Chris Chantler - Radio Cumbria Interview

Last updated : 24 January 2012 By Thetashkentterror

Chris ChantlerUnited's Saturday debutant Chris Chantler (CC) spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's James Phillips (JP) on Tuesday morning, Chantler talking about playing his first match at senior level :
 

 

CC

It is just a game of football, but obviously there are a lot more eyes on you and you just want to do well really.

 

 

JP

Did you sense that the crowd were willing you to do well? I mean your first couple of touches got little cheers, I thought it was a lovely gesture from the Brunton Park faithful?

CC

It was, I think I made an interception, I jumped up high with my left boot or something and made an interception, then I won a header and then it was funny when I won the header, it was like the crowd were loving it, maybe because I am quite a small lad and I have won the header, it was like thank you. But, it was good to hear, I thank the fans for that, it helped me settle in and helped me get a bit of confidence early on.

 

 

JP

When did Greg Abbott let you know then that you would be involved and that you would be starting?

CC

On Friday he said to get ready and to make sure I prepare right because depending on the injury situation I might be playing. Then when I came in and Murph (Peter Murphy) wasn't fit then he told me then about 1.30pm when he named the team, but I sort of had an inclination from Friday if they weren't going to be fit that I was going to be playing, so I had to prepare that night really.

 

 

JP

I am only imagining if it were me because I am only putting words in your head, but the first thing I would do is I would be an absolute geek and I would phone up friends and family, is that what you did when you learned?

CC

Er, no, because it was quite close to the game, I phoned my family on Friday to tell them that I was probably going to start with the injuries, so they came up from Manchester on the Saturday. But, no, I didn't let anyone know that I was going to start on the Saturday because it was about half past one when I found out, maybe a bit before, and I just wanted to kind of concentrate on the game and get ready for that really.

 

 

JP

What have your family said to you then after seeing you start as a footballer for the first time?

CC

I think they were happy, my little brother and little sister came up as well with my Mum and Dad so pretty much the whole family was there. When I got in they were all asking me how I enjoyed it and all that sort of stuff, and just sort of asking questions about it really.

 

 

JP

Tom Taiwo was on 5Live this week after the birth of his daughter, and he was talking about various things but he was comparing a lot of young players to the way Chris Smalling started with Millwall Academy then went into non-league football and worked his way back up, and he was saying that a lot of young footballers these days to get the chance have to take that step back to go forward. Do you think that you are maybe at the start of that process? I am not necessarily saying you will wind up at Old Trafford, not that you would want to be there?

CC

Well, what it is, I feel as a young player when you are at a big club the chances are so limited, and coming from Manchester City you never really thought like you were going to get a chance, and there were maybe a select two or three who the manager maybe trained with the first team and you thought that they may get a chance. But, you were at the point where you think you are not going to get a chance, so you are going to have to from the outside in, it looks like you are going a step down from a Premier League club to League One.

But, a lot of kids, it is from reserve football, it is not from first team football, so when you step down leagues it is actually a step up in quality of play. So, for me I have gone from a reserve team to a competitive League One club who are doing well as a team. I think obviously every player's aim is to play in the Premier League, but I just want to see how well I can do at Carlisle first and foremost.

 

 

JP

You will have come through with a generation of lads round-about your age, a year or two below, who you will have played against and with as you have grown up. How many of those do you know of who have made it through to first teams at that sort of level?

CC

Erm, there are a fair few that I have played against that are in first teams, I think I played against (Danny) Welbeck a lot when I was younger because we were the same age group, I can't remember, probably (Jack) Rodwell and then there are a few at City like Dedryck Boyata who was in my team for three years when he joined at 16 and he has gone on and obviously he is now on loan at Bolton and he is doing well.

Players like that, people who you have been around like Vladimir Weiss was a year older than me, he is now at Espanyol, in fairness at City in our age group and the age group above there have been a lot have broken through. Maybe not at City but they have broken through somewhere else so if you have got to move from a Premier League club to do it that is what a lot of players are doing now, I think it is the way you have to go.

 

 

JP

What has Greg Abbott said to you then about life after that first start and the euphoria of doing it, getting through it, playing well, what has he said you need to focus on now then?

CC

To be honest we have not really talked about that really, after the game he said well done and that, and asked if I had enjoyed it, and Kav (Graham Kavanagh) was saying the same thing that I did well and was just saying about it sort of that when I was getting tired it would just be the nerves kicking in because it is not really the fitness issue, but it is just because everything surrounding your first start and things in your head and adrenaline and all that sort of stuff. But, I have not really spoken about where we go from here with the gaffer, but he just picks his team and that is his job really isn't it, to train and manage the side.

 

 

JP

What did it feel like after the game then when you had put in a good performance, the team had done well, what did you feel like?

CC

I was happy you know, obviously it felt great because I played but it would have been better if we had won obviously. I don't think anybody was happy with the penalty awarding, but I was smiling, I had a good night and I had a good night because I had had a debut and I rang one of my coaches who said that it might sound weird but forget about the result because you have made your first professional start, it is what you have been working towards since you were five, six, seven, eight years old. So, you have got to look at it that way and to be honest I did enjoy it and I felt good after the game.

