Neil McDonald - Radio Cumbria Interview

Last updated : 23 March 2007 By Thetashkentterror

Blues manager Neil McDonald
United boss Neil McDonald spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's Derek Lacey on Friday afternoon as he commented on the goalkeeping movement at the club this week and the latest update on Paul Murray's injury :


" Anthony Williams is with a view to a permanent deal, Anthony Williams has been here and he has been very patient all season. He feels as though at this stage of his career he needs to play games, which I probably agree with so we've allowed him to go to Wrexham. We've brought young Chris Howarth in with a view to taking him on next season as well, so we've got rid of somebody who is a little bit older and a little bit more experienced of course but who needs to play football. I pulled him in and said that he wasn't going to be offered a new contract next season anyway so he's got himself fixed up, which is excellent and we wish him all the best.

" At the same time it gives us a really good chance to have a look at Chris. Neil Edwards, our goalkeeping coach, still works at Bolton every now and again and he's been monitoring him, and we've been watching him. He was the youth team goalkeeper when I was there, he's been out on loan to a couple of places as well so we'll have a really good look at him over the next couple of months. He's around about 20 so he's mature enough, he's 6'2 with a good frame and he's trained with the boys today so he's intermingled with them all today. He's showed everybody what he can do in the session today.

" We've had injuries which you always know that you are going to have to deal with. We've had a loss of form and then we've had some of the younger players come in as well. To use 30 players, or whatever it is, is frustrating in a way because you are not getting the settled team that you are looking for. On the whole though I think that if you use below 35 players, which I think the statistics show the average is between 30 and 35 players in the season, so we're almost there.

" His (Paul Murray's) injury is a concern because he has been resting over the couple of weeks and really if it's not as bad as we thought it was then it should have settled down by now, so we're still investigating. He's doing a little bit of training which is good, his knee that he injured at the start of the season has nothing to do with this at all. He's had a little bit of tendonitis on one of his ligaments from his knee so we're just trying to get that sorted out.

" He's had his problems with injuries, he's played fourteen games this season which isn't enough for him, and it's certainly not enough for me. He did contribute when he played those games so we're in discussion now at the moment on how to move forward. "



" We're just trying to use his (Johann Smith's) attributes which is speed. There is a time and a place for his tricks inside the box to try to give himself half a yard and he must try and get the shot in, or he must try and get the cross in. It is a learning curve but at the same time he has done well in the games that he has played. It's amazing when somebody has that much pace, it just puts everybody on the back foot and that's the opposition that we need. That just creates a little bit of space for everyone which is excellent. He's playing for Carlisle and he's a Carlisle player so let's get behind him.

" It's a fine line with Joe Garner, and he has probably been unlucky on a couple of bookings that he's had because he's taken some punishment. Then when he makes half a tackle which looks clumsy more than anything he has been getting a booking himself. I suppose if the majority of defenders had as many bookings as he has over the last few games then they would be suspended as well. There is a fine line though, and he knows there is a fine line between being reckless and being competitive, and he has to try to find that fine line.

" On the whole I thjnk he has done that but we certainly don't want to change his competitive attitude. We look forward to getting him back next week, and that's if he can get in the team because hopefully we'll win at the weekend and that will give us a selection problem.

" I probably would have said no a couple of weeks ago to the Gillingham game being a must-win one, but as the games come thinner then yes I think we have to win. It's a home game, we have to be positive, try and play attacking football as much as we possibly can. At the same time though Gillingham are going to be a danger, their manager has stated that they need two wins quickly so they'll be coming here trying to pinch points off us.

" He's already taken three points off us with possibly our poorest performance of the season against Gillingham away. We will try and do to them what they did to us at their place, and that's to score goals and keep a clean sheet. We try and say 'listen - Gillingham will try and rob your living, so why don't you take their money off them instead.' It is a very, very competitive stage that we are on and it's a very competitive stage of the season that we are at but I'm sure the boys will come out with a nice and positive attitude and raring and ready to go to try to take the three points. "