|
" I hope it's right that the decision will be made by May 1st, that's the first thing I make of it, because this is the fourth date that we have been given. It was due to be today, then it was due to be Monday, then we were told later in May and now we're told it's early in May. So I really don't know where that leaves us but I just hope they've got the right date.
" You guys and the press people have kept me in touch with what is going on. I think within the football club, and certainly on the football section that I'm involved in, we've just got on with training and preparing ready for the game tomorrow, and I think that's absolutely right. I really don't think that this situation will affect the players, we try to get our points and get our position correct as strong as we possibly can, and see what other people make of it later on.
" We haven't discussed it with the players, and that's not by any definite means, we've not said to make sure that we don't talk about it. I'm sure that the lads have chatted about it amongst themselves and they listen to your programmes etc. Really though the whole thing at Carlisle United is totally out of our hands, what is in our hands is that we try to get our win tomorrow against a very tough opposition, who are also going to be affected by this decision by the way, Southend United.
" What we have got to put to one side is all those "as far as we knows". For all we know they might not give them any points back and we've got to work very, very hard to give ourselves the best chance of finishing in the top two. Seven points will do it, nine points will definitely do it, if we can do that then we've taken the bull by the horns if you like from our point of view and done the positive thing for Carlisle United. That's exactly what we are trying to do. "
" Training has been absolutely excellent, we've had a good week really where, for the first time it seems in a long while, we've been able to have a little bit of respite come the midweek. There was no big game to get ready for after the Saturday, and we've put Leeds United to bed. That result was disappointing in terms of how it went about, but the performance in general was good enough for us to say to push on and try to replicate that as much as we can against Southend. Because the good bits that we showed at Elland Road last Saturday will give us a good chance of trying to get the result we want tomorrow.
" Five of these guys I see on the photographs of the Conference winning side when they won that, and then there are a lot more familiar faces on the photographs I've seen of winning promotion from League Two. Last year they finished eighth, the whole thing has been on the rise all the way through, so these players can deal with the situation. I've said this many times, it's just a question of if we can be good enough on the day. Last Saturday we weren't quite good enough to beat Leeds United, we've got to work hard to try to beat Southend tomorrow.
" We've done nothing on player contracts recently, we're waiting to see the outcome of the season. I can plan certain things, we can get things set up if you like, or get some names down on a piece of paper, that kind of thing. I'm not ignoring the situation that may arise though, it's not going to take us by surprise, put it that way. At the moment though we've got to make sure that every access to getting promotion is attained. We've got to work very hard, they use the word "focus" a lot don't they, that everything is about trying to win these next three games if we can.
" Neale (McDermott) has been a good servant for the football club, and I've had no problems with Neale while working with him at the club. As you know, he went across to Hartlepool a few weeks ago, he has got that opportunity to go now to another football club and train. It gives him an early start on some of the guys who are probably not going to get contracts around the country. If he can fix himself up and train with a football club and get himself a contract then I will be very pleased for him.
" It was really good that he (Paul Thirlwell) got through 90 minutes in midweek. He has done an hour and then a 90 minute session, it's a big ask for a midfield player, it's a lot of work and a lot of running in there, but he got through it very, very well. As the season is panning out now with these few games to go, then Paul coming back into the picture is a really welcome person for me. "