Greg Abbott - Radio Cumbria Interview

Last updated : 17 December 2008 By Thetashkentterror

Blues boss Greg Abbott
United manager Greg Abbott spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's Derek Lacey on Tuesday morning about the 2-1 home defeat against Leicester last Saturday, Abbott also looking ahead to the traditionally busy Christmas period :


" I don't think that you deserve a point just for working hard, I think that we deserved a point because we have out Leicester on the back-foot at times. Certainly in the second-half, we have got a bit of good play down the wides, certainly from Cleveland (Taylor) down the right-hand side who has got a lot of crosses in. We have got to be a bit more determined and a bit braver to get on the end of stuff.

" I think that the reason that we deserved something out of the game is because Leicester have had to go tooth and nail right to the wire to win the game. I think that we had enough of the game to certainly think in our minds that we were worthy of a point. For that reason that is why I was disappointed that we didn't get anything out of the game.

" We talked about the margins of success and failure in the dressing-room afterwards and the Michael Bridges chance was a massive indication of just how small those margins are. If Bridges puts that away, and nine times out of ten he would have, maybe the game is a little bit too much for Leicester to get back into the way that it was going, at 2-0 down.

" They got the goal straight away though and rocked us a little bit. Then we were going to make the substitution with Simon (Hackney) anyway because we wanted to go and win the game. As it happened though while he was waiting to come on they had a corner and they got the goal from the corner. We wanted to be positive, we believed that we could go on and win the game and unfortunately for us it went the other way. "



" We are going to try to be brave though, we felt like we could get at Leicester again even more, even when they got the equalising goal. When Simon was waiting to come on though they have scored from the corner and they have held on for their victory. Fair play to them for that but we are OK in what we are doing I think at the minute. I can see a determination, I can see a spirit and Nigel (Pearson) was very complimentary when he came in here on how hard their players worked and how good the football was at times, and that it was one of the toughest games that they have had.

" It just shows you that the players that we have got are having a right go at it. They are keen to do well, you can see that, sometimes in their play they are over keen to do well but get a few results and that will calm down. The composure and the confidence then floods back but at the minute the performances that we are getting are OK. What we have got to try to do though is to turn performances into results and points, because that is what we need at the moment.

" We have got three of the best set-piece takers, we have got Jeff Smith, Marc Bridge-Wilkinson and Graham Kavanagh who are as good as anybody. You wouldn't have thought that on Saturday but that again, we are back on the training ground, we have got Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday to work at all that now from now on in, and we will be doing so.

" I think that it is important, the one that Kav did get in right at the end, Michael Bridges, it has got clear to him and he misses the post by half a yard. So it is important that we get the balls into the areas, especially when you think that they scored and we conceded from an absolute quality corner. The lad that has come on, (Mark) Davies I think that it was, put in two corners that were terrific pace. We can do that as well and it is disappointing that we haven't done, but again it is something that we will work on. "



" You are going to be saying big game coming up for every game now, they are all big games aren't they. Wherever you are in the table your next game is your big one, we are now taking charge of a team that is getting that belief back, the performances are improving. We will go to Northampton thinking now that we can go and win this game rather than thinking anything that we take from there is a bonus. It is a bonus but we honestly believe that we are becoming better than that, and we have got to go there and cause Northampton problems as well as keeping a tight ship at the other end of the field.

" The Paul Thirlwell one is well documented that he is having problems with his calf. Talking to Dolly (Neil Dalton) we are not sure of the best thing to do with him at the minute, whether to keep playing him or rest him. What we don't want to do though is have him starting games and having to come off at half-time, that is not good for anybody.

" So I am going to speak to Dolly at length today about that and see if we can resolve that to some extent. Peter Murphy is on his way back, his thigh is causing him a little bit of concern. Danny Graham, I think that the kick on his elbow should be fine and he will back in training, certainly by tomorrow.

" I am certainly not waiting for the transfer window to sing Auld Lang Syne, that is for sure. It is a busy period for us and we have had some interesting phone calls this week. We would like to think that we are getting a gameplan together to try to go into battle in January and try to improve things, just shake things around a little bit. If it happens then fantastic, but if it doesn't then we have to crack on with what we have got. The players, I am comfortable with them, but we would like one or two more just to give that extra spark, and a little bit of impetus, and just brighten things up a little bit. "



" Again though, it is making those happen, everybody will have targets but it is going and making those particular ones happen. We have got some in mind though and we will be chasing that down and seeing what we can do with it. That is way ahead at the moment though, we have got some big games coming up leading to that but all that sort of work is a continued progress, and we are constantly on the ball with that.

" We have started talks with a few of our players and we will continue that over the next couple of weeks. There are a lot of games coming up but we have got to try to focus on the whole job in hand. We don't want to let these players run out of contract and have no option but to let them go, because that is what they have decided. So we will be busy actively trying to encourage them to sign, I think that a lot of players are happy, you have just got to make the finances and the figures work, and then that will be encouraging for them as well as me.

" I think that tying up the Graham Kavanagh deal will be done today. It is one of my jobs in hand to make sure that that happens today, and then hopefully by the end of today's play I can give you a call and say that it is done and dusted and all done, and then we can get on with that one. Especially when we have got the problems with Thir's calf, I think that it is important that we get Graham tied up and we can put that one to bed. He is having a nice influence in the dressing-room and a nice influence on the pitch, so it is one that we are keen to do.

" We are enjoying what we are doing but we want to turn performances into results. We will be trying and Christmas is a nice time, but it is a busy time for footballers. We have got to make sure that we focus on the football first and enjoy your family around the back of that. They can work hand in hand, we can marry that up together, there is no problem about that but we will make sure that we get the football right, and your families around that and we will be fine. "



" I think that we have got big games over the period, we have got Huddersfield at home, Oldham away. I think that that is OK, big crowds will come out, the people will want to do something different and eat turkey after they have done their Christmas thing. So I think that we will get good numbers on Boxing Day and then there will be good numbers at Oldham.

" The one thing that I do object to is having to travel down to Brighton and places like that over the festive period, which I think is ridiculous, we have had to do that the season before last. So I think that the games are OK, and then we don't play again until the 3rd of January, which is not a bad one, it is at home as well. So we are pretty fortunate, and we hope to take advantage of that but I am OK with the games.

" I think, what are you going to on a Sunday if you are not playing football? You end up going shopping and stuff like that, and working around the house doing that old bit of decorating. Come on, the lads are desperate to get out aren't they, they will love the fact that they are on their way to Oldham rather than be hauled around the January sales, or the end of December sales.

" So I am OK with that, really I am OK with that. The only thing that I think is that it is sometimes hard on the pocket. The finance thing comes into it for supporters, especially ours who travel everywhere with us. Hopefully though, we get them out of the shopping, we get them out of the sales and we stop them decorating. It is a nice day out at Oldham, we get three points and it has been a fantastic Christmas then, the only thing is the finance but apart from that I am OK with it all. "