Seasiders Boss Simon Grayson On Tomorrow

Last updated : 25 September 2006 By Thetashkentterror

Simon Grayson
Tangerines manager Simon Grayson, who was speaking to Blackpool's official website, talked about the game against Carlisle at Brunton Park tomorrow. Grayson talking up the positives from the Seasiders 0-0 draw at Doncaster at the weekend and how his side have started the season solidly, although 'Pool have won only five of their last 27 games under his stewardship :


" Carlisle are a good team, I've seen them a few times this year and they are a dangerous team. We've got to have the same defensive qualities that we produced at the weekend, but with a little bit more composure and a little bit more of a clinical edge in the final third. If you don't concede goals then you don't lose games, and we are liable at times to get ourselves goals, unfortunately we haven't done that in the last few games but it is a good base to work off.

" It's important to remain unbeaten because it means you are picking up points. We need to start winning games because it is good for the confidence that we have only lost once in eight games but we do need to be turning round those draws into victories if we want to get to where we want to be this year. The two points you don't get from not winning games is a big difference, we want to start getting up the division and be higher, to a position to where we can challenge.

" We've had a busy few weeks and we have got people here who we do need to change, although I've felt that in the last three games we haven't needed to change it because we have done OK, obviously we haven't won the games but we have looked solid. If you look at the teams in our division the two teams in Tranmere and Nottingham Forest have probably used very few players. That's probably why they are at the top of the division, they've got consistency and when you are winning games nobody wants to be out of the team.

" There is no reason why we shouldn't produce our away performances at home, we had this problem early on last season, but we changed that round in the second part of the season. We need to start winning games at home because unfortunately we are picking points up away from home and not at home, so we need to obviously change that round quickly.

" Carlisle have got a philosophy of playing under Neil McDonald where they play 4-3-3 and at the moment they are playing it really well, and like most teams who get promoted they are playing on the crest of a wave. It's another good game for us, we have to be on our mettle, they have got a decent strikeforce in Karl Hawley, Kevin Gall and Simon Hackney who create chances so it is a big game for us. We keep saying it week in week out though, on our day we are a match for anybody and we will be going into the game really positively after a good performance at the weekend looking to get three points.



" We won't go like-for-like but we'll probably play Wes Hoolihan a little bit further up the pitch than Simon Gillett who will be tucked in a little bit more. When we have got the ball he will be out there to give us a little bit more width so you do adapt but you don't change your shape drastically for the opposition because we want to give them problems. We want to able to say that this is our formation, we're good at what we are doing and you come and do something about it with us.

" We have done OK away from home, we just need to turn picking up points from solid performances away from home into the three points, sooner or later though that will change and we will be up and running again. One or two picked up a few knocks on Saturday but we'll assess that today and tomorrow and hopefully everyone will be OK. The players are very confident, they are still working well for each other, they have got a lot of belief in what they can do, and the management and staff have got a lot of belief in them as well.

" It's encouraging that we aren't getting beaten regularly or getting battered by teams, it's just that fine line between winning and drawing games. At the moment we're just not getting over that final hurdle to win games but hopefully that will be rectified sooner than later, we've got a lot of belief that we're not far from turning it round. You want to be solid away from home and at home, fans might want to see lots of goals but I'd rather make sure that we at least pick up a point, but ideally we want to win games.

" Saturday was at least a base to work from to try and be a little bit more creative, show a bit more composure and a bit more quality in the final third to get the results. The quality of service in the final third hasn't been what we wanted it to be. In an ideal world we'll be going for all three points tomorrow night because we are wanting to get up the division and into that little pack where we can start chasing the top half.

" We will be going there to win the game, if it means we get a point then I'll be happy with that. Every manager will say that you go into every game trying to win it and I'm no different, I don't go into games set up to get points, I go set up to get victories, and then if draws come along you take them, draws are far better than defeats. Last year they were a League Two team, they had different personnel and a different manager, we're a different team completely from that night but we'll go with the attitude that we are going to win the game. "


Blackpool are expected to retain the same starting line-up that has seen them draw their last three games, that means striker Matt Blinkhorn will miss out once again as he builds up his fitness following a groin injury. The referee for tomorrow's match is Eddie Ilderton from Tyne and Wear and he will be assisted down the lines by Dave McCallum, also from Tyne and Wear, and Peter Quinn from Cleveland, meanwhile the fourth official will be Paul Curry from Northumberland.