United manager Graham Kavanagh (GK) spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's James Phillips (JP) following Carlisle's 2-2 League One draw away to Shrewsbury, Kavanagh saying that there was lots of end to end action in the game:
JP
What do you make of that, are you reconsidering being a manager after a game like that?
GK
No, to be fair it was a great game, I thought it was a really good game for the fans, there was lots of end to end action, goalmouth action, crosses, shots. Obviously disappointed, when we are getting beat 1-0 I think I will take a draw all day long, but the character of the players and the belief the players have within themselves and each other and the system is fantastic.
We got back into it and then to sort of get the second goal from a very good delivery and a very good finish from the set-piece with Sean O’Hanlon. We looked at the clock and it is 90 minutes and they put five minutes up and I thought it could have been more that with the way Shrewsbury delayed everything, but I understand why they are doing it because they are obviously trying to get some points on the board.
But, we couldn’t hold out, two individual mistakes cost us but I am not going to criticise the players, they have been absolutely magnificent, they gave their all again today. We probably didn’t play at the level in terms of quality that we have played at, but everything you ask for in terms of honesty, in terms of work-rate, in terms of endeavour and a never say die attitude, you have got to give credit to them, they are a different class.
JP
In terms of the goals you scored and coming at the time they did, I mean it was a superb end to the match, and even conceding that late sickening equaliser, the fans were giving you a standing ovation and all the players at the end of the match, they clearly felt they had given all you could there?
GK
Well, in the four games we have played up to now we have given all we can. I was a little bit disappointed in the sense of when it was the second-half and we went to three at the back and we had an overload in midfield, I wanted us to pass the ball a bit more. I understood the reluctance if you like because of the reason we had to play in a back three which was to create the overload in the wide areas.
I kept screaming on them to pass the ball and obviously try to accept the responsibility if you like, and we sort of went a bit too long too quickly. Once we took Mark Beck and didn’t have that height upfront I just thought the two boys would get down the sides of their centre-halves more than they did.
But, credit to the way we played in the sense of constantly I thought looking to be a threat in behind and down the sides, although we didn’t get great quality there that is obviously what we did look to try to do. You go 2-1 up at the end of the game and I am thinking oh my God, sometimes it is better being a lucky manager than a good manager. It wasn’t to be, we couldn’t get over the line, but as I say, four games now undefeated, I would have taken that all day long and it is credit to the players.
JP
Taking positives out of the negatives that there were, the goals you are something you can work on and what you are talking about with the coaching and getting that passing game that you want in the midfield, I think are things you can work on, there is so much that you can improve about this team and yet you have still got 10 points out of 12?
GK
Well, I think first and foremost when you have the attitude that we have as a staff and as the players have and that real sort of desire to want to improve, you have always got a chance. That is what they have given us and there were times in the game today where we became a little predictable and I want us to be braver in possession and sort of break their lines with our passing because we are good enough to do it.
We have got players who can handle the ball, we have got players who can stretch the game and with bringing Nathan Eccleston in now he gives us that little bit of a different dynamic. I know we probably lose the height up top, but we have got a bit more pace and we have got people who can really put defenders under pressure and cause problems.
So, the individual mistakes, it is something that we can definitely work on also and I think to be fair to the players they are the first to hold their hand up and say it was my fault. No problem and I haven’t got a problem with it because we are all going to make mistakes, I am going to make mistakes, the staff will make mistakes, but as long as they are honest ones and they are not too often then we have got a real chance of moving this thing forward.
JP
With obviously your background in football, do you feel that you can coach that passing game that you want from the players into the players?
GK
Yeah, well from the offset, which was the Sheffield United game, we set up as a counter-attacking team and quite rightly so. We had lost a lot of goals, we had a really bad goal difference against really and it was important that we started to get the foundations at the back correct. But, as we have now grown in confidence and momentum is building and belief is building, then I think it is important that when we get the opportunity we need to pass the ball.
Certainly not in silly areas or any areas that we are going to put ourselves under pressure, but I keep saying to the players that if they are going to play straight balls then they must get there. That is why in the first-half Becky wasn’t getting across quickly enough, he was reacting rather than being proactive and then actually anticipating if you like, getting across and actually knowing that the ball is probably going into his area, and if he doesn’t get there then he puts the defender under pressure anyway.
