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JP
A shining light on the day was a late goal that really gave the fans something to cheer about at the end of the game. A very good goal as well, and we didn't see it in commentary but we are hearing that there was somewhat of an apology from Gary Madine to the fans in his celebration in the game. What can you tell us about that and how happy were you to see him score a goal like that?
GA
I was happy to see anybody score a goal, I wanted another three after that but we couldn't find them. I didn't know about the apology, I said to Gary a couple of weeks ago that he was public enemy number one, and then after his 20 minutes when he came on the other day and did really well at home in the league game I said that he had become public enemy number two.
Now he might be public enemy number three and if he can keep behaving and performing and doing the right things that we expect of him on and off the football pitch then he might the lose the public enemy tag. That has got to be his goal but only by doing the things we have told him and by performing right on and off the pitch will he earn that respect back, and he has got a bit of work to do.
But hopefully his goal is a little bit of something to change people's minds, it might take a while to change people's minds totally and some people might never change their minds. But all he can do now, because that is gone, is do what we have talked about to him and constantly do the right things on and off the pitch.
JP
He has got another year on his contract beyond this year, are you seeing the promise from him that he still can be that player for Carlisle?
GA
Well he is in my squad and the whole incident has not been brushed under the carpet, it has been dealt with. Now I have got to sort of say to Gary that he has done what many people would consider a wrongdoing, he has been punished to an extent at the moment, he has got other things to deal with in the future. But for me now he is a football player and I have got to get the best out of him I can for this football club until things change.
JP
What about the other players? I know that you said in the build-up to Wembley that there may be some news coming up shortly on the players who are out of contract. Is there anything else you can tell us on that at this time?
GA
Well Adam Collin has agreed a new deal and we are hopeful that he can sign that deal very, very quickly. I am in talks now with a number of other players and there are some that we might just leave a little bit longer.
JP
How about some of the younger players who haven't really had that chance to come into the first team squad? Their contracts are up this summer, is there anything planned for whether you want them in your squad for next season or their long term future?
GA
I think that the whole retained and released list will come out all together rather than being drip fed. But we have spoken to a couple of the younger players today and I think by the end of the day that situation will be resolved and Andy (Hall) will be able to give you some news of that rather than me drip feed you bit by bit.
As soon as we have got some news then Andy from the club will do it properly. It is a delicate time for players in and out and we are trying to do the job properly, and all that information will be sorted out I think over the next two to three weeks.
JP
I have had a contact of mine tell me about two of them in particular, do you not want to talk about those at this stage, Conor Tinnion and Jonny Blake - what is their immediate future if you can tell us about it?
GA
We have just agreed, I mean I haven't released anything because I am not sure where they are in terms of the release papers. But we are going to release them to play some football and Workington made an offer for them. So we have come to an agreement with their contracts as we speak, as I was training this morning I think the paperwork has been completed and they are going to finish the season at Workington.
JP
As it stands is it just those two that will be moving at this time then?
GA
As we speak right now yes, it is just those two lads.
JP
OK, after all of that shall we start talking about the weekend then? Do you need to pick the players up and what do you need to do with them to get them ready for an important game for you once again on Good Friday.
GA
I think we do need to pick them up a bit because there is obvious disappointment, there is disappointment throughout the club. But we have got eight games to go and I want 24 points, if I can't get 24 then we have to do the best we can to get as many as we can. But I have said that we are not using Wembley as an excuse, I feel a bit better myself today.
I came in yesterday, I had to come into work yesterday to deal with things and to sort myself out in terms of what I need to do from here and how I need to do things. Again, it is about progressing and keeping things moving forward, it would be easy to sit and rest on our laurels and think that we have done this and we have done that.
But I think we owe it to the fans and we owe it to ourselves as professional people to win as many games as we can now. And give it as best we can now between now and the end of the season and start building for next season.
Once we get the points necessary and we start making plans and putting things in place so when we come back we are off and running massively so we have got a bit of an advantage on what we had got last season. Because last season we didn't get time to get out and look at other players because our situation with points was as important as it was.
But now we want to get as many points as we can, consolidate a mid-table position at the very worst and start thinking and have one eye on what we may do to improve things. Because we need to keep the thing going in the right direction.
JP
Carlisle are essentially seen as safe now, if not mathematically just yet, one more win most people think would almost certainly make you safe. But two tricky games over this Easter period, both very good sides.
