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" I think the formation suits the players in a 4-3-3 system, I think Simon Hackney has acquitted himself very well in a forward position and he's certainly acquitted himself as part of the three midfield players. I probably see him as more of a forward type player because he's still learning on his defensive qualities but when he gets the ball in the final third we need an end product and he is producing that. He likes to take people on and he certainly finds a final pass so we're looking for more off him. He's certainly started off really well and he was one of the players that didn't get in the team to start off with but he's rolled his sleeves up and he's battled his way into the team. I think he's enjoying both positions that he is playing, it's a huge learning curve for him to play on a regular basis but he's certainly holding his own. How far he can go will remain to be seen.
" I think the higher you go you have to try and improve if you possibly can, it would be fantastic if we did get promoted but we're certainly holding our own at the moment. We'll try and push on to achieve promotion but in the cold light of day the target is set to stay in this division, it's a difficult division to get out of and it's an easy division from which to get demoted. We have to make sure that we survive first of all and if we are in a good position come Christmas then we'll push on. I think the system is working at the moment, we are in a strong position, there are teams that change their formation to play against us, and the teams that have done that we have managed to beat. Sometimes it's difficult to change a formation from game to game because sometimes you only have a couple of days to work at it. We're staying strong though and are believing in the system, teams have come and tried to match us up 4-3-3 and we've finished them off, long may it continue that we are better at the system than anybody else.
" Jermaine Beckford hasn't started slowly, he got booked after two minutes and scored in his first game. He's still a raw young lad who we are trying to get the best of out though, he's still learning the system on how to play upfront even though it is classed as by yourself. He's got two good midfielders and two wide men to support him so it is an attacking formation. He's certainly contributed to the team since he has been here, I'm sure there is a lot more in him to come out and hopefully we can get that out in the next couple of games while he is here. Whether or not he stays for another month all depends on whether he wants to or if I want him to stay.
" We are holding our own and are certainly not letting anybody down this season, if we keep on competing and creating chances, and hopefully start putting the ball in the back of the net on a more regular basis then we can compete. Who knows where we are going to finish? We want to keep our best players and the team together, there are always going to be clubs coming in to try and pinch your best players, that's what we are trying to do to other clubs as well. Whether it be further down or further up, that is an ongoing situation we have to deal with. I'm sure Peter Murphy and Karl Hawley are both enjoying their football at the moment and it's up to us to stay in the top half if we possibly can and encourage the players to stay and want to battle on for Carlisle.
" Speculation sometimes unsettles players but at the moment everybody seems to be enjoying themselves, everybody is playing to their potential and we've just got to try and keep that ticking along. If a player doesn't really want to stop then it is quite difficult to change his mind, if his heart is set on playing at a higher level which you have to accept that sometimes. At the same time though you want them to stop because you are trying to sell the club and saying that I think we can get to the Championship and who knows from there. There are two ways of looking at it, players want to play at the highest level, but hopefully that is with Carlisle in the future. "
" I was disappointed that Michael Bridges wanted to go, I think we had something going well at the time that he left, we'd won quite a few games and he was involved in that. When I first came in and had individual chats with the players, Michael was the one that stressed that if anybody did come in he wanted to go. He was always going to move on if someone came from the Championship or the Premiership, it remains to be seen if he chose the right one at the moment.
" Peter Murphy and Karl Hawley are obviously amongst a few of the players that I think are the best at the club, we're trying to secure their services and it would be advisable to put them on long contracts. For the opposition I liked Chris Cohen from Yeovil – I thought he was a decent player and he scored the first goal against us down there, there has been a few that have impressed me actually. Chris Shuker the other day for Tranmere and Wes Hoolahan for Blackpool was decent as well to be fair, there are a few that we have liked and are watching closely.
" I'm very, very pleased with the position we are at in the league at the moment and we're just trying to make sure that we survive in the league, with the start we have had I am sure we can aim higher though. I have seen Victor Anichebe, although I can't comment on speculation, and that is why he has played in Everton's first-team, David Vaughan is exactly the same. I went to watch their game against Liverpool reserves, it was interesting to watch how that game went, I try and watch as many reserve team games as I can as well as our own.
" I haven't changed my aims from the start of the season because they are private, for me, the staff, the players and to an extent the inner circle. We've had a decent enough start but all it is is a start, if we can continue what we are doing, trying to play some good football, create chances and hopefully get better at scoring them. We're up there with clean sheets, seven we've had and I think Nottingham Forest have the best with nine, so we're up there, if we can get a few more points away from home then I'm sure we'll be in a healthy position. I've set a target in my own mind though as to where we are going to try and finish, at the end of the day survival is the most important thing. After an eight-game unbeaten run people can get carried away but it can come back and bite you, which it had done over the last four games, before Saturday, but we have to be aware of every game that we play in to the end of the season. We have to work hard to achieve where we want to try and get.
" We are trying to play good football but you can play long football, you can play whatever kind of physical football you want but if you get the right mixture and are winning games then everybody is happy. Gillingham is another tough game, they are all going to be tough games between now and the end of the season but we're ready for it. We're well prepared, we're travelling down and are stopping off halfway, we're going to train at Cambridge's ground, so we are using contacts to make sure we have got good areas to train on. The players are looking forward to the game immensely, there is a slight pressure because we haven't won away from home. At the same time though if we keep winning our home games and picking up a point away from home then you give yourself a hell of a chance to be up at the top of the league. "