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" I'm not going to go for Michael Bridges, I was asked the question and the answer was no. I think that we have got to head forward, and I've got nothing against Michael Bridges, and I've got nothing against other players that have been at our football club. I think we have got to look ahead though and take the football club on, Michael was a terrific servant for the football club and the business side of it was excellent for him and the club as well.
" So it's a question of moving on, Michael was at the game for Leeds because he was covering it for the media. So once you see him walking around Brunton Park two and two makes seven sometimes, so that was where that one came from I believe. I'm not going to move for Michael, he has got other things that he is going to do.
" We've discussed new players coming in, but not just because the season has finished, that has been discussed for some time. Over the last few weeks I've met with my staff on five or six occasions and I'm meeting with them again early next week discussing all possibilities. We've had one or two situations turned down purely on the side of finance where people are getting paid extortionate wages.
" All I've said along the way is that it would be totally unfair and wrong of people like Fred Story and the board to be put in a position where we are saying that they have got to spend this and they have got to spend that. Carlisle must learn it's lessons, it's been in administration in recent years and the rise has been quite phenomenal in the last four years. So I think it's right that it is run on a business sense, and I as the manager, I think that it is my responsibility on the football side to make sure that there is a very good level of league football in Carlisle for many years to come.
" That's where I stand and I know exactly that that is where Fred Story stands, and the board of directors. There is nobody saying that we haven't got this to spend or that to spend but we have got to run on it a business basis and we will do that, as the football club has been run before and it will improve that way as well. "
" The majority of the squad are contracted for the next year, two or three and that's important as well. It's a very good squad that, as I say, has risen very quickly and I think that we need to add to it and build to it and see if we can improve it that little bit. At the same time though there is no bottomless pit of cash at any football club. Carlisle United should learn the lessons from two, three, four years ago where it was nearly an extinction, and certainly out of the Football League.
" The one thing that we must make sure is we try to do it at both ways. If I go and break the bank, or Fred breaks the bank this year and we don't make it then everybody is back where they were five years ago. That has got to be absolute folly both from a football point of view and from a business point of view.
" So, yes I understand that supporters expect everything to be thrown at it for their football club and that is fair enough. They don't know the rhymes and reasons and the wherefores and the business side of a football club and I respect that, but at the same time I hope that they respect what we are saying within Carlisle United. I want to improve, so do the people that run the club, but we have to do it in a correct manner.
" We've averaged less than 8,000 per home game this season, and you have probably seen the figures, we're in eighth or ninth place in the division in terms of figures for people coming through the gate. So yes that has to determine the fact that money coming in has to be spent wisely. If we overspend that it's like anything, if you earn £5 a week and you spend £6 a week then you are going to be in trouble sooner or later. That's the case, we've got to be absolutely right, there are other incomes in the football club of course through the commercial ventures and stuff like that.
" That's John Nixon's side though to say to me that we have got this and we have got that, we might have this and we might have that. Let's have a look at all departments, and John and I have done that this week, along with Fred Story and the chairman (Andrew Jenkins). I can tell people that the club is in extremely good hands in terms of the business side. I hope that they respect myself and the coaching staff on the football side but it is being run correctly and the long-term view is being held in absolute importance, and I think that is absolutely right.
" I have spoken to Keiren today, he is fine, we have spoken to Keiren on Friday as I did with all the players and I have spoken to him twice since. Well three or four times actually because he has got called up and was talking to me about getting into the Irish squad. I'm going down to watch his game on Thursday and hope to see him play, if it's his first cap then that will be fantastic. "
" We are making an offer to Keiren though and he knows about that, this has come in the way of it a little bit and neither he or I want to take his focus off that international appearance. So we will be chatting to him and it's something that we are very keen to do obviously.
" I think that in Zigor's situation Evan Horwood has come into the club and into the team and done exceptionally well. Towards the latter end of the season people saw the emergence of Darren Campion who I see as a left-back basically rather than a centre-back, although he did that pretty well for us. So there are areas there with obviously younger guys, Zigor has been a terrific servant but things have to move on.
" Paul Arnison needs first-team football and I can't really favour that for him at the moment because of David Raven's form as the last game against Leeds showed. Arni did very well away at Leeds but I chose to go with David in the home game. Kevin Gall has been out as you know on two loans, one out to Darlington and came back and the other one was out to Canada and it didn't work. So they are not major surprises in that respect but to do any business some areas have to be vacated for other players to maybe come in.
" The areas that I am looking at I am keeping to myself at the moment for obvious reasons, it would be unfair on the players that I have at the football club. We've had one or two situations turned down purely on the side of finance where people are getting paid extortionate wages. We've had to look at that from a business point of view though and we will be trying to strengthen it at first-team level. That's the areas I think it is important to say, I'm not probably looking at young boys underneath to see how they are going to go in two years time.
" We've got to try to get an immediate return like we did in January with the four signings then. Two or three faces in the summer would mean that within six months we've probably brought in seven new faces. So it's not a slow process in that respect, we're trying very hard to move it on quite quickly. If I could bring three players in then I would be very pleased, I think that would be pretty good, as I say, at senior level and at first-team level which would strengthen the squad. Ziggy and Arni are already leaving as you know and if Kevin Gall leaves then that makes that room. "
" Then I've got licence to work on the loan side of it as well because as pre-season rolls on you don't know what is going to happen to any injuries or whatever, but I've got licence to work the loan situations too. Both Grant Smith and Luke Joyce have been offered one-year deals from me. They were in the post in the last week, they have already got them, I have spoken to them both. They have already got them and we will be hearing back from them in due course.
" Strengthening ties with Barrow depends on both clubs, I've not had contact with Barrow but I'm delighted for them. They are one of the clubs actually that I made one of my early appearances for way, way back in the 1970s. So they have a history of league football and I'm delighted for them, as we look at Workington, I played there as well. Those guys are trying to improve and move forward, but there is no reason why that can't happen. I've probably got a decent idea that as we get into pre-season maybe our two football clubs will be getting in contact.
" Joe Garner is fine, it's a slow process. Joe is talking a good chat that he will be back a lot quicker than nature maybe will allow him to but he is moving on fantastically well. I have to say that we are indebted to Blackburn Rovers who have been fantastic to us, allowing Joe to use their facilities and their manpower. I think that they have got about four or five physiotherapists down there, and can obviously offer him fantastic recuperation there. So that is terrific from them, Joe is doing fine but anything before Christmas-time or December-time will be an absolute bonus, so let's keep that in perspective.
" Doncaster or Leeds? Can I sit on the fence? Because you have got a real contrast of probably what is going to be a 4-4-2 and like a 4-5-1. A team like Doncaster that will pass and play, a bit like we tried to do against Leeds, and the power of Leeds which they showed in the second leg against us. I don't know, I have got a sneaky feeling for Doncaster Rovers and that they might nick it.
" Eric Kinder hasn't actually signed his new three-year contract yet but it is all agreed, let's put it that way. I've spoken to Eric today and he is delighted with that, we've looked at doing that. I've got a further three-year contract at the club, he wants to stay around the length of time with me. I think myself and the club are delighted to do that because it's the development of the club.
" We've seen Gary Madine, we've seen Campion who has come out of there, we've got Dan Wordsworth on contract. I reckon that in 12 months time we'll be having a similar conversation about maybe or one or two other boys coming out of that youth department. I think that is a vital signing, we are talking about players all the time but it is very important for me to get the right staff, and Eric Kinder is certainly the right man. "