John Ward - Radio Cumbria Interview

Last updated : 02 May 2008 By Thetashkentterror

John Ward
United boss John Ward spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's Derek Lacey on Thursday morning ahead of Carlisle's home game with Bournemouth this weekend, Ward thinking that United could have done better this season :


" We're not in the play-offs yet, we can still finish second, we've got second, third or fourth as the three places that we can finish. So let's just get that right, make sure that we're OK with that one. I think that it's a big game, of course it is, it's a big game for both clubs, Bournemouth need to win to retain their status. We need to win to see where we can finish in our division, if the other results help us along.

" We've got to rely on those a little bit but we can still have a second place finish so don't rule it out yet. Third or fourth would be the worst that we could finish, I suppose that in the long run looking at the improvement of the football club that has taken it a stage further. If it has to be the play-offs then we'll see what we can do in them.

" Forest and Doncaster at the top end have got to win along with ourselves, there are so many things. All the way through the Football League there is some real excitement going on, but we've got to focus everything on to Carlisle United and get our win and then see where it leaves us. Football throws those up all the time and it's a question of dealing with it and we didn't deal with it very well last week at Millwall. What we have to do now is put that away very, very quickly and make sure that there is a better performance here at the weekend.

" There are no new injuries to worry about, everyone is OK. We know that we are not going to have (Danny) Livesey and (David) Raven, we know those people are out and Paul Reid is obviously struggling. So it's not a problem picking a back four, it's just getting it in the right positions and the right areas where people are comfortable. "



" We will put a side out there that will put a bit of pride back into Carlisle after last weekend. In general though the season has been excellent and our home form has been terrific. The supporters, the team, everything has been very, very together and we would like to finish this one on a big high obviously.

" It has been a great success but we may have to wait a week or two before we think that way, because of what has just happened recently, we've been in pole position really and relinquished it. So we've got one outside chance as I keep saying now, because it is there. It's important that we recognise that it is still there but it is an outside chance now.

" That will maybe relax people a little bit, that will maybe push us on a little bit, I don't know, we'll wait and see at the weekend. When you are looking at the 46 games though, the position that we have been in, the position that we are in now, it would be a shame if it fell a bit flat come the final home game of the season. Hopefully that won't happen, I think that the supporters will come and get behind the team and the team will respond to that.

" Bournemouth definitely will be up for it, I think that we've got people in all four sides of the ground, behind the goal. So massive excitement, I think there are going to be a 1000-1500 people coming up from Bournemouth, it's incredible. It's a really exciting day to look forward to, the supporters will need the team and the team will need the supporters one more time and see where it takes us. If we can appreciate each other that way then that would be terrific. "



" I'm not sure if I would have settled for a play-off place when I came here. If you say yes then it probably means that you are accepting the play-offs rather than doing what we have done, I'd have to say no. We try to get out and try to promote the team and try to get it forward in the next division. Again, we have still got that opportunity, but it's a little bit thinner than it was.

" We just wanted to keep things progressing, and I think that we've done that but why I am still disappointed? There is still that feeling that there was more that we could have done, but we have still got the opportunity to do it. So I'm probably talking prematurely and that's probably a premature question in a sense for me. We've still got things to do and things to achieve, it's been alright but I want to push it on again.

" We'll get the best out of what we have got because where we finish after 46 games will be the best that we can do obviously. There is always that feeling though that there was more there for us, it wasn't that long ago that I was talking about wanting to compete with Swansea and now we seem quite a long way away from them. So we've had that little blow at the end of the season where we haven't maintained the form that we have shown right the way through the first 40 games.

" So that will always rankle with me, whatever happens now in the final game, but I suppose when you do take a week or two into the summer part of the year you can say that it wasn't all that bad, so let's push it on again. I don't know where we are going to finish yet, we could still get into the Championship. We've got two more chances, we can get the result on Saturday, if we go into the play-offs we can look to try to win those as well obviously. "



" I celebrated with my staff and my players last year at Cheltenham Town and we celebrated survival. I'm not being boastful but I have not had a lot of that in my career, I've been trying to work the other end of tables. When I sat back on that one I felt that it seemed a bit false celebrating survival, but it meant a great deal at that time to Cheltenham Town. They hadn't done that before, they had been in the League once and got relegated, so for them to get there and stay there was another achievement for them. Similar to us winning 14 on the trot at home, breaking records and doing things like that.

" So it was only when I realised probably how much it meant to the football club and the supporters at Cheltenham that it wasn't as false as it felt for me. Being at the top of the league is where I want to be and trying to do those sort of things. So pressure, I don't know, I just call it responsibility more than pressure, I want to be involved in things that are good. When I look back at Cheltenham it was good, even though it was probably the bottom end of the table.

" This has been very good here but I want it to be better and I think that is the bit that nags away at you all the time. It was terrific at Cheltenham but I wanted to be better, I've come to Carlisle which I thought was better and it has been better, but I want to be better again. It will only be when my career has finished that I sit back and look and say that that was OK and that we did fine there. Whilst I am still working at it though I want to be better.

" I'll only think about the Leeds situation when I know what has happened, someone will tell me and we'll have to deal with it. Why should I worry about it at the moment though? I just think that it is a crazy situation, I don't blame Leeds, the whole situation, they had the meeting two or three weeks ago so why have we not had an answer?

" Why is it now, 48 hours before the final game, it's going to throw up some strange situations. I'm pretty sure that it will be quite an incredible day, when if they don't get any points back then Leeds are going to kick up. If they get some back then the rest of us are going to kick up, if they get them all back all of football should kick up really, but who knows? "