|
" We decided to come up on Thursday, we travelled up on Thursday morning and arrived around 8pm to 9pm on Thursday evening. We trained this morning, it was a little more relaxing for us rather than coming up on the Friday and arrive here at 9pm. The pressure is off us, we haven't got anything to prove, I think that the pressure will be more so on Carlisle. They are a League One side, we know how good they are, or can be. We are up here to have a go for sure but I feel that the pressure will certainly be on Carlisle.
" We've looked at the tie, John Ward is not at the football club any more but Greg (Abbott) has come in and we are fully aware that he has inherited some very, very good football players. So we certainly know that it is not going to be an easy game, because we are aware of the array of talent they have at Carlisle. We are going to go in there though and we are going to enjoy the day, and hopefully we can maybe get a result.
" The last few weeks have been difficult, we have had problems that have been made public. We have struggled in the league a little, well a lot really. We have missed forwards, we haven't any real recognised strikers as such, we tried to get some in but it has been difficult. The best strikers are at the best clubs as we have trouble doing so. We are getting there slowly but surely though, I have been there around and about six weeks now and we are slowly getting there.
" So it doesn't happen overnight, I'm sure that Greg is aware of that, he is going to be instilling confidence in has players. I read an article in the local paper and players don't become bad players overnight, they may lose a bit of confidence or a little bit of composure or concentration or whatever it maybe be. They don't become bad players overnight though and that is what we try to instil in our players here.
" We are going into the football match to win it, we have not travelled all this way to come here, we won't be playing for a draw. My teams are attacking and we have come here to win, it is going to be difficult, we are fully aware of that. We are playing a League One team and we are aware of the array of talent that Carlisle have. We know that they are going through a bit of a tough time so is it a good time to play them? We know that it is going to be difficult but we are certainly going to be having a go. "
Burnett has been busy in the transfer market recently after signing four fowards in the space of two weeks. The quartet being two former Aldershot men in Jamie Slabber and Scott Forrester who have signed on non-contract terms, while ex-Leyton Orient striker Efe Echanomi also joins on a non-contract basis and Andre McCollin comes in on a one-month loan from Yeovil Town.
Sadly for Burnett though three of those players are cup-tied tomorrow, Slabber, Echanomi and Forrester having featured for Havant and Waterlooville, Tiptree United and Met Police respectively in earlier qualifying rounds of the FA Cup. Also cup-tied are midfielder Kenny Beaney and defender Damien Batt, both picked up recently from Burnett's previous club Fisher Athletic.
Unlike Carlisle the Essex club have been given permission to field their Spurs-loanee goalkeeper tomorrow, that being David Button. One player sidelined through injury though is goalkeeper Ross Flitney (hand), while yet another forward, in Danny Lodge, has not travelled with the visitors squad. To my knowledge that therefore leaves Grays with 19 players to fill eleven starting spots and seven places on the bench, those being :
Goalkeepers - Scott Arnold and David Button.
Defenders - Jon Ashton, Kenny Davis, Gavin Dayes, Rob Gier, Mark Haines, Sam Sloma, Jamie Stuart and Fabian Wilnis.
Midfielders - Stefan Bailey, Barry Cogan, Stuart Elliott, Luke Hickie, Stuart Thurgood and Ishmael Welsh.
Strikers - Bradley Gray, Andre McCollin and Jamie Taylor.
The referee for tomorrow's match is David Foster from Newcastle, and he will be assisted down the lines by Stephen Smith from Middleton St. George in County Durham and Garry Wallace from Houghton-le-Spring near Sunderland. Meanwhile the fourth official is Scott Duncan who is also from the Tyne and Wear area.