Greg Abbott - Radio Cumbria Interview

Last updated : 03 January 2009 By Thetashkentterror

Blues boss Greg Abbott
United manager Greg Abbott spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's Paul Newton after the postponement of Carlisle's scheduled home game against Walsall this lunchtime, Abbott now looking ahead to the Leeds away fixture next Saturday :


" It is frustrating because we have trained really well, obviously off the back of the Christmas results we wanted to keep the momentum going. The boys have looked really bright and sharp and there is a lot of energy flying through the club. We wanted to play the game today and we are feeling a little bit sorry for ourselves now, we are a bit down and a bit frustrated because it has just been called off, so there you go.

" There is nowhere to train this afternoon, if you can find somewhere in Cumbria that is fit to train on then we will go there. The players will have their families coming across as well, there are kids and wives and stuff with them in the cars so it is not practical. We wouldn't get any grass to train on at this late stage so it is a case of sucking it this weekend and back in on Monday and hoping that the weather eases a little bit.

" We've had the pitch covered and we left it as late as we could to try to give the pitch every chance. Last night was a little bit warmer but the strength of the frosts over the earlier part of the week meant that we were up against it. They have covered it though, they have bought some insular stuff to put on top of the covers as well but it has been cold as everybody would appreciate, so there was not much that we could do to be honest.

" It is the middle part of the pitch where the grass is a little bit finer than on the wide areas. It is right down the middle, a 20-yard width and it is very firm. If anybody bounced on their head and got an injury then the referee is liable. So they err on the caution of safety these days, so we have to just live with that.

" There are no games on within an hour of here so we have got the staff with me now, we are planning next week. Again, there is bad weather forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday so we are trying to work out what we can do next week, in cahoots with Dennis (Booth) and Dolly (Neil Dalton) the physiotherapist. "



" Because Dolly knows as much about Carlisle as anybody of what we can do, but we need to get a full week of training, or as best as we can because we have got a big game to prepare for next Saturday. So that is the plan now, it is to make sure that we get a gameplan to get training facilities next week.

" He (Booth) is the one bright spark about today isn't he, while everybody is a little bit down in the dumps Dennis has always got a wisecrack to go with. He keeps the place bright, he is very knowledgeable and I am looking forward to working with him successfully over the next 18 months.

" A lot has been made of the three trialists coming in but they are just three boys that have lost their way a little bit. We are just having a look at them and there is nothing special about that, we just want to exhaust another avenue that these lads have had their life difficult at the clubs that they are at.

" We are just having a look at them and if things progress then we will have a look at that, but at the minute it is low-key. We just want them to come in and see what they are like, see if they like us and see how they perform up against what we have got.

" It is common knowledge that we are trying to add to the squad, I have said it many times that the process is ongoing. It just doesn't happen in the week leading up to the window, Dennis and myself have made umpteen phone calls over the last three months if you like.

" Enquiring about players and finding out who is available and what sort of price they are and what money they are on and stuff like that. So there is loads of work going on and hopefully by the end of the month some of it will come to fruition. Absolutely nothing on players going out at the minute because I have had my focus on the game today, so we will wait and see what happens with that. "