United manager Graham Kavanagh (GK) spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's James Phillips (JP) following Carlisle's 1-0 League One win at home to Swindon, Kavanagh pleased with the recent defensive performance of the Blues:
JP
How do you feel, a long time coming but boy was it worth it?
GK
Yeah it was, it was a long time coming alright, and that is now three clean sheets on the bounce which is very pleasing. More importantly we managed to get a goal today which we obviously haven’t done in the last couple of weeks, so to come away with the three points and the performance and the energy levels of the players is extremely pleasing.
JP
You are underselling yourself, I have just been discussing this with Jon Colman, four clean sheets in five now?
GK
Well, we are obviously doing something right defensively, we have obviously changed to the extra man at the back to give us the option of playing the two up the top and try to overload the midfield. I wasn’t sure if David Symington would be able to tactically be as clever as he has been and I think he has been very, very good in the last two games. He has really adapted and is learning and is now progressing and he looks like he is a natural in that position.
So, a number of excellent performances today and none more so than Gary Madine and to get the goal, he told me yesterday he was going to score, he had a problem all week with his groin that we kept under wraps and we just tried to nurse him through it. But, to his credit he stood up today and he got the goal, which is a massive three points as I say.
JP
He has come back a man hasn’t he, I know we have already talked about this, but he is brilliant now isn’t he?
GK
Well, he is a good player for this level, there is no two ways about it. He knows the role, he understands competing against one, two or even three at times as he did today. He backs in, he plants his feet, he gives us a platform and I thought David Amoo playing off him today was the perfect foil. Lots of pace and energy and looked a threat in behind, so we sort of had a very good combination.
But, late in the game obviously as it is going to be, backs to the wall, a little bit of nerves and tension. I thought we were the team with the better chances, we should have had a penalty, Gary has a chance which is saved, a great save by the keeper [Wes Foderingham] first-half and then he probably has a chance which he probably would have been a little bit disappointed with not putting in the net. But, overall just really, really relieved to have got a home win on a Saturday, which I have been told we haven’t done in a while.
JP
I spoke to Gary Madine in the week and he said he dreamed in prison of coming back to Carlisle and scoring and running over and kissing his badge. He got all of that today, did all that, but also the fact that he came over to you when he was celebrating to acknowledge I guess your support during this period?
GK
Yeah, it is nice, I have a very good relationship with Gary and an honest relationship with him I think. I tell him what he needs to hear at times but I also give him a kick up the backside when he needs it. I think he is mature enough to understand the difference, his performances are certainly doing that, he is one of a few players who want to come and play for Carlisle.
You can’t say there are too many who have in the past because it has generally been a problem getting players to sign. So, he is somebody who understands the club, loves the club and gets treated very well by the staff and the personnel around the building, and he just wants to do well for us.
JP
The last thing you could do with is another absentee, but you are going to have one with that second yellow card and a red for James Berrett next weekend?
GK
Yeah, it is not ideal but I was pleased that he did what he did. They were going to attack on the counter and he was taking one for the team, so I have got no problem with Bez getting a yellow card. I actually didn’t realise he was already on a yellow if I am being honest and Davie Irons said to me he was. I suppose it just shows what happens when you are so consumed in the game.
Yeah, it is a little bit of a setback but we have hopefully not picked up any knocks, which we won’t probably know until Sunday or Monday. But, I will be pretty OK with going into the game with the personnel we have at this current moment.
JP
Do you have other options, you have done a lot of square pegs in round holes finding positions like David Symington and Paul Thirlwell in defence, could someone like Courtney Meppen-Walter or Chris Chantler step into that midfield if you needed to, have you got more options than it might on the face of it look like?
GK
If I put Chants in there then I am looking at a left-back who is going to get up and down the left wing. I mean Matty Robson is hopefully going to train Monday and I am hoping he will and he might give us an option. But, I am going to have to assess and evaluate the tactics of Walsall next week, I think they got beat today so they will be looking to put it right because obviously they want to still have ambitions of getting into the play-offs.
But, as I have said all along and as I will continue to say, against the good teams, against the not so good teams and against the average teams it always is and always will be about what we do. Because, when we apply ourselves in the manner we have done today we can be a match for all teams, I am not saying we are always going to have the quality that other teams have, but we do have a good tactical shape about us and it paid off today.
JP
I know you want to focus on Carlisle rather than the other teams but an amazing day, disappointing on one had that all the other teams around you, or a lot of them have won, but on the other hand you would be in big trouble had you not won today, so a huge performance none the less?