So, we were a little bit slow to do that first-half and in the second-half I definitely thought we were better. But, I thought over the whole 90 minutes we were the better team, I don’t know what the stats were but we certainly had more opportunities on their goal than the two they had, probably one more that Mark Gillespie saved, but other than that they didn’t really threaten our goal. So, a little bit disappointed from that point of view, but on the whole I am very, very pleased.
JP
You have talked about wanting to get one or two players in in the recent media interview, obviously you got Nathan in there, any movements do you think soon on that second?
GK
Well, I mean it is every day we are trying and we are on the phone to agents and we are on the phone to football clubs and different people. I am away now tomorrow on my Pro licence for three days, that finishes on Tuesday about lunchtime so all the while the staff and myself will be getting information.
I will be speaking to members on the Pro Licence who I know who have players available and I will be getting as much information as we can. I don’t think it is probably going to happen before Tuesday, but it gives us ten days now because of the Wolves games being off, and hopefully then we can get somebody integrated into the group pretty quickly and increase the numbers and the quality in the squad.
JP
And are you hopeful of some good news on the injury front ahead of that game at Morecambe?
GK
Yeah, well obviously we are hopeful every day in the sense in that the likes of Chris Chantler is improving all the time, he is going to have a game on Thursday, he has been training now for the last five or six days. Lee Miller has had some improvement, I don’t know how far he is yet, what was initially diagnosed was four weeks but he had an injection and I hope that improved it.
So, we are slowly getting bodes back, it will give us a selection dilemma but I have told all the players that everyone is going to be used this season at some stage. So, it is important that they keep believing, keep working, Nathan came on today and I said to him at the end of the game that it was evident that he hadn’t played in a while and he looked a bit leggy towards the end of the game. But, that is going to happen, so we will work with him and to be fair he wants to, he wants to get better as do all the players, so it gives us great hope.
JP
I do want to ask you more on him, in bringing him in what sort of player have you got, what are you hoping to get out of him in this month if that is what it winds up being or longer?
GK
I am hoping he gives us quality in possession of the ball, he can come short, he can go long, he can handle the ball, he can dribble, he has got very good awareness, he can receive the ball on the back foot and then drive defenders and commit them. I don’t think we have probably seen enough of that today because I think as the game got later and he had played whatever it was, 30 minutes, he looked a little bit leggy and he hasn’t played for a while so I totally understand that.
But, he gives us that cleverness, that guile, he can play as a seven, he can play as a ten, he can play as an eleven. I asked him before if he could play as a nine and being the targetman and he probably wasn’t as sure as I thought he would have been. But, listen, that will come with confidence, we are all learning about each other and we are learning more and more as each day goes past. So, lots and lots of positives.
JP
Morecambe on Tuesday in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy, is that a competition that is a priority to you or is the league more important?
GK
I don’t favour one over the other, I am not going to harp on about finances but I know the more competitions we are in and the more opportunities we have to get people into the ground and to move to the next level, with prize money and everything else it gives us a better platform. It also gives confidence and one or two might get an opportunity on Tuesday.
But, I just said to the players there, we are going to have a period after the game on Tuesday where we can rest and recuperate and get players back to fitness and work on the fitness levels of one or two if you like. But, I have had three opportunities now to go to Wembley, two when I played, one as a coach, won one, lost one and obviously won one as assistant manager. It is an absolutely fabulous day out, it is not only for you, it is for your family, for the fans, it is an incredibly proud day and some of them in the dressing room haven’t experienced that, especially the younger ones.
It starts on Tuesday but we all have to start somewhere and I am going to make sure the focus is very good. Because, I know what Jim Bentley’s teams are like, they are very organised, they are very hardworking, they will be aggressive and they will want it as much as we want it. So, we have to match them.
JP
And just finally, again, they had it all today, still unbeaten, how are you enjoying management?
GK
I have loved it, I have absolutely loved it, I think every day has brought something new, and today brought lots of new because I don’t think we have been losing, drawing, winning and then drawing again in any other games this season. I think the great thing about today was the character, because in the past when we have gone a goal down we have generally lost games. But, in two games now, Notts County and today, we have got something from it, and that shows real belief and it gives us real confidence going forward.