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" We've known about Josh (Gowling) obviously while he was playing at Bournemouth, he has played something like 70-plus games in the last two years for Bournemouth at a good level. We obviously saw him in the final game of the season and we knew then that there was a possibility that if they were to get relegated then he may not stay at the football club. So quite some time we have known about the young man, but only since the season was completed and we realised that he was going to be in the Bosman situation that we went on the chase basically.
" He can play, he's 6'3 and he's got pace, he's 24 years of age and for me at centre-back, or anywhere along the back line, he is just going to improve and get better. So he has got those qualities in the locker already, and we just want to try to work with him and make him better and really have good competition for our central defending positions.
" A free transfer that is different in a way because he has been wanted by other football clubs, he was wanted by his parent club which was Bournemouth at the time. So he has made the decision, it's not the other football club that has released him. He's a young man and people have been after him and wanting him to come into their clubs, but we are really pleased that we have won that little battle and we have got him into Carlisle.
" I think Keiren Westwood was a good piece of business when you regard the situation with Karl Hawley previously. We know that went right the way through and nothing was gained from Karl, although he did exceptionally well for the club. In Keiren's case he has done exceptionally well for the club and the club have made some money out of it.
" It is a business that we have got to run, in an ideal world we would have loved Keiren to have stayed and got another really good season out of him, where was the business though? Fred (Story) is the business guy and I understand the way that he wants to work so we are very, very pleased with that. I don't think that anybody at Carlisle could begrudge Keiren the chance to move to a higher level, he has given terrific service to the club. "
" I can only talk from October, he has been fantastic for the club since I have been there and we wish him well. I think that he has got the ability and the credentials to even move on higher than the Championship in my opinion. It became obvious in January, not that he wouldn't sign a contract, but that he was going to go higher. We talked to Keiren at some stage around that time, December/January, and said that we wanted to move the contract on.
" It was put off a little bit and we realised then that it was probably a wait and see what happened in the summer situation. As it got closer though Fred had very, very serious chats with Kieren and his representative and it was going to be let's wait and see if there are any offers and that was the position. So we were ready for that and that's no nastiness against anybody, but it's the way of the world in football.
" I haven't been told how much of the money is for the transfer kitty because I have been chasing one or two targets myself. We haven't sat down and had lengthy chats with Fred about what I've got and what we can do. We've seen Josh come in, I've made an offer to a player today, waiting for him to come back to me over the weekend. He is actually out of the country at the moment but I met with him yesterday, and I'm hopeful that we'll get another name to pass onto you and bring into Carlisle football club.
" So maybe after that we can ask if there is cash to spend, but there are still good players available in reasonable business. I won't say what position he plays, I've been asked by the written media the same question and I have said no to them so I don't think that it is fair for me to go into that. It's a player that will definitely improve the club if we can bring him in.
" He (Chris Howarth) will be given his chance, a goalkeeper is a priority because I can't just go with Chris. The next one is young Alex Mitchell who we have got real high hopes for in the next three or four years, he is just 17 the young guy, so I can't throw things at him at the moment. Chris Howarth has been very, very patient though, I have only known him again since October when I came in but he has improved tremendously in that period of time. "
" It's not easy you know, Tuesday afternoons at Rochdale and on non-league pitches and things like that, but his attitude in the reserves has been absolutely spot on. He'll know though that I have got to get another goalkeeper in, and we'll work over the six weeks pre-season together. We'll say to them that the best man will get the job in my view, and I'm the manager and I'll make that decision. So Chris is right in there, and I wish him well, he has been very, very good in terms of the way he has gone about the job, so that is important.
" We've made one or two phone calls to clubs about possible loans but they will only take place probably as the pre-season moves along. We might be two or three weeks into that period before we can get anything decided off players, but there are good players that will come to the fore. It's very interesting this week, I have had a number of phone calls as you can imagine off agents representing goalkeepers who have seen that Keiren has gone. One or two names that have cropped up have been from people that maybe I have not been quite aware that are available.
" So the next week or two does move on, players will get a little more anxious that they are going to miss out and that makes the clubs and people like myself that wee bit stronger. If I can get the second player agreed over the weekend I'll be delighted with that, and then we'll move on at a nice steady pace to see if we can get the squad a little bit stronger.
" I don't think that it's for me to say what happens to the Westwood transfer money. The business side and financial side is down to Fred and the chairman and the directors and I totally respect that. It would be totally wrong of me to sit here and say that I should have this and I should have that. I'm employed by the football club and they will give me information.
" I obviously want the same as the supporters, the best team that I can possibly get to represent Carlisle United. I'm working with very reasonable and very supportive people in that department, but we have not sat down and said what percentage I can have to go and try to spend on players. At the moment the player that I am looking at is not going to be a transfer fee, so we'll see if that is still available afterwards. "
" The signing of Josh Gowling has ended my interest in Paul Reid and Richard Keogh. Paul Reid has got another year at Barnsley and on quite a good contract as I am very much aware, as you'd expect in the Championship. Richard Keogh has been offered a new contract down at Bristol City and that would mean that if I did go for Richard that I would have to match at least that deal that he has been offered. Plus go to a tribunal and that again would cost a fee that we can't control, it would be set by other people. So I think that the introduction of Josh has curtailed those interests.
" We are very much aware that the front part of the team we think would need to be strengthened if we can. We are not going to get young Joe at first-team level, I was talking to Neil Dalton in the week, it's probably going to be into December when we get him at first-team football. So we need to look at that, we need to strengthen that area of the team. On the other side of the coin I've had no enquiries after Danny (Livesey) at all so I can categorically say no to that one at this moment in time.
" Talk about the possible takeover can't be a distraction, I've just got to get on and work the job as I see fit. This week has been a very busy week for me after coming back off holiday and trying to talk to players. We've see Josh come in, that has been an ongoing five or six week period. Stuart Gray the chief scout has been fantastic in terms of making contact with people and working alongside me.
" He was with me yesterday when we met a couple of other players, and I'm hoping over the weekend that we can do another one. I can't get distracted by that, if I start blaming that, or sit on that, then the job doesn't get done. Whatever happens with that it's important that Carlisle United has got the best football club it can have at this given time.
" I saw Peter (Murphy) in the week when I came up to Carlisle, I attended the funeral but stayed away from him, he had enough to deal with on that day as you can imagine. I did see him training himself though with Brendan McGill actually, both training together a couple of days after that. I had a quiet word with Peter and he said to me that he was very much looking forward to getting back into training.
" From my point of view it's entirely up to him, I don't think that any of us have got any idea what he has been through or is going through. If he wants to get back into the football club quickly though then we will welcome him in and his football family will support him all they can. So the decision is down to Peter but his indication early in the week was that he wanted to get back to training. I would be delighted to see him and we'll look after him as best we can. "