United boss Greg Abbott (GA) spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's John Walsh (JW) following Carlisle's 2-0 pre-season friendly defeat away to Workington, Abbott saying that getting players pitch time was more important than the result :
GA
I am not too bothered about losing, it is about getting people pitch time, and we had a really tough game last night, I thought the lads were excellent last night, and then we wanted to make sure that the senior players had 90 minutes over the two nights. Some played against Doncaster on our pitch and some went to Penrith, so we had to change it round to make sure we had a fair sort of hearing for everybody, and we did that.
Disappointed, more disappointing to me is to try to win the game we probably needed Craig (Curran) and Paddy (Madden) and they both got injured in the first-half, which was a big blow. We didn't bring our senior substitutes because they played the full game last night so we were very much hampered and had to throw a lot of the young players in, who aren't ready yet for this level of football.
To be fair, the Workington lads, they know the game, they have been around the block a bit, they are tough, they know how the game is to be played and it was a little bit much for some of the younger players. But, the key was my senior players I was very pleased with, the younger players it is a real big learning curve. So, you find out things sometimes with losing some of your players, you do find out things about kids and then we have to speak and see how we can improve them and improve them quicker.
JW
What about the injuries you mentioned to Curran and Madden? What is their state?
GA
Well, Paddy is on crutches but I hope it is one of those that he is just cheating his weight off it. It is a stamp on his foot which has taken some bruising, probably have an X-ray, hopefully that will be clear and then it will be sore for a few days, hopefully that is all it is.
Craig got a dead leg, clashed with the keeper I think, or the centre-half, I am not sure, probably be doubtful for Saturday but again hopefully by Monday that will settle down, dead legs aren't generally more than three or four days, but the weekend might come a little bit early. But, at least they are not long-term muscle injuries, they are just impact injuries which generally they will be sore but they will clear up shortly.
JW
How pleased have you been with the general performances in the pre-season friendlies?
GA
We have been delighted, right from day one the attitude of the players, and even you see my senior players tonight, Paul Thirlwell is a shining example to the young kids on how to prepare and how to play and how to be a proper footballer, and sometimes it does them good to see good examples.
Stephen O'Halloran again, terrific tonight, he ended up in the midfield because of the injury things and that, but overall all the boys, out of my 18 to 20 man squad there are a lot giving me a few problems, a lot to think about. So, that is the key, they are all fit apart from the knocks tonight, but they are all fit so if we can get through Saturday with another good performance and another nice fitness run out for everybody then we can go into a week on Saturday in really good shape.
JW
How much can the fans read into the team you put out at Bradford on Saturday?
GA
(laughs), I don't know the fans read into everything loads of things all the time. But, we will just have hopefully another good performance, try to get everybody some more pitch time, we won't be able to get the full 18 pitch time but we might try to have an in-house game on Monday and then we will have to make some serious selection things.
But, Saturday is an important game a week away, but the door is never over until the team is picked for Notts County, and that is what we do next week. We don't want anybody stepping off the plate because they think they are not going to be involved, but they have all done themselves the world of good with their performances and their fitness levels, so I will have a difficult job next week getting my team sorted out.