest, we have got kids on there on absolute peanuts playing against grown men, established League One and higher campaigners.
They battle and battle away and they don't give in, and I think typical of our day today was probably Danny Livesey's introduction, something we needed in the game where he came and he battled and he scrapped and he won his headers. We have battled and scrapped for a point against a very strong team/squad, I am going to say squad because there were four or five changes from last week when I went to watch them.
They can do that and the four or five changes that they made would probably walk into most League One sides. That is what we are up against, but we keep going, we battle and scrap, we might have to get through this period and maybe ask for a bit of help, because I think we need a bit more in terms of depth to the squad to give us that fighting chance of really, really competing and putting these sorts of sides on the back foot.
JP
Does it just sum up when you are bringing on a couple of teenagers (Mark Beck and David Symington), that they are bringing on Giles Coke and Gary Roberts with all the experience they have got?
GA
Well, we talked to Gary Roberts in the summer and I get on really, really well with Gary through his connections at Huddersfield. He sort of laughed and he said he would love to play for me but he said that we don't need to talk figures do we, and I said no but I have to ring you up and ask you the question. It was a ridiculous amount of money that he got and just shows you where they are compared to us. So, we know who the players are, they would love to come and play here on our fantastic pitch, but finances dictate and we lost out, not just by a little bit, by an absolute country mile.
JP
In terms of the way that Swindon came here and played today, the thing is they played some nice football, they were quite devastating at times, but they were also very aerial and physical as well, I mean they seem to have a lot of game in there?
GA
Listen, it won't take long for Paolo to work out that you will not be pretty all the way through this league. They have got to come to places like Bury, Carlisle, Oldham and Colchester and you have got to scrap and compete for your life. I went to watch them at Preston and that would have been a real serious message to Paolo that his team, they absolutely got bullied off the pitch at Preston, they couldn't cope with the physical side of the game.
He will learn and they will learn very, very quickly because that is what football people do. They work out where they are, what they are up against and then they play accordingly, and today they played long, they played tough, and they played football eventually when they got the chance to. But, you have to earn that right and they did today, and they were a good, good side and strong, typical of the Sheffield Wednesday type of team from last year, so they will be up and around it this season I will tell you that for sure.
JP
One of your selections today, some of the fans musing over whether Jake Jervis should be in again, but he was in and he certainly justified that today?
GA
Yeah, I mean we have got to make these decisions and today up to half-time it was a fantastic decision, after half-time I thought his contribution was less, but it is hard. Again, he is only 20 remember, he is a baby, and that is what we have got. You look at their strikeforce of (James) Collins, the top scorer last year in League Two, Paul Benson, terrific players to have at your disposal, Adam Rooney has scored loads and loads of goals, and we are trying to make do with players on a little bit less, and a little bit younger and a little bit more inexperienced than that, but they are doing it.
JP
Man of the match went to Mark Gillespie today your goalkeeper, in his third appearance what a performance from him?
GA
Yeah, terrific, we know what Mark can do and we know what Mark has been, and he has been pushing Adam (Collin), Adam has taken it badly which I expected, which is absolutely fine, he wants to play. Mark does want to play and what Mark has got to do now is make it difficult for Adam and Adam has got to push Mark all the way. But, he made some terrific saves today, the one where we were a bit sloppy and then the one at the far-post when he got across his box and smothered the ball. But, fantastic and we needed him today.
JP
He and Livesey were fantastic towards the end, and your whole team was in the second-half in not letting Swindon in, with that were you a bit disappointed with the goals you did concede?
GA
Yeah, I mean I think so will Swindon be, I think the four goals from a manager's point of view were terrible goals. Our two were really sloppy from their point of view, great finishes, infact all the goals were great finishes, but the play leading up to it would be weaker than we would expect. We are pointing the finger at our centre-halves, they have to be much, much, much tougher than that. We could have won the game 2-0 if we had defended properly, we didn't for that period but there was a lot of good defending elsewhere and round and about it in the whole of the game.
JP
You have got a bit of a problem for your next game now with Crewe, James Berrett has picked up a fifth booking now and with Liam Noble out as well you are looking a bit short there?
GA
Yeah, we are getting shorter and shorter by the minute aren't we. But, somebody will have to come in and somebody will have to roll up their sleeves and put in a shift, we will find somebody.
JP
You will be looking as well. Danny Cadamarteri as well, how is he doing, did he pick up a bit of a knock towards the end?
GA
Yeah, a bump on his foot, I think he got stamped on the top of his foot, it was too painful for him to get full mobility, and at that particular time we needed full mobility didn't we. So, hopefully he will be OK for Tuesday, and we are going to need him.
JP
Just on the injury front as well, did Dave Symington maybe have a bit of a problem with his ankle? He seemed to struggle when he blocked a clearance, is he OK with that as far as you know?
GA
David is indestructible, I hope so, you don't get injured if you are from Workington do you?
JP
A quick turnaround now and straight back in action against another of the promoted sides (Crewe) on Tuesday?
GA
Yeah, another tough one, different type, maybe not got the strength and the power that Swindon have got, but certainly they have got a great result today, a draw down at Stevenage. There are no easy games, we have said that and have not a big enough squad and enough quality in the squad to think we can just wipe teams away, we have to put in the same shift, the same effort and hopefully we get a bit more attacking play and don't have to defend so much on Tuesday.
JP
Any hope that you might be able to get somebody in ahead of that game?
GA
There is always hope, always hope, Bob Hope and no hope, we are trying.
JP
Which one are we closer to at the moment?
GA
No, we will be trying, you know we will be trying, I have got to go and have a bit of a fall-out with John (Nixon) now because I think we need that depth. Tuesday may be a bit too soon but certainly by next weekend I think we need to try to give ourselves a bit more depth to the squad and help us along.
JP
And just under 5,000 today, they were applauding off Swindon and Paolo Di Canio and his men, so they must have known how hard your team worked to get this point here today, hopefully you can build on that crowd for Tuesday.
GA
Absolutely, I think they have applauded our lads off for the effort they have shown and the age that we have got and the inexperience in the side. I think it is a double-edged sword, both teams for different reasons needed their clap and both teams got it, and we understand that.
JP
And I have just thought of one more I must ask you. Mike Edwards coming off for Danny Livesey who came on and put in a shift, it wasn't just quite working in defence was it?
GA
No it wasn't, the two goals were too soft and I thought that they were getting bullied aerially, and obviously that is Danny's strength. So, he went on and I don't think that was a bad decision looking at that at the end of the game.