John Ward - Radio Cumbria Interview

Last updated : 23 November 2007 By Thetashkentterror

John Ward
United boss John Ward spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's Derek Lacey on Thursday morning as he talked about Carlisle's poor performances in their last few games, Ward also chatting about his recent loan signing from Bristol City in Richard Keogh :


" I think only the last two cup games have left a little bit to be desired, we were disappointed against Stockport and Grimsby in the replay. At home to Grimsby though I thought that we played pretty well without finding a goal. I'm a bit concerned that the form has gone a little bit astray, we'll be looking for that to come back as quickly as we can. Like anything, had we got an early goal at Grimsby then that may have brought things back to people.

" We didn't though and that brings question marks against the team, against me, the way we play and everything else. It will be good to get back on the bike quickly and get ourselves back into good form. I said after the Grimsby game, I haven't changed, I've had time to reflect on Tuesday certainly and I haven't really changed my views on it from after the match.

" We've found, strangely enough, goals a little bit difficult to come by, we're creating chances and we're getting into the penalty box. We've lost a bit of quality in terms of the balls coming in and we've lost a bit of quality with the finishes. People are snatching a little bit and getting a little bit anxious, not so soft but we've got a little bit complacent maybe and we've got to snap out of that quickly.

" I'll discuss the team on Thursday afternoon with my staff after the training session when I've had a good look at everybody. I'll make sure that I've got the right people in the right frame of mind today. We're going to introduce Richard Keogh to the squad today, he'll train with us as a new face so we've just got to bear all those things in mind. What I would hope is that overnight, and certainly Friday morning, I'll be able to say that this is the team, this is what we are going with and now let's go and get on with it and be very thorough about it. "



" A permanent deal is a possibility but it's just something that Gary Johnson (Bristol City manager) and I mentioned in conversation when we were talking about Richard (Keogh) coming here. He said maybe/maybe not but he has put a 24-hour recall clause in after the first month anyway. We've got Richard until the 1st of January so Gary is still thinking that way a little bit about maybe needing Richard himself. It may be something that as this loan wears on we discuss with Richard and Gary, it may not work for Richard and it may not work for us, we'll have to look at it as it moves.

" I feel responsibility rather than pressure about having to do things. Probably about ten years ago I might have felt pressure and worried. Because that indicates, if you are putting yourself under pressure, that you are worrying about the job. I concern myself about it, I don't worry about it, I concern myself about, I think about it, I discuss it with other people. I feel responsible as the manager for what goes on within the football club, not just on the pitch but off it and around it as well.

" So that responsibility doesn't weigh heavily on me but it's in there and I know that people are looking at me to do something about things. That's what we've got to try to do and that will be reflected on how the team play and how they go about their next job at Brighton on Saturday. It's something, that obviously for myself, I'm very keen for the team to do well because then people will reflect that way about me. I don't get uptight about it though because if I am doing that then I am going to push that on to everyone else who is around me and that would be an absolute waste.

" The England result does a lot of damage because the critics are straight in there, they are immediately in there the minute the final whistle blows. The blame will go away from Steve McClaren through the FA, down into the coaching regime into English coaching, English football. What we do at Carlisle even, do we teach the players to pass the ball?, all those types of things will get questioned by people who don't really know what does go on.

" So it does a lot of damage in terms of the football and it does not help the up and coming young English coaches to move further forward and get on. I'm an old English coach now but the young ones, people like Greg (Abbott) in there, who want to move on and get bigger jobs and higher jobs and work at bigger clubs. It doesn't particularly help them because their reputation just gets tarnished a little bit by it all. They are the top team and when the top team players are not playing to the perfection that everybody wants them to be then the question marks go the right the way down into the grass roots. "