Paul Lambert Talks Ahead Of The Game

Last updated : 10 February 2009 By Thetashkentterror

Paul Lambert
Colchester boss Paul Lambert spoke to BBC Radio Essex ahead of his side's League One game at Brunton Park against Carlisle tomorrow, Lambert first talking about the news that Hibs have turned down a reported bid from the U's of well in excess of £200,000 for giant centre-half Rob Jones :


" Hibs have turned our bid down again so the way that it is at the minute we just wait and see. I can understand that they don't want to sell their best player and their captain, so they threw it back at us and said that he is not for sale in this window. I really don't know if that is it now, I will give it the weekend and I'll have a think about it.

" Other clubs are probably interested but that is the way it goes at times, sometimes when you make a move for good players then other teams want them as well, we won't be able to compete with Championship clubs money-wise. You have just got to try to your best to try to get players in and if you can get them in then great, if not then you move on and go to somebody else.

" The squad is too big at the moment and the chairman has been great. The lads that want to play football matches that are not playing here, then they have to go elsewhere and play games. First and foremost someone has got to want you before you can go anywhere, and at this minute in time nobody has asked. There is no pressure, the chairman has been great, he has been really good, but the squad is too big in numbers and there are ones who I don't think will get into the first-team, so it is better if they move on.

" Carlisle is a hard, hard game, I know that we beat them here earlier on but they have changed manager since then and some personnel, so it will be a tough game. It will be tough honestly, it will be really, really tough but we are playing well and that is the most important thing. We are playing well enough to go and win, even though it will take us about four days and a camel to get up there!

" Simon (Hackney) is finding his feet with us, but he'll have to work his way into the team, because we are going very well at the moment. He's a very direct player, and he really stood out when I watched Carlisle play Crewe earlier in the season. He's done very well for them. Simon won't be able to play this weekend. That's the agreement we had with Carlisle, and we just have to go with that. He will no doubt tell us a few things about Carlisle, although we know enough about them already.

" Obviously Steven Gillespie is struggling and Platty (Clive Platt) is suspended so we have got a couple who are out at the minute. We just go up there with a group of lads and we will do our best to win. He (Platt) has been great, he has been first-class and it will be a blow losing him, it is only for one game and then he will be back for Tuesday, but he has been absolutely terrific for me since I have been here.

" Some of the bookings that he has got I think have been really, really harsh, the one that he got at Bristol Rovers was a joke I thought for what he had done. That is the way that Platty plays the game though, and we just have to go by the referee's decision.

" He (Gillespie) has got a problem on his calf muscle, just behind his calf muscle, just a little bit sore, it is not severe, so hopefully we will get him back in a couple of weeks. There has got to be a way that he is going to have to stay for longer periods of time for me to get the best out of him. So he is OK, I had a chat with him the other day and he is fine, we just need to get him back as quick as we can. "



In team news for the visitors the only players missing are the pair that Lambert has already alluded to, those being strikers Clive Platt and Steven Gillespie. Youth team midfielder Sam Corcoran will be on the team bus today though as he has been called up to the U's senior squad for the first time.

The referee for tomorrow's match is Clive Oliver from Ashington in Northumberland, and he will be assisted down the lines by another Northumbrian in Richard Clark from Morpeth and Peter Quinn from Middlesbrough. Meanwhile the fourth official is Ian Nolan from Bury.