Greg Abbott On The Yeovil Defeat

United boss Greg Abbott (GA) spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's James Phillips (JP) after Carlisle's 2-0 final day defeat at home to Yeovil, Abbott saying that losing the game in the manner the Cumbrians did was a big disappointment :

The 2010-11 season is over, what have you made of it all?

Yeah, we are disappointed, we are really disappointed, we have tried so hard to play good football and make the fans happy, and produced some really good stuff, especially at home. Today we have sort of gone to the end of the season quietly and I can't hide my disappointment at the way we have finished the season. I have told the players that, I can't say any different to the way I am and the way I feel, I just wanted to go out nicely.

But, credit to Yeovil, they play a system that upsets the way we want to play with the one in front of the back four and it was a good system and they did it very well and they deserved their victory so credit where it is due. But, we have to try to find other ways, which we changed the system three times in the game today and still couldn't find it, and probably the performance, not the result, the performance tells us that we need what I am going to go and ask John (Nixon) and the chairman (Andrew Jenkins) for for next season.

By no means though a performance like the Dagenham one, they were just very, very good today were Yeovil?

Excellent, they were excellent and that is why I am giving them a fair amount of credit you know. But, I have got my team to think about and when we play against sides like Yeovil, especially at home, if we are going to achieve anything then we have to be as good and cause them problems. That is why we are looking for the type of player in the summer that we are, and I have already put names to the chairman and to John, and we will see what we can do.

But, we know again that story is going to be the similar one, we are waiting for other people to do their work, we are not going to get the best in the league because we are not going to have the money to do that. We will try to attract the players that we think will make us better, and will have to make us better because we are not quite, well not quite comfortably the finished article if we are going to be competing at the top of the league.

There is progress in the league, a point, a goal and two places I believe, but I am sure you would have liked to end with a win and just a couple more points to get that little bit higher, but you are top half in League One at the end of the season?

Brilliant, thanks for that.

I didn't think you would be that bothered by the way,

Yeah, you know I am not, and listen, you guys, you are actually building me up and I am probably too disappointed to argue at the minute. It is the way I am, it is the last game of the season, not a great deal at stake but there is a great deal at stake, there is a football performance at stake and I thank you for telling us we are in the top half and putting a positive slant on it. I have been critical of you at times haven't I with putting a negative slant on it, so credit where credit is due, you have won the day today, and well played.

Well there is a battle for me won, great.

It has taken me the whole of the season to say well done hasn't it, so tell all the punters out there that me and you are the best of mates and you can buy me a pint.

I will buy you one tomorrow night.

Top man, do you know what?

I don't know what to say now.

Can I just...... sorry, you are interrupting, don't start crying.

I'm sorry.

Because I am not going to do this a lot, you know that right. But, let me just say the fans today after, do you know what, they have actually cheered me up and I am still very, very disappointed. But, they have cheered me up and fair play to them, they stayed behind and have clapped the players. I didn't even want to go out onto the pitch but we had to do because of the fans and that is the reason we did do. They all stayed, well most of them stayed, and they have cheered the team off and they have shown their appreciation.

That means a hell of a lot to us, stick with us and like I said to the dressing room, this five and a half thousand that have come every week, we owe them a pat on the back as well because they have stuck through some garbage as well at times. But, hopefully they will remember some of the good stuff as well and don't just dwell on the poor performances, I think we have only been beaten seven times at home this season which isn't tremendously bad, but we need to do better if we are going to improve and take ourselves forward.

And you have made as I say that little bit of progress in the league.

A lot of progress.

A lot of progress, but you have got a trophy and you have got another Wembley appearance, next season with just those one or two bits and bobs do you really feel it could be a really big step for Carlisle?

We have got to hope so haven't we, we have got to try to fill the supporters with some anticipation and some encouragement through the summer. I might just start falling out with the chairman and John a little bit more to try to get the players I am looking for in. Because, I have an obligation, not just to my players, but to the fans of this football club to try to make it better, and to improve on what we have done this season will take another almighty effort.

We are not going to keep plucking out the (James) Berretts and the (Liam) Nobles and the Ben (Marshalls) of this world. We are going to have to start competing with other clubs because those types of players don't always find themselves to the surface. It is difficult but we are going to have to have a try and let's just tell the fans, rest assured I will be probably falling out with people over the next few days on their behalf.

A tricky one for everyone involved at this time isn't it, because the board will say, look if we spend a bit of money and the fans don't come back what happens then? But, you would argue that if you do spend a bit of money they will?

Well, that is a far point as well, that is a genuinely fair point from John and the chairman if that is what they come back at me and say.

Don't tell them that.

Well, I am not saying I am going to tell them, I am telling you that it is a fair point and it is something that they will probably throw at me. Then you have got to find an argument to counteract that one, but I am pretty good at arguing.

The Kavanagh family/clan are out there with Graham at the moment, he is just on the pitch, just bending in an unstoppable free-kick which his young boy got nowhere near, he didn't want to get his jeans dirty I don't think. Is that his last act as a professional footballer? Is he hanging up the boots for good now?

No, we have talked about it and I think a fit Graham Kavanagh next season might be able to play a part now and again in the team, it is not something we want him to be at the forefront of in terms of playing, but if we need him every now and again I think it would be ridiculously daft.......... Because, he has had a micro-fracture operation and he will be fit next season, he will do the pre-season and we will just see where he is, and if we need to throw him on every now and again, just help us out, or we get an injury problem, or a crisis, with our finances it would be daft. So, looking at him now, mind you the kid in the goal, little Callum, doesn't look like he could save it from me, never mind his dad, he is about 1'6 tall.

His daughter looks like she would have a better chance, he is taking a penalty at him now.

Yeah, he is deliberately taking the mickey out of Callum and I don't think....... I think that is not right as a Dad.

He is certainly enjoying himself out there, what about Tony Caig? Was he waving farewell at the end there or is he staying on the books?

Looking at his wasteline I think he is waving farewell.

Is he waving with his kite as Chris Lumsdon over there puts it?

He is alright, he is nearly as heavy as me I think Caigy. No, Caigy is top, he has been brilliant for the goalkeepers and he will be around as well, again, daft to cancel registrations when we might get injuries to goalkeepers and he is there isn't he. So, he'll have to, well I say keep himself fit, he will have to get himself fit first to keep himself fit, so he looks like he is enjoying his summer already, but he will have a bit of a laugh about that with me I am sure.

Daft to ask you what was your highlight of the season?

Er, it wasn't today anyway and it wasn't Dagenham. Probably my argument at half-time with that fan last week, I will get more of the same if I see him on the way out today, but nevermind. No, listen, the cup final was brilliant, Sheffield Wednesday, Huddersfield the home games, the Rochdale game away I thought was terrific because of the situation there. A lot highs but too many lows, we need to cut out the lows and see where we can go.

Fingers crossed that will be the big work of the summer.

Absolutely.

One final thing, I have just remembered, Frank Simek, what is the latest on him?

He has gone back to America.

Is his arm alright?

No, it is not.

Dislocated or broken do we know yet?

It has been put back in I think, dislocated, but don't quote me on that, but that is what I think.

Greg Abbott On The Yeovil Defeat

Last updated : 08 May 2011 By Thetashkentterror