Greg Abbott - Radio Cumbria Interview

Last updated : 13 May 2008 By Thetashkentterror

Greg Abbott
United assistant manager Greg Abbott spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's Derek Lacey over the weekend as he talked about the the upcoming two-legged play-off semi-final against Leeds, Abbott suggesting that both clubs will be looking at the tie in a positive manner :


" It's a funny week isn't it, leaving it ten days after the last game of the season. The game can't come quick enough at this stage of the season, you just want to play games, so let's get it on. People are actually talking to me at the moment, they don't usually bother. There is a massive interest now though from both ends.

" There was a bit of good natured banter going around yesterday, I was in Wetherby just sitting having a coffee and there must have been 15-20 people came up and told me what was going to happen. That we weren't going to do this and we weren't going to do that, so I'm just keeping quiet and hopefully the boys will do us proud, and I will mention it when we get our result.

" I've got no sentiment into me whatsoever, I don't want to speak to anybody connected with Leeds, they have got their job to do and we have got our job to do. I know it sounds a bit harsh but I just want to go into battle with Carlisle and give it everything that we have got, and hopefully come out of it with a result. I'll speak to them after the game and wish them all the best whatever happens but prior to the game I don't think that there will be much contact either way.

" They (Leeds) are a massive club and there will be a big crowd in there, hopefully we can use those things to our advantage. Big pressure on them though because now that they have got to the play-offs I suppose they will be the bookies's and their own fans' favourites to push on. We are going to make sure that we get our game sorted though and get our game-plan in place and we'll hopefully make life very difficult for them. "



" Anything can happen, our boys think that we are favourites, don't worry about that, our boys think that we are going to go and win the game. We've got to encourage that, we can't go there thinking that it is only a matter of us turning up. We think that we have got a fantastic chance, so I think that we have got to go and enjoy it but make sure that we do it right.

" The outcome of the game, it's one of them, you could throw it in as a draw, a defeat or a win, anything could happen on the night. It's who goes and gets their game-plan there and forces themselves on their opponents. We're going with a lot of optimism.

" We can reflect on the season when it's done, the season is still very much underway for us at the moment. So it's not a case of thinking whether we have been good, bad or average, the season is still alive. At the end of it we can sit down and reflect and see if we have made an improvement on what has happened before and then try to improve on that again wherever we may end up.

" Up to press we have been reasonably happy, a little bit disappointed that we haven't gone up automatically, everybody I think would share that opinion. The season is not dead though, it's not done and it's not a time to reflect, it's a time to be optimistic about what might happen still. It's a massive occasion and there is Wembley and the Championship at the end of it, it's a massive pot prize. So both clubs will be looking at it in a real positive manner, it's very, very big for everybody concerned, and we're really looking forward to it. "