GA
I think there are eight tricky games, you look at the games we have got and we have got some tough ones. But Bristol Rovers will have one eye still on the play-offs if they get maximum points from near enough all their remaining games, so they will want a win.
I can't remember ever having such a desire to win a game as I have on Friday. I really wish I could get out on the pitch and take some frustration and anger out by playing, but I can't. But all I can do is tell my players to do that for me and hopefully they will, I am sure they are because we have had a good relationship this season.
Generally they have dug deep when they have had to do and they have produced when they have needed to. I want to win the game for everybody, and I want to win at Charlton as well and I want to upset people that have got something to play for this season, because I am upset at the minute.
JP
Anything you can do then in particular to translate that desire out onto the players on the pitch?
GA
Just by your manner, just by the way I am. An easy-oasy end to the season isn't going to be what I am looking for and if people don't perform then we make changes, it is as simple as that. If people think they are going to see out the season and just go through the motions then they won't be in the team and they are not the type of people I want here.
I want people here that we play 46 league games and as many cup games as you have to do and then you get a nice break. Well we haven't got to that break yet, we are still very much work and that is what we will be trying to do over the next few weeks.
JP
I like that, it is not break time yet, just finally then, what about the squad that you have at your disposal I guess for this Friday's game, and Monday as well although that is subject to change over the weekend?
GA
I have got near enough everybody, Darryl (Duffy) can't play obviously because it is Bristol Rovers, his parent club. But obviously Danny Livesey won't be with us, he is going to have probably the majority of the season out with his hamstring, and Hursty (Kevan Hurst) has got a brace so he will be out of it.
But we have enough now with the cup-tied players back and a couple of the injuries back. David Raven is going to have a game for the reserves today if it is on, half a game, so he is back in contention for maybe not this Easter weekend period but maybe next week, you never know, see how he comes through this game today.
JP
Just on David, is that an important period the end of the season for him or do you know enough about him to decide what his future may be? Because he is one of those out of contract.
GA
I think it is an important time for him yeah.
JP
In the build-up to the Wembley final, John Nixon was talking about the longer term future of the club and in particular the implications with the gates being like they are at the moment. He did say that with the club's great cup success this season that the club would make some sort of a profit, but he said given where the gates are they will have to address the budget for next season and there will be cuts in that budget. Has he talked through how that could affect you and the squad for next year?
GA
No.
JP
Not yet, so good answer, but at this stage as you are looking to build for next year, have they said you will have to let quite a few go before you can bring in some of the players you want at this stage?
GA
Well yeah, you would have to do that because you have to make spaces financially and for personnel. So there will be some casualties but if we can replace the casualties with better players for around or about the same costings then we will be OK.
But they haven't given me the final figure of what budget I have got available, but I would expect it to be similar to what we are on this year. Certainly I don't think it will be higher because of the gate thing.
But I think the key to the gates is getting off to a……… I think our gates actually when we have hit the type of form we have hit and the run we have had in the league and got ourselves around or about 10th or 11th coincided with getting to Wembley. Everybody was saving up for Wembley and Wembley was a horrendous amount of money to fans, not just the cost of getting there and the cost of the tickets and stuff.
But people are talking £4 for a meat pie and stuff like that and that doesn't half add up when you are taking a family down of two adults and two children. So I think people realised that it was going to be a big hit even once they got there as well. So people were saving up for that, I think the gates probably would have improved this year and I think for that to happen next year we have got to get off to a good start again.
We have got to finish this season strongly and get off to a good start next season. If we are winning games then the extra crowd will come, that has always been the case. We are not the only team to have poor gates this season, everybody has suffered with the way that the financial thing is in England, or Britain.
But the only thing we can do is try to win games and that will attract a few more. But that is what we have got to do and the club have always said that the more that come through the gates the more extra revenue there is will be passed on for team strengthening. So it is a bit of challenge for everybody really.
JP
And a good finish and then a good summer of activity will probably lead into that for you?
GA
Yeah, they will want an exciting transfer won't they you know, and we will be doing our best to get that. But we know we will still not be able to work with the big boys because financially we can't do it.
Rickie Lambert cost £1million and I would probably say he is on five times more than our top paid player. Now that is a big difference in gaps in there, that is a massive difference in gaps. On Sunday he looked worth it, there are other days he has not looked worth it but over this season he hasn't done bad has he.