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" I'm going to Tranmere against Bristol City tonight, not to look at any individual players though, I've already seen Tranmere away at Cheltenham one time, and now it's a chance to see them at home and the first time I've seen Bristol City. He (Paul Thirlwell) has played at the top end of the flight all his career , he's been at Derby but he obviously can't get in the team at the moment so it's the perfect opportunity to try and go and get him. He's dropping down a level which is brilliant for us, he's an all-action player, he puts his foot in, he stops the opposition from playing, yet when we have the ball he is very comfortable on the ball. He sees a pass, he sees a long pass, he sees a short pass, and he gets from box-to-box, and that is brilliant for our team because that is the way we play.
" Sometimes I think being a mate of Chris Lumsdon is a good thing but sometimes I think it is a bad thing. It always helps a new face to settle into the football club if he knows one or two people, and Lummy almost runs the changing room anyway so I'm sure he'll fit in straight away. We've had a list from the start of the season, trying to target players and to see whether we could get him, so really it's probably since I came to the football club along with Colin (Suggett) and Greg (Abbott). We sat down and said that these players might be available, and when the time comes we ask, and I'd just like to thank Billy Davies for letting us have one of his top players.
" He probably needs a couple of training sessions with the lads but he's in the squad, the team played well last week and it's going to be a difficult decision on what to do overnight for tomorrows game. Northampton are up for it away from home, they've been nice and solid, they've been creating chances and they are going to be difficult to break down. When I first said about Carlisle though coming into the division that not many teams will have played the promoted teams, then I suppose we've already played a couple so bring the next one on.
" I suppose we want to shout from the rooftops about our start but there is still a long way to go, it's pleasing when a newly promoted team has started OK. We're starting to strengthen now which is excellent, we've got a couple of injuries coming back which will strengthen the squad even more and then we'll try and push on. The team is playing really well at home, the little bit of feedback that we are getting off the supporters seems to be that they are enjoying themselves. It's the second game at home on the trot and the crowds are going up a little bit so we must be doing something right. We're really looking forward to the loud roar from when the players come out to the end because the players really appreciate the support and the more the merrier.
" He (Paul Thirlwell) has got qualities and whether he's better than Gavin McCann or not doesn't really matter to me. He's come in, he's had a training session, I haven't really told him what to do and he's just picked it up, he's worked off the rest of the team and I was very surprised at his fitness to be fair, considering he hasn't played this season. It takes time to bring in new faces, I've got to try and work the charm I suppose on the opposition managers and stuff like that. Saying - listen well you know we're Carlisle, we're going okay at the minute, I'm sure one of your players would suit the style of play that we are playing at the moment and it gives them a chance to try and play as well.
" Billy is the first one to say yes so we'll just keep chipping away at the rest of the managers to try and strengthen the squad. We're down on numbers but we're looking to strengthen in all areas, and Paul is hopefully not the last one in, hopefully he will be the first of two or three. People keep on saying that you maybe need to strengthen with five or six but we've got a tight squad at the moment, as I've said before in other interviews everyone is pushing each other, there is a little bit of competition between everybody now. I said to them today that there is only two players that I haven't picked for the first-team this season, that's Danny Kirkup and young Stevie Hindmarch who's just come into the squad, and that tells everybody that you've got to get ready because if the chance comes you'd better take it. "