|
"This is just the start - we have to keep working hard, or it will have been for nothing. I have never felt things were as bad as people claimed - we deserved more from our home defeats. Tuesday was a good victory and will have given the players belief, but there are areas we need to improve.
"I know we can do better. We have players who can do it. But if Gary Alexander and Alan Dunne get injured again, we've lost a lot of experience and strength. If we sign anyone, that's what they'll bring.
"I think promotion is still possible - and that is my goal. There are a lot of similar teams in this league. If you get a run, anything can happen. And hopefully, we'll start our run earlier this year than we did last season. We are going in the right direction - the players are starting to believe that. They've got the message and they are showing the passion fans expect.
"The board are decent people - I knew they'd give me a chance. All I worry about is the team playing well. If I get the sack, so be it - you expect it if you don't get results. If the club is in a good state when I leave, with good players, I'll be happy. But the main thing is winning promotion.
"Carlisle will be in determined mood, desperate to impress their new manager and I know they are a very competitive hard-working side. But we go into this game on the back of a good home win which has restored some confidence, and we're looking to embark on a bit of a run now."
In team news for the Lions tomorrow striker Gary Alexander faces a late fitness test after limping out of the home win over the Cobblers on Tuesday night while fellow frontman Tom Brighton is out with an ankle injury. Also definitely out of contention are defender Zak Whitbread (knee) and midfielder Danny Spiller (hernia).
Elsewhere at the New Den 16-year old midfielder Tom Kilbey, who made his first team debut in a Johnstone's Paint Trophy tie against Swansea last month, completed an undisclosed fee move to Portsmouth's Youth Academy earlier this week.
The referee for tomorrow's match is Graham Laws from Whitley Bay, and he will be assisted down the lines by Paul Norris from Timperley in Cheshire and Paul Tierney from Wigan. Meanwhile the fourth official will be Colin Harwood from Salford.