United boss Greg Abbott (GA) spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's James Phillips (JP) following Carlisle's 1-1 League One draw away to Walsall at the Banks's Satadium, Abbott saying that the Blues started too slowly in the game :
JP
A bit of a complicated game today?
GA
Yeah, I mean it was one of those games where I thought we started slowly, the heat was a factor for both teams, but the tempo we have trained at this week certainly wasn't the tempo we started the game with and we found ourselves in a scrap where we couldn't get hold of the ball and pass it well enough.
We got penned back a little bit, not through great play from Walsall but from maybe just getting the ball into areas that pushed us back and got us on the back foot. But, second-half we came out and we looked a different proposition I thought and passed the ball nicer, or better, and got into better areas, and had a big threat, particularly from the wide areas, and got the ball into where we needed to get it a lot more often. In the end we might feel a bit aggrieved that we only just got a point out of the game.
JP
Certainly what we felt in commentary that a point was the very least you deserved in the end, how pleased were you with that reaction then from half-time?
GA
Well, you get a gauge for it by the fans' reactions and the fans to a man stood and cheered and applauded everybody off the pitch, which is there is your answer. I am just the same as them, you are a bit more than a fan on the touchline but you want to see us play better or play like you know you can do, and I thought we did that second-half a lot better.
JP
What about the goal that got you a point today from Matt Robson? That was one of the best free-kicks I think I have ever seen, I don't think Ian Atkins has ever seen a free-kick like it.
GA
Nor have we from Matty Robson, but he is capable of it, he has done that two or three times now so maybe they are not a fluke. He practises them all the time in training and we started off with a hundred footballs and we are down to about 25, that tells you that it has not always been a success story for him. But, he has put one in the top bag like you will probably never see again, and if that was in the Premier League tonight they would be talking about it as an absolute worldy. But, listen, it has got us a point and some of the easier chances you might add went a begging if you like, and that is probably what we are a bit aggrieved of. But, a great goal from Matty and I think to come away from here without anything would have been very, very disappointing.
JP
You talked about the elements in that first-half that sort of led to you being a little bit sluggish, or certainly compared to the second-half, what do you think it was that they were just missing there?
GA
An extra lung I think in the first-half, we travelled a long way this morning, it is not always easy, the travel takes time out of you, the hotel was red hot, it takes it out of you and it saps you and that is how we started the game you know. There is not much you can do about that but certainly yesterday in the sun we looked fantastic, but we have just turned up and trained on our own bidding, and when you have travelled and that it does take a bit out of you. I think it took 45 minutes for the lads to get their breath I think, they were struggling to breathe in the first-half they were saying, but in the second-half they were much, much better.
JP
You did change your shape, you said going into this season actually that you really wanted to have lots of different plan B's, plan C's and plan D's, are you happy with the way that worked out?
GA
Yeah, I mean we have used a system that we probably don't think we will use over large periods for the season, but it is a system that got us a result last week. Apart from a set-piece it looked decent enough defensively, whilst it hindered us today on the attacking front so we just changed it, we needed to change it to throw more bodies at Walsall. We thought we were capable of causing them problems and we did.
JP
In terms of Lee Miller, great to get 90 minutes out of him and he almost won it for you at the end?
GA
Yeah, I mean he was unlucky wasn't he in the first-half as well with a little curling shot. It was a great save, Jimmy Walker is capable of that, he is a terrific goalkeeper, size-wise he has got great leap, great spring, and he has made a worldy save. Maybe it was one for the cameras, but Lee from those positions is usually dangerous, but fantastic news that we have got him through 90 minutes.
JP
Francois Zoko as well came on and looked very sharp, do you think sometimes players like Francois need a little bit of time out of the starting eleven just to make them fight for it?
GA
Erm, everybody has got to fight in League One, there is no way you can be a prima donna at this level and perform in bits and pieces. We are trying to get the message over to Francois that he has got to now put a shift in defensively as well, but I thought he came on with a terrific attitude to the game, and with a bit more luck as well he might have got a goal out of it. The pitch is one of those dry pitches that the ball didn't run freely enough for him, and on a quicker pitch maybe if you understand what I mean he might just have had his day, but a terrific contribution.
JP
How did you feel about the goal that you did concede though in the first-half? Do you think they could have done a bit more to stop that?
GA
It was a good set-piece wasn't it and he (Will Grigg) has lost his marker, and these things happen, we are good from set-plays like that, and the amount of bodies going in there you have got to defend a bit tougher. But, you are always disappointed it is a set-piece.
JP
And just finally in terms of Miller's fitness now, he has come through the 90 minutes, has he basically shrugged off that injury now? Is he back basically or is he........?
GA
Well, I think we will have to manage him a bit because that will have taken a lot out of him today, so he will probably be doing next to nothing on Monday and then we will ease him through the week, but it is important we get him on the pitch on a Saturday afternoon.