|
" It was a poor effort and you have just heard Thirs (Paul Thirlwell) at the end there just chatting away and he is saying what everybody feels about it. We are responsible for it and that is a tough thing to take because we have lost the game without a little bit of dignity and a bit of fight that we needed to show. We did that a wee bit last week and it has got worse today in effect.
" The first goal, instead of us thinking about that that there are 80-odd minutes to get that back, we have felt sorry for ourselves. You could see shoulders droop a little bit on the pitch and that then sees players just shirk out of responsibility and maybe a pass, a run, a touch or whatever. Every mistake feels a bigger one than it actually is. I've seen that before with teams and players, but not with this group, so hopefully we won't see it too often, but we have got a lot of work to do to pull them back.
" I keep getting asked the question about team selection by you and everybody else. You saw today that I made three changes during the game and people don't agree with those either, so whatever. This squad is a team, or a group of people, that I think everybody appreciates has got some decent players in it. They have all got their views and ideas of what it is right and what is not right and stuff like that, whether it is prior to the game or after the game.
" I try very hard to pick a team that it going to win the game, and today I have not done that so that is my responsibility. I tried to make three changes, people will disagree with those as well, it is going to happen but I am trying to make them in a positive manner to try to improve the team performance. When it doesn't happen then I will put my hand up and say that it is my fault, OK, but that is the case.
" You are asking me about making changes and to do that I have got to leave people out, and even in the game you see that happen. I will try to make them to the best of my ability and for the best purpose of Carlisle United, and when it doesn't work like today I will take my responsibility on that. So I tend to have to answer those questions a little bit heavier when we get it not quite right, as to when we do get it right. "
" That is my job and that is my responsibility, I'm sorry for that, but the players have done very well on the days when we have done well haven't they, but that's how it is. That is fine though, I am in that position, but having said that, mine is the only team that ever plays and wins and loses, everyone else's doesn't even get a game. I understand that, people have got their views, and I am with the Paddock guys today, shouting and grumbling and moaning at the team the same as them.
" I am in the group with the players though, and I have got to take my position in there. I have said to the lads in there that the first person I see tomorrow in the mirror will be me and I hope they do the same. When we go to Rochdale on Tuesday we have all got to stand up and be counted because we have had two disappointing results and today was a poor performance and a poor result.
" The lack of confidence is something that is difficult to explain and difficult to put in. We had an excellent training session yesterday in terms of getting the team shape right, what we wanted from the team. The front four were selected for their pace and their movement, then we have come out today and we have gone a goal down and we didn't see that. So we didn't take what we had done on the training ground across into the game today.
" It is difficult to explain, hard for me to explain, everyone expects me to have all the answers and some days you can't quite put your finger on it. I've got to make that alteration, do that, can we get it right, and as I say, there will be agreements and disagreements. We have got to work very hard now though, I have got a short period of time to get a team selected at Rochdale. We can't call the game off until we feel a bit better, we have to go out there and that will be a place where we have got to be counted, absolutely no question.
" Losing can become a habit if you are not careful, we have got to stop it happening immediately. I want a bit of a run in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy, it is not a question of Rochdale being a game that doesn't matter, or doesn't enter into the plans of Carlisle United. It even becomes probably the biggest game now because we want to get a win on it. "
" We go to MK Dons, who have just won 4-0 away from home today and they will be buoyed by their result. So you certainly don't want to be putting ourselves in a position in the next two matches that we are in the same sort of vein. We have got to pick ourselves up, I have got a lot of work to do along with Greg (Abbott) to make sure that we get this team ready to go on Tuesday, and lift everybody up.
" He (Jennison Myrie-Williams) has got a fortnight left, we took him on loan for a month to see where it goes. Jennison has been at one or two clubs on loan, and he knows that I would like to keep him up here a little bit longer. The young fellow is only 20, he is an impact player, you have seen some good things off him in the last couple of weeks. I would like to keep him up here a wee bit longer if I can, but I have got to talk to Gary Johnson and see if Bristol City are OK with that.
" He (Ben Williams) has had a good game up until the second goal, he has made some good saves and the lad has done well. It is a horrible day for goalkeepers, but his kicking has been decent, his hands have been good, he has made his saves when he has had to because we are pushing on, then something like that happens to him.
" I don't feel sorry for him because he has got to do better than that, but I feel for him because he is a hard-working young fellow. He has made an error, and ironically we find a goal at the end that could have given us a point, and we could have been talking differently to each other. We haven't though, and that is what is happening to us, we are getting punished for errors, and that was a pretty poor one.
" He (Michael Bridges) is ready to go, I picked a front four for their pace and power because we thought that we could undo the Tranmere back-line. I think that when you look at (Cleveland) Taylor, (Scott) Dobie, (Danny) Carlton, (Simon) Hackney, they have all got ability to run at people and pace people. We felt that that was an area that we could exploit Tranmere Rovers, we saw them last week with Greg and Dave Timmins. We put that team together to say that that is where we think we can get ourselves going, but it didn't happen in that way today so we had to make the changes. "
" He (Luke Joyce) is going to get a chance maybe sooner rather than later because Thirlwell has got himself a fifth booking of the season, he is going to come out of it. I have got to have a look at that though very tightly and very carefully. All the areas of the team will be looked at as much as and as closely as I can make them. Luke Joyce has been on that bench waiting his chance to come in and maybe the time is right to put him in there.
" Now is not the time for me to pick my next team though, I have got to get myself calmer because I am pretty irritated and irate myself tonight. I have got to get myself calmer in the morning and give it some careful thought, but Luke Joyce has a got a chance of coming back in, he has got to be thinking that way.
" Again I have got to consider the loan market, I'm not saying that I am going into it, but I have got to consider that and talk to the people who are in charge of the football club and see if it is something that we can do. I will give it some thought though, as I will give everything a lot of thought over the next few hours, as you can imagine.
" I was with the supporters today, I am as disgruntled and as upset and annoyed as they are. We are a lot better when we all stick together and support, and sometimes it is really difficult during the tough times, like it was this afternoon, it is hard to get behind the team. A lot of people behind me were certainly trying to do that, and credit to them for doing that.
" We have got to pull together to make sure that we just improve the football side, but I can't expect that to come from the Paddock. I have got to make sure that the team on the pitch offers it to them in the first place. That is my responsibility and I will stand up and be counted and really have a go for them, and see if we can send them home happier a bit later on. "