GK
Yeah, I think it is going to be an interesting six games. I think we still have a game in hand on one or two which is obviously the Crawley game and that could become vital. But, it is about now just evaluating day by day, taking it a game at a time which everybody will tell you, whether they are at the top end or the bottom end, and just getting enough points just to clear you from that relegation.
With the performances we have had over the last few weeks, Notts County aside, we have probably not had the results to match the performances. We got it today and that should give us confidence going into next weekend’s game.
JP
A bit more experience for you now as a manager, can you pick out why you can perform like this against Swindon whereas perhaps you have not quite hit expectations in some of the other games against teams around you?
GK
Well, I can simplify it very quickly and say if we have got somebody who can put the ball in the net and consistently does it, goalscorers, you look at Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge at Liverpool, Sergio Aguero, Alvaro Negredo, Edin Dzeko, Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney at Manchester United. The top clubs have the best players and they generally make the difference, and when they do make the difference you obviously need to be solid at the back because you know that those top performers will score goals for you.
We haven’t done it consistently enough this season, however we dress it up that has been the case. So, if you can get somebody and as we have shown in the last few weeks, keep clean sheets and get somebody that is going to put it in the net then you are going to get points on the board.
JP
Very simple then?
GK
It sounds simple, I mean and it not as easy and simple probably as I have made out and it is difficult. All the players who have played this season to a man I would say they have tried their damnedest and utmost in the majority of games. But, whether we haven’t had the rub of the green or whether we haven’t been confident enough or whatever, that is probably something we evaluate at the end of the season. But, right at this moment in time I am just pleased we have Gary in and I am hoping he gains a great deal from today in terms of belief and confidence.
JP
Any other injuries picked up out of the game?
GK
I couldn’t tell you, I am sick of talking about injuries, yeah we have got one or two knocks and niggles and strains, well not strains, that is too extreme. But, we have got people icing shins, calves, quads, groins, stomachs, whatever. But, it is what it is, it just seems to be par for the course so we have got a week now to sort of put in place what we need in terms of recuperation and also in terms of fitness with the lads who haven’t been playing. So, that is how we will look to address the forthcoming six or seven days.
JP
Has Uwe Rosler called you back yet?
GK
I haven’t spoken to him yet, but I have spoken to Matt Jackson who I played with at Wigan who works as a Liaison Officer I think and they have given the green light on it. So, Danny Redmond signed before the game, which is great news, so he has signed for the rest of the season.
JP
That is great news isn’t it, it really will help you with the numbers there in that midfield and what he brings to the team as well?
GK
Yeah, I mean he has been unlucky in some of the games I have taken him off. I think on a really nice pitch and if we could dominate games he would be the one that could unlock a defence, but tactically today I felt we needed to get somebody in the middle of the pitch because Alex Pritchard when he came on wasn’t playing directly behind his striker.
He was playing roaming into the pockets off the full-back causing Dave Symington and Chants a problem, and Brad Potts wasn’t experience enough to deal it. So, I pushed Paul Thirlwell in and put Reece Brown on and I had to sacrifice one of them so I went for probably the least experienced if you like. It worked today, on other days I am not sure if it has or it hasn’t, but it is not necessarily because he is not performing well, it is just simply a tactical decision.
So, he knows he is going to have a big part to play in the run-in, as will Reece. I know Reece was disappointed not to play today, but Paul Thirlwell’s experience and his game understanding of working off the left or the right centre-half is vital to us, so I have to play him at the moment.
JP
I must talk about a lot of hard work but a lot of people at the club to get a big presence in the centre of Carlisle today, and I don’t know whether you managed to see it when you were out there on the touchline, but it felt like there were a lot of young people, maybe even new Carlisle fans turned up to watch you today?
GK
Yeah, well I think a big lot of credit goes to the commercial department and Suzanne Kidd and the girls in the office, because they have been tirelessly thinking of ways to promote the club and influence the younger generation. To physically get out into the town today and do the penalty shootout, I think a lot of the kids really enjoyed it.
There were a lot of prizes to be had and hopefully they can recognise and identify with the club, and it gives them that encouragement to come on a more regular basis and to hopefully nag their parents to take them down. If that is the case then we will have the next generation coming along supporting our club and hopefully improving the atmosphere.
JP
Well done today and let’s hope for a good week injury-wise?
GK
Yeah, please God, fingers crossed.