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" I'm satisfied, I'm trying not to get carried away with things, there are some good things I have seen and we got some nice confidence off the Preston North End staff on Saturday. That they thought that there are some good players in our side and things like that. As you well know though it is next May when it all comes to fruition, which is all a long way off yet. I can only talk about where we are though and at the moment we are satisfied with the way that things are going. The fitness levels, the quality of the football, and the attitude really.
" It was always a little bit uncertain when you have missed out in the play-offs how everyone is going to come back. Sometimes you can get some uncertainties and sometimes you can't read it in players, you maybe have to find that out. At the moment though the mood seems to be very positive. Hopefully the experience of playing Leeds and getting to the play-offs last year, and even though we missed out on one or two things, it will stand us in good stead for this coming season.
" There may be a disappointment still hanging over the supporters but who knows. I think that the Preston attendance (2,833) was not unreasonable, it was the first big Saturday holiday period if you like. Kids have broken up from school, people are away and all that type of thing, it's not the real thing. So we'll wait and see when we get Crewe here, I think that that will be the benchmark in terms of supporters and what we have got.
" We'll have had two games prior to that as well anyway so perhaps what we do over those first two games away at Bristol Rovers and away at Shrewsbury in the cup will let people know what they think is going to happen here. There shouldn't be a disappointment though, there shouldn't be a carryover, there should be an optimistic look I think. Even though Keiren (Westwood) and Joe (Garner) have left the football club. Michael Bridges coming in, Josh Gowling, Ben Williams, all received really good receptions from the crowd on Saturday in the way that they went about their football. "
" You are looking at the relatively youthfulness of the squad now gaining that experience from last year and the previous year of finishing eighth. Saying that we can do this you know, we just need a little bit more and we need a little bit extra. If we can find that in the players then I think that there is a lot of optimism to go with this season coming forward.
" It's terrific that Middlesbrough are bringing a full squad, Gareth (Southgate) has done a fantastic job. It's not what you call a fashionable club at Middlesbrough in the Premier League but they stick in there year in and year out. They get some fantastic results and make sure that they are in that Premier League, gaining the money, doing what they are doing and keeping the crowd there.
" Gareth has got a chairman that backs his manager I think, we have seen that before with Steve McClaren prior to Gareth, in saying that this guy (Steve Gibson) just let's them get on with the job and supports him. Gareth is a young man learning his trade, he has got some good players there. As we are talking about our players trying to get better, managers get better year in and year out and learn by the experience that they have. I'm sure that Gareth will be a very, very good manager for a long time to come.
" For him to bring his full squad is fantastic, I think that that is a big respect for Carlisle United. As I've said before, Preston and Middlesbrough wanting to come here and play us is respect for us and the way that we play. So a good game, a good test for us, and we will try to give them a tough evening as well.
" I'm sure that Danny Graham will be looking forward to it as well, it will be a game that he will want to have a go at a bit and do well in. Danny would like a goal I think at the minute but I have been really pleased with his play. He missed the game up in Scotland but his general play and his build-up football has been very, very good. "
" He knows, the one thing about last year for him is that he went that period of games without scoring a goal and then suddenly they came back. He knows that will happen, so I think that talking about experiences, that is one for Danny to learn from where he doesn't get worried about that, he'll get on with it and play. I'm sure though that he'll want to do well against his old club of course.
" At the moment you will read something into my starting elevens whether I say it is near my one for Bristol Rovers or not, and so will my players. They will look into things, and what I have done at the moment, I have utilised my full squad quite a lot. On Saturday I intended to give a few more 90 minute games to people but it was so hot and sticky out there that if there is a hint of tiredness creeping in then that is how injuries can occur. Maybe you just mis-time a tackle or you pull something that when you are going over the top for something.
" It was something that after 60 or 70 minutes we decided that we needed just to chop it around a little bit. So perhaps over the next two games I will be looking for a bit longer in terms of getting players on the pitch ready for the Bristol Rovers game. There is going to be more than that though, within three days we are at Shrewsbury and then we have got Crewe here.
" There is a heck of a lot of football in the early part of the season. I said to the boys starting the game on Saturday, just look at the guys not starting this game. There are people like (Marc) Bridge-Wilkinson and Jeff Smith out there saying all the best and good luck to you, they will get a shirt in this team at any given time so you had better perform. Whether you can read into the starting eleven or not that whole squad is going to be used and necessary for this season.
" I think that after 30-35 minutes of the Preston game we were seeing the young man (Tyrone Cameron) getting a bit tired. He got bumped off for the goal, the equalising goal, which is fine, I'm OK, in those sort of games I'm fine. It was a test of his character though and he has come through that very, very strongly and he'll live and learn. I'm talking about everybody living and learning but as a young kid of 19, two of the biggest games that he has ever played in on Tuesday and Saturday, it will do him good. "