Graham Kavanagh - Radio Cumbria Interview

Last updated : 03 June 2009 By Thetashkentterror

Graham Kavanagh
New United signing Graham Kavanagh spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria this evening about making his move to Brunton Park from Sunderland into a permanent one from a loan spell, Kavanagh looking forward to working with the Cumbrians both on and off the field :


" Delighted to sign and get it out of the way and now I can concentrate on playing for the next 18 months. It's starting from scratch again and a totally new experience now on the coaching side obviously. First and foremost though I am a player and I want to play as long as I possibly can. The small bit of coaching that I do do with the manager obviously I hope to gain as much experience as possible and hopefully help the lads in every way that I possibly can.

" It wasn't really a big decision to be honest, it was a situation that the third spell of my loan was coming to an end and that was up on the Saturday previous before we played the Leeds game. So obviously all week I knew that if I didn't sign then I was going to be struggling to sign for the remainder of the season. So I was glad that we got things tied up with Sunderland, which happened late on the Thursday evening.

" That paved the way obviously to sign here and the incentive of being able to live at home, obviously the coaching side and gaining all the experience, plus the extra 18 months of playing. Which when you speak to all the players they all tell you to play as long as you can because once it is over it is over for good. So it a huge relief to now finally have it all done and dusted.

" To get a good result like we did on Saturday was brilliant. I think that the confidence in the camp now is really high. It is three games now undefeated, three clean sheets which gives everybody huge confidence and massive belief going into the forthcoming games. "



" Certainly I think that any player going to Elland Road, it is probably the biggest game of the season for most of the team. I think that is probably part of the reason why Leeds are struggling a little bit, everyone that goes there is up for it, the home fans, the away fans are obviously up for it. We started particularly well, created a good few chances, I think that in the first-half we dominated the game.

" We all played our part, I think that every single player to a man and everybody who came off the bench. Even the lads who were in there in the dressing-room played a big part, so it is a big team effort and it is a big squad effort as well. We have obviously had loan players, we have had players who have been out injured, the likes of Thir (Paul Thirlwell) and Murph (Peter Murphy) who have come back in have really showed their experience and their wealth to the team.

" It is really important now I think, the MK Dons game at the weekend, that was my first game obviously when I first came and the club at the time was in a bit of, I wouldn't say meltdown but certainly lacking confidence. We were on a bad run of form, I think that now going into this game it is a totally different mindset for the players. Hopefully we can turn a home performance into a good victory or a good result and take that on for the rest of the season.

" It has been a great Christmas for us, it has been a great start to the year. We were really disappointed that we missed out on the Walsall game because we were all feeling that we could go in there, especially with the injuries and the suspensions that they had at the time. That is irrelevant now though, we look forward to that game whenever it comes again and hopefully we get the right result. "



" We hadn't won away since I think it was Yeovil (Shrewsbury - ed), which I think was the second game of the season. It was a good confidence booster, even though it wasn't a particularly great performance against Oldham, but we really showed our true colours against Leeds. It is seven points out of nine, people are now starting to believe again, you can see the confidence coming back into the players and into the squad, and we do look like a different team so it is all credit to the manager.

" It certainly helped in the table the fact that we won and it certainly helped that the other teams didn't play. Now that we have the points in the bag though I would much rather be in the position that we are in. Somebody asked me yesterday what the aim for the season was, I think that first and foremost push as far away from the relegation zone as possible. So then we actually take the shackles off and play without any fear.

" Then who knows, in five or six games time if that is still the case then could we look to the top half of the table, could we look to maybe push for a play-off place. Don't get me wrong though, I am not shouting from the rooftops that that is the goal or the aim at the moment because clearly we need to get away from the relegation zone.

" There is a bigger optimism now though that that is possibly on the cards if everybody stays fit. I know that Bridgey (Michael Bridges) got injured at the weekend, he will obviously be a loss, I had better say that because he is sitting behind me. He will be obviously a loss but there will be obviously somebody who can come in now and have their opportunity. I think that it is important that we stay as injury free as possible though, because we haven't got the biggest of squads.

" I know that there is a lot of speculation about players coming and going. Until they are actually in the building and until the 1st of February when we all know where we stand though then it is difficult to assess exactly who is going to be in or out of the squad. So while everyone is here we need to make the most of that, the confidence is high and MK Dons on Saturday is a great test for us. "