Greg Abbott - Radio Cumbria Interview

Last updated : 30 November 2008 By Thetashkentterror

Greg Abbott
United caretaker manager Greg Abbott spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria on Sunday afternoon ahead the draw for the third round of the FA Cup, Abbott also talking about seemingly never-ending saga of getting past Grays in the first stage of the competition :


" We are watching this now thinking that it makes our result even better yesterday. There have been a few fair league clubs knocked out by lower league Conference teams and even lower that. So the result yesterday was massive and the performance makes it look even better now watching Leeds struggling, I think that they have only got about a minute and a half left to try to salvage something from their cup tie. So we are really pleased with yesterday.

" These ties are difficult because all the pressure is heaped on your side, you are expected to beat them because you are a team from a higher league. It is never easy though, it is their cup final, they roll their sleeves up, they are very fit boys now-a-days, a lot of them are full-time as well. They are well organised, they do a lot of hard work and you have to give them the utmost respect.

" We did that to Grays yesterday and we matched them in every department in terms of the physical side and the determination side. We put them under a lot of pressure and then hopefully your own ability will kick in at some point, and we thought that it did at times in the game.

" There is a lot of relief, absolutely, in the two games that we have played they gave as good as they got. Certainly in the first game for the first 50 or 60 minutes they were the better side. We felt that we had the better of the last 20 or 25 minutes and got our equaliser then and it gave us a chance to get down to Grays.

" In the game where the floodlights went out they started again in a really positive mind and got the goal, and it would have been a really tough night for us. Whether we would have got beat or not is hindsight, you never can tell. They certainly were terrific though in the way that they approached the game, but I felt that our boys yesterday were superb in the way that they matched the Grays people in every department. "



" We are in the hat, we have got Crewe to play, Crewe will be thinking that they can beat us and we will be thinking that we can beat them. In 15 minutes time though the draw will be on and if one of the big plum ties comes out of it we have got to think that we have got a massive game now on Wednesday, it would make the game even bigger.

" For me it is a massive game because it is our next game, I am not really bothered if it is the FA Cup or it is a league game or whatever, it is our next game. That makes it a big game for me and we just want to win that game and keep our improvement in terms of results and form going.

" If that takes us into the next round of the cup if we win then that is fantastic, and then we will take on board whoever it is the next round. We have to got to deal with the Crewe thing first though and they will be saying exactly the same to their players. Wednesday night's draw could be made a little bit more interesting if we draw a big tie in the draw in a few moments time.

" You wouldn't believe how bad they will be feeling now, the Leeds players, because those Histon players will be banging on the door. They will be drinking cans of beer outside their dressing-room and they will be shouting and bawling. It is the worst feeling, I got done twice as a league player against non-league opposition, Telford and Sutton. They are not half quick to remind you that you are the league side that they have just turned over.

" Leeds are a massive league side as well aren't they, they are a massive club, we are talking about a league and FA Cup winning side not too far away. The Histon boys will just enjoy it but the other dressing-room will be absolutely devastated, that can have a lasting effect as well because those Leeds players will be down on their feet at the moment. "



" It is really a poor psychological day for them all around, Histon will go one way and Leeds will go the other, but they have to react from that quickly. It will be a really, really depressing dressing-room at the moment though.

" We have still got Paul Thirlwell and Simon Hackney 50/50, from yesterday there was nothing. We have got Chris Lumsdon back playing and we have got Scott Dobie back playing, so that is two plusses. We will have a look at Paul Thirlwell and Simon Hackney tomorrow but we are hopeful that by Wednesday we will have a clean bill of health and a full side to pick from.

" We just got to confirm all the bits and pieces with Sunderland to allow Michael Liddle to play, we have got Chris Birchall in as well from Coventry so we will have to tidy all that up tomorrow. Hopefully the clubs will give them permission to play in the FA Cup and then you have got selection problems all over the pitch, but better ones than we have had in the past.

" It is just an absolutely massive incentive on Wednesday if we get a big tie because finance plays a big part in it. The third round of the FA Cup draw is probably the best draw of the lot because you have got all the small clubs hoping and praying for a big club. Then the joy if you get a big one or the disappointment if you get a not so good one.

" It really is about finance at the minute and every small side or smaller club wants to play one of the big boys, pit their wits against them and enjoy a day out at one of the big stadiums. So it is just a huge, huge draw for everybody in terms of finance and playing one of those better teams. "



" Everybody will be saying that they want Manchester United or Liverpool but I think that Newcastle away would be fantastic. Because with the little bits of problems that they are having you could actually go there. If you did get them then you would think that you might be able to put on a display, with the troubles that they have been having, you might just sneak a result.

" Manchester United away is absolutely the dream one for everybody but my back four might have a few sleepless nights thinking about marking (Carlos) Tevez, (Cristiano) Ronaldo, (Dimitar) Berbatov, (Wayne) Rooney and all those sorts of people. They are the places that they would love to go though, it is a once in a lifetime sometimes for some of the players who may not get that far in their careers.

" Just ask Barrow and just listen to the chairman (Brian Keen) now, he is full of enthusiasm. I just like the Barrow people there, I spoke to Dave Bayliss and we did a bit of work with trying to get Luke (Joyce) there for him. He was terrific was Dave, and you get to meet new people doing this job don't you, and talk to them a lot more and find out a bit more about them.

" I was delighted not just for Luke on Friday night but for Barrow the club, and we hope that they get a fantastic draw as well. They are up there with us in Cumbria aren't they and it would be fantastic for them as well. It just boosts their coffers, it gives them a better chance as well of competing against the teams at the top of their league in terms of finance.

" Every little bit helps because I just know how hard it is coming from where I have come from in football. It is nice when they get a big draw and get a bit of luck to go with the success that they have already had. So I hope that Barrow get a terrific draw, I hope that we get a terrific draw and we can make sure that we get through by beating Crewe, and then I think that everybody in our part of the world will be happy. "