Greg Abbott - Radio Cumbria Interview

Last updated : 15 September 2007 By Thetashkentterror

Greg Abbott
United caretaker manager Greg Abbott spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's Derek Lacey on Thursday morning as he talked about the difficult game coming up away to Swansea City tomorrow night :


" It's a tough one isn't it, we're going to South Wales where it is a very, very hard place to go to get points but we're going there again full of optimism and another good week's training. The lads have showed a great reaction to last week's game and we're very optimistic. How you react to defeats is vital, we've not been downbeat, the players are a good and bright group of players and the training I think has been good for them and they have responded to that.

" We have to make sure that we go there, and again, it's a performance I look for because if you get your performance then generally your result comes on top. We're trying to instil confidence, we could go there and get beat, obviously we're going to try everything in our powers not to and we're going to try to get a victory. What we've got to make sure though is that players don't read too much into things, and fans alike don't read too much into things.

" Two defeats is no disaster, it's absolutely not what we are looking for and it's not what I want to happen, and I'm sure it's not what the players want to happen. We've got to make sure that the players believe in their ability though, and I believe in them and I've got to try to get them to believe in themselves. That comes from everybody else connected with the club as well, to make sure these players know what they can achieve given the right preparation and play the right football and get the right backing. I think we have no problems, but confidence always has to be high, as soon as that is dented players start to suffer.

" We're going to train again today and basically the players benefit because we will probably let them have Saturday and Sunday off. Because we are going to be busy watching games all day on Saturday, all the staff. The actual amount of training has been fine, they have done a good week of work, we're training today and then we'll travel later today. "



" It's just like bringing the game forward 24 hours, the training on Monday and Tuesday was a little bit tougher than it might have been because we are a little bit nearer to a game. It's not really a problem to be honest, I think a night game, players like playing night games. They will have the same preparation in terms of the travel, a good night's sleep, a rest all day Friday and then they'll go out and perform on Friday night.

" I think with the floodlights, the zip on the grass and the atmosphere, it's a change. Night games are exciting aren't they, I know that I used to really enjoy playing under lights, the whole thing seems to be a bit quicker. The zip on the pitch, the ball moves quicker, they'll enjoy that just as much as us I'm sure but I think there will be a nice big crowd down there. It's generally a biased and partisan crowd in Wales but again we'll have a few of our fans down there. It just bodes well for a good game of football and hopefully we can go down there and catch Swansea on the hop a little bit.

" They've got a new manager with new ideas who has brought in new players. I'm just thinking that might work to our advantage at the moment, long-term I'm sure he'll get it right but I think that at the moment there is a changeover period. We've got to jump off the back of that and be encouraged by that, that they are not performing how they might have wanted to.

" It just takes time for players to bed in, especially when he has brought two or three foreign players in and upset a really quite successful side, or a side that was really pushing towards the top end of the table. So we have to work off that and make sure that we get in amongst them, don't let them settle, don't let them play and then impose our game on them. "



" I think we do owe them one, I think we are definitely reminded of what has gone on in our past history with Swansea and we are going down there to make life very, very difficult for them. We are very determined, the message has gone out all week that this is a tough side but we have got good ability. We've got good players, we've got a good system, we're going to down there and impose our game on them, but the reminder is - yeah, let's go down there and make sure that we get something back. They took something from us last season, let's try to take something back.

" It's a lovely stadium and one of the new purpose-built ones isn't it. It's very, very good, it looks fantastic, but they don't excite me too much stadiums. It's the football match that I'm interested in, but if it gives the players a lift because they are playing in a lovely place then fine but we just need to get things right on the pitch.

" We've got a full squad to pick from, Murph (Peter Murphy) is back, he came through an hour in the reserve game, possibly the game might come a few days early for him. Again though it's something we can look at in training again today, full squad to pick from today and I'll make my decision later on from that. It's a pleasant headache until I tell the lads that are playing and the lads that are not, it is though, obviously the more that we have got to pick from the better. Sometimes teams pick themselves, at the minute though, no, I've got to pick the team because I've got a good squad to pick from.

" No immediate moves on the horizon, again I've been talking to the board and the owner (Fred Story) today and I've put forward a few things for him to digest. At the right time could we make a move on one or two bits and pieces? - and he was fine, absolutely delighted with that and knows the gameplan we are working to. He's ready to support that as and when I give him the real push. "