 

 

JP

What did you make of Francois Zoko's penalty claim?

CC

I have got to be honest, I don't really know but it sort of looked like he stumbled but he may have got a touch from the keeper (Jimmy Walker), maybe if he doesn't try to stand up, if he goes down he might get the penalty, that's what I thought. But, because he has tried to stay on his feet which is a thing in England that you have got to be seen to go down to win a free-kick or a penalty, I don't think he was going to get it unless he sort of fell over. He tried to score a goal and that is what people always want to see, but maybe you never get rewarded for that, if there was a foul and he stayed on his feet they should still give the penalty if you can't score the goal, but it doesn't seem to work like that does it?

 

 

JP

Very true, that is something that I have been argiung for, that if the referees do that then it will stop players feeling they need to dive you would imagine. But, anyway, move on, what are your hopes now, what do you want to do short and medium term, I presume just keep your place in that team now you have earned it?

CC

Yeah, obviously it is going to be tough because the players that I replaced have been brilliant all year, and hopefully I get another chance on Saturday and if I play well then I can hopefully keep my place in the team. But, again, if I am not in the side then I can't rule it out, all I have got to do is work hard again and try to get back in it.

 

 

JP

Do you have an ideal place in your mind where you would like to be in the team, sort of left of a midfield three or something like that? Where would you say is your best position?

CC

Erm, I am not too sure to be honest myself. I like playing in midfield because you get a lot of the ball and you can sort of be more, not adventurous, but you can maybe effect the game more on the attacking side. But, I don't mind playing left-back, to be honest on Saturday I concentrated a lot on my defensive side, I didn't get forward too much because first off I wasn't too sure how my fitness would handle the game and I wanted to do my defensive side of the game first. So, maybe if I was to get a run in the side that would come with games, so again, either of those two I don't mind playing.

 

 

JP

Perhaps your one scary moment in the match, there was one time when you tried to break forward, I think it broke off you and went right back over your head, what was going through your head at the moment?

CC

I had a couple of breaks forward, one when I have broken forward and tripped myself up.

 

 

JP

It was a great first touch you took actually, and then you just fell over?

CC

It was a great first touch and I don't know, I don't know what happened, I think my right heel has decided it wants to play with my left and just kicked it and I tripped myself up. Then there was one where I have sort of gone to try to get it and my touch wasn't the best and it sort of bounced up and then the guy ran on, but nothing came from it. I think the scariest moment for me was in the last minute when I think that we have cleared a corner and it has come back in and I tried to clear it but missed it and Thirs (Paul Thirlwell) had to make a great challenge to be honest, my heart was a bit in my mouth on that one because I should have cleared it really but I just missed the ball.

 

 

JP

These are all the things that you will learn from though and hopefully you will keep picking little bits and bobs up along the way. What is it like playing with someone like Paul Thirlwell? It is one of the best seasons I have seen him have for quite a while, it must be easy playing next to someone and training with someone like that and seeing how the game is done?

CC

Yeah, well what you pick up from him especially when you are watching maybe from the bench that he is always in the right place. So, as a holder his positional sense is brilliant, he will cut out a lot of things and he can tell you when to push in and when to hold. It was like on Saturday, Danny (Livesey) did brilliantly himself and then he helped me a lot with the sort of keeping me in the back line and all that sort of stuff, just in my ear constantly to make sure that I knew where to go. Obviously, you know yourself with your positional sense but you like to be reassured, especially on your first day, but yeah playing with Thir, Danny and all those sorts of players, it is great and it just helps you settle in.

 

 

JP

When Danny comes in he often plays on the right of the two central defenders, was it no accident then that he got put next to you so he could be in your ear a little bit?

CC

Yeah, I think so, obviously he probably talks a bit more than Lubo (Lubomir Michalik). Danny, I think he was there to try to talk me through it incase I had a sticky patch or a patch where I wasn't really doing well and then he could just maybe encourage me or tell me little things to do. But, as it went I played quite well and defensively I was quite solid. But, he was a big help talking to me all through the game.

 

 

JP

And just a final thought, for those fans who were so warm to you, what did it feel like, how important are they to have people like that shouting you on when you are trying to make your way in the game?

CC

Oh, it is brilliant, they really helped me at the start of the game, in particular when I would do something and the fans would respond and you would get a boost of confidence from it, and when you would make a tackle you would get a big cheer and it was great. It was what you need as a young lad when you are trying to settle into a team.

 

 

JP

I should just ask you about Hartlepool at the weekend, you are hoping to be involved and do you know a great deal about them and any of their players, and how excited are you?

CC

I would be delighted if I was still in the side obviously. I have got to be honest, I have seen them once, I went to Rochdale earlier in the year and watched them and they seemed to sort of sit in and then they broke, and they scored two world class goals from James Poole who was with me at City. He left in the summer, obviously I have left now and he was one of the good friends I have got in football, so it would be great, I think he is injured at the moment but it would be great to play against him. He is a very good player as like a striker who drops off and he is technique-based and he is a great finisher, so I would like to play against him if possible.