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" I think we've all enjoyed the build-up to it, it's been going for a couple of weeks really at the club. We've done really well to get everybody's minds focused on Southend last week because a lot of people had forgotten that game. We were selling tickets for Leeds prior to that game as well so I think the players have done exceptionally well to get that result last week and go into this game with their focus right on it and for all the right reasons.
" We're actually in Leeds United's position, they should be top of the league but the Football League deducted them points and said they can't be there yet. They are unbeaten, we've got a good home record, the whole thing is set up for a fantastic day tomorrow. We've just told the players that it is a day to wake up tomorrow and rub your hands, and if anybody is concerned about it then don't come in. If you wake up rubbing your hands though and saying you're ready then get yourself in here ready to go.
" Monday was excitable, obviously people were very buoyed after the game at Southend, that was a major result for us and it was recognised by the team. To see themselves sitting in that nice position on Sunday morning in the newspapers was excellent. Monday was a little bit giddy I guess but we knocked that back down, Greg (Abbott) and I and told them to get back on. To be fair the rest of the week has been absolutely brilliant, they're in good condition and quite rightly confident and looking forward to the game.
" We've said to the players that the occasion is for the fans of Carlisle United but the occasion for us doesn't come until 5 'o' clock if we can win the game, then that is our occasion. We're delighted that thousands of people are really looking forward to it but we want to try to give them the result that they want us to give them. That's something that we've to work hard at this week to try to give ourselves a chance.
" I walked off the training ground this morning with Greg and said that there was nothing else we could do and he agreed that we were ready to go. That, when you come off on a Friday lunchtime, you are thinking that you are as well prepared as you would like to be. There may be something crops up tomorrow that you wish you had covered but at the moment I'm confident that we've covered as much as we can. "
" It is another game but it's not as well because games like this have an extra edge to them. The Southend game did, they got nearly 10,000 at their game so there was an edge to that from their point of view. This one is going to be the first full house of 30 years down at Carlisle, that makes it a big game and makes it have that extra edge. This is a team that won more, lost fewer, scored more, conceded fewer than anybody else in the division, not even lost a game.
" So the whole game is really exciting to see how we, and for me on a professional basis, compare with the team that I think at this moment are certainly the best in the league. I really will know how we compare with them afterwards but we feel there are areas, we've looked at them, we've seen them play, the reports are obviously very positive about them.
" They've won eleven of their games and only drawn a couple so they are a good side and they've got major threats. So it's the competition side of it, you're asking Danny Livesey if he can get the better of (Jermaine) Beckford and (Tresor) Kandol, can they do that him and Murph (Peter Murphy) at the back? Because you've done very well this season but these are two probably the best two strikers you are going to meet.
" Then we are asking if we can score against them, they have got the best defensive record, can Joe (Garner) and Danny (Graham) at the top end of the team produce what they produced last week and find that one bit. Because tight games, and maybe tomorrow will be that, tight games like Southend last week you just need to see that maybe someone finds a mistake or there is that little bit of something special to change the result of the game. We did it last week and we are going to have to work very hard this week to try to do it because they have got players capable of doing that to us.
" We will celebrate if we win and we'll have a go at it but Sunday and Monday will be just a little bit of time to reflect, certainly Sunday, and Monday we will certainly be looking at Luton because we've got that on Tuesday. That's not going to be anything easy either. This month is fantastic and I've said right from the beginning, if we are in the top six of this division at the end of this month and in a couple of extra rounds of the cup competitions then we'll be pretty happy. "
" We are underdogs because of the results that have happened prior to it, that's totally down to a Football League decision that is taken out of everybody's hands and has affected Leeds United. When you're in a bit of a scrap though, and they are in one facing adversity, there are not many better people than Dennis Wise and Ken Bates, and now they've got Dave Bassett. They are the guys for a fight and a scrap and a stand-up against the odds and a bit of authority.
" There will be some competition around the crowd both with ourselves and Leeds, there will be competition on the pitch and there might be a little bit on the benches - who knows? I'm keeping Dennis Booth with me, I'm going to be watching the game and I'm going to leave Greg and Dennis to chat to those guys.
" Everybody is fit and well, there is just our skipper (Paul Thirlwell) who is not fit as you know but everyone else is fit and well. We had a reserve game on Wednesday and all the guys came through that fit with 90 more minutes under their belts so we're very happy. People like Jeff Smith are fit and training and playing and everything again, so that's good.
" We don't want to let the fans down, I don't think we will, I don't think we have done yet. I've had a short time here but certainly they are in good spirits when they support their team. There was still 650 of them down at Southend last week which was fantastic, and they've got this occasion. They've got the challenge as well as us, they'll bring 3,500 and they'll make some noise, you can bet your life on it.
" So it's important that we try to out-do them and on the pitch we can help both ways. Where everybody is together, 13,000 of us and eleven on the pitch then we'll give it a good go together. That would be nice if we could get into Leeds just to see if we can unsettle them. "