Dennis Booth On A Point At Oldham

Last updated : 28 December 2008 By Thetashkentterror

Dennis Booth
United assistant manager Dennis Booth spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's Derek Lacey after Carlisle's 0-0 draw away to Oldham, Booth satisfied with a return of four points from United's last two games :


" We are pleased with that, there are some tired boys in that dressing-room, but the commitment that we have asked of them is first class. They stuck together well, a difficult place to come to, but we have got a very good point and another clean sheet. Obviously when their balls go in your box and it is around there then your heart is in your mouth.

" I thought that we had one or two decent opportunities though, which we were disappointed that we didn't do better with. I think that is the one thing that we have got to learn, our decision making again we talk about in the final third, we maybe picked the wrong ball. The effort and endeavour was first class though.

" After the game against Northampton where myself and Greg (Abbott) were disappointed with the performance, apart from that we have been pleased with everything that these lads have given us. We are looking to try to get up this table and who knows? Certainly we have got the starting block now that we have wanted, two clean sheets on the trot. We looked very resilient and we have a threat upfront as well, so we are looking forward to it, we are looking forward to the New Year.

" We have monitored players and we know what sort of things we are looking for. Whether it develops or not though I don't know at this moment. The players recently have now given us problems on that, (Paul) Thirlwell, the captain, he came on and did a very good job. We have got competition in there, we look to try to pick the right side for each game and we thought that we did it today. Everybody is contributing fantastically though, we can't ask any more from them of that. "



" Obviously it would have been lovely to have got the win but we said before the game and at half-time that we didn't want to get suckered into that we were doing OK. Because, as we were at Northampton, we have got to go and try to win the game and take it to them. We knew that they were going to have a go and as they say, if you can't win the game, then make sure you don't lose it. That is what we did because in the last ten minutes they put us under a lot of pressure.

" He (Peter Murphy) had a couple of stitches on his ankle, but it was basically that he had got a dead leg as we call it. He hadn't recovered, Peter this morning, he went for a walk around and he wasn't happy. He is a very honest player, if Murph is not happy with it then we had to leave him out. We have got through this game and he gets a good rest now, which all the players will have a bit of a rest. (Richard) Keogh has come in and done a fantastic job again though.

" We say to the players that we are all in it together, there are 18 of us down there and we are all in it together. We are going to need you, it might be Saturday, it might be next week, we are going to need players and we all want people who are with us right through the club, right from top to bottom. If you get that in a football club, and we have got some decent players, then you have got a chance and we are going to build on that.

" We said to not waste the result against Huddersfield, against a good side. If we had come here and got beat then it would have been like a waste, but we said that we would make sure that we would come here and that we would do ourselves justice. We may be a little bit tired, but so will the Oldham players and we can't let that affect us. They are tired now, which is fair enough, but don't be tired on the pitch.

" I always like to win, but I would probably have taken a point before kick-off away from home against a decent side like Oldham. We did try to win the game though, we said that at half-time, we are alright, we are OK, but OK is not good enough sometimes. Can we just go on and cause them a few more problems, which we had a couple of opportunities didn't we later on. I think that Cleveland (Taylor) with his left foot, we got the ball in, Simon (Hackney) caused them problems when he came on. It wasn't to be though so we make sure that we don't concede. "



" We are trying to lift peoples' spirits, you have got to play with a smile on your face. When people say that in football it doesn't mean that you go out there and you don't care and you are just laughing and joking. It means that you have got to be bright, yes, you are upset when you lose a football match and there is nobody more upset than me.

" If you are not bright and sharp in that sort of thing though and wanting to play then you have got no chance, but we do that now. The lads are wanting to play, they are wanting to train and then carry it on to Saturday. The last two performances we can't fault them, apart from probably if we had got another victory here today, but we will settle for four points.

" The players will have a break now but they will be back at it again, and we will be demanding as much again. You switch off now but as soon as they come in to train again we will be demanding and wanting things out of them for the Saturday game against Walsall. The players are just tired from what I have seen in the dressing-room, little Lidds (Michael Liddle) is feeling tired, he is only 18, just 18, so he is going to feel tired, 18 years of age and tired!

" The supporters were great, we drew up here and the manager (John Sheridan) mentioned that it was fantastic support away from home. You like to give them something, they will accept you losing games if you give them something that you really look as if you have got that shirt and that badge and you are playing for them.

" That is what we are doing at the moment, and they can see that, we would have loved to have got another result for them, or a win should I say. When they see us doing that then they will stick with us, but they have been fantastic, they are a great bunch of supporters. "