Greg Abbott - Radio Cumbria Interview

Last updated : 22 May 2009 By Thetashkentterror

Blues boss Greg Abbott
United boss Greg Abbott spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria on Friday evening as he talked about the signing of Ian Harte and the contract offer to David Raven, Abbott though first talking about the similar situation to Raven as regards Danny Graham :


" We have put an offer to Danny, he has looked at it and discussed it with his agent, his people that look after him. Then we are due to meet on Tuesday and we will sit round the table and try to gauge an idea of what he wants to do about it. Whether he wants to commit to it or whether he wants to have a look elsewhere, but it is a 50-50 one at the moment. So we are just hopeful that when we speak to him on Tuesday that we can at least get a resolve to it and find out where he is going with it all.

" There is no stumbling block at the minute, it is in Danny's hands and we are just waiting for Danny. I suppose that the stumbling block is Danny's decision, we are waiting to see what Danny wants to do with it really. We are on hold with things until we find out that, but we will sit down and talk with him and discuss it with him on Tuesday and we see where we go from there.

" Danny has got to make a big decision, it is a decision where if there is interest from other parties then he has to work out which is right and what is best for Danny Graham. We have to respect that so if Danny decides to stay it will be because he wants to stay and he thinks that Carlisle United is the right thing for him to do. So if he does that then I would expect him to die for the shirt, I don't think that he has shown any lack of anything at the moment.

" He is just weighing up his options because he thinks that at the age he is now, 23 and a bit, it is an important decision for him. I think that we have to give him that respect and I don't think that it will have anything to do with him not wanting to commit himself to the shirt if he decided to stay. I think that would come without a shadow of a doubt from Danny. "



" If you looked at Ian Harte's performances last season and what he offered us, and the type of person he is. I think that it is a massive signing for us to be honest, his understanding of the game, the level that he has been at and what he can offer, not just in terms of his own ability, but in terms of helping and setting examples to other players.

" I think that it could be a terrific signing for us, his reading and understanding of the game is first class and the way that he prepares and organises himself for games and training is first class too. So I think that with a good pre-season in him Ian could be a really, really big player for us as well as helping other players around him.

" I am not going to tie him down to a position to be honest, I think that you have to look at everything. He has played in the World Cup as a centre-half so you shouldn't have any qualms about playing him at centre-half in League One. If the situation arises though where we think that he can be more beneficial to the team in a left-back role then we look at that as well.

" His age was a massive reasoning in us signing him on a longer term deal, certainly giving him the two years. We feel that at 31 as a defensive player, he is not one of those players that was an absolute flying machine in terms of pace. So we think that whatever he is going to lose he has lost in terms of the pace, he is not going to lose much more. "



" You never lose your ability to read and understand the game so we think that at 31 it is a terrific age for him. He will be coming into his better years we think in terms of what he can offer and I certainly don't think that the age situation with Ian is an issue, probably a benefit to us to be honest. Where we can have a really experienced spine, if you look at him at centre-back and you look at Kav (Graham Kavanagh) and Thir (Paul Thirlwell) in the middle of the pitch and possibly Scott Dobie.

" If he (Dobie) can continue the good form that he showed at the back end of the season then you have got a spine full of experience and international players. So it must augur well for us and if we can throw some energy and some youth around that then we look like we can have a really encouraging side and squad to build on for next season.

" I think that with the size of the club we are, I think that versatility and people being able to do one or two different roles is a massive plus. Ian can comfortably do that so it is a big plus but we are not going to pigeon-hole him just yet. We will have a look at the pre-season, we will have a look at the games, we will have a look at other people's form and attitudes and then we will see how we take it from there.

" There is lots of movement at the minute on transfer targets. We are actually waiting for clubs to do their business, May and early-June is generally quiet because clubs don't want to be paying people over the summer. A lot of players haven't moved yet because clubs are waiting as long as they can before they make their move on players.

" Because we are in League One and we are a League One club, we are working behind the Championship and behind the Premier League. Obviously the Premier League hasn't even finished yet so I would imagine that a lot of the work will start picking up once the Premier League finishes. Then they release their players and then the Championship release their players and then the League One pick up off the back of that and League Two follow on behind. "



" So generally the month that we are in is quiet but there are a lot of phone calls in and out to chase up targets and see if you can keep them alive, and seeing how available they are, and how many clubs are interested in those players. Obviously the better players are creating more interest. I think that players are always looking to go to clubs where they think that they can have some success.

" That was the case for us in the last few years, obviously this season didn't work out that way but I think that with Ian coming in and other players will look at what we have got around that. They will think that this side could be a decent team, and I have said it all along, I don't think that we are a million miles off being a really good side. I think that the end of the season showed that, we only lost one in eight and if you look at the ways in which we conceded goals, and the way in which we conceded points really late with some really poor goals in the 93rd and 94th minute.

" We are not a million miles off being a really good side. That is why I think that the fans have gone away looking at the Millwall game thinking that this could be a really good season for us. Providing we get off to that good start and show the right sort of determination then I think that are better times for us round the corner, I have to say.

" Pace is probably reasons why some of the players that we have let go have been let go. We think that we need more pace, that is right throughout the team. With Scott Dobie showing signs of form then you have got a bit of pace upfront. Cleveland (Taylor) has got pace on the right so that covers that one, we are looking for maybe a midfield player that is going to give us youth and energy and pace in that area, so that is being dealt with.

" The left-sided player, we have let Lewis (Neal) go because we think that we maybe can get one that is a bit more quicker and a bit more direct with a bit more energy. That is one of the reasons why we have let certain players go and we are looking to bring in that pacey type of player. To be honest with you pace is a commodity, everybody is looking for that, but it is certainly one of the reasons why decisions were made. "



" They are the type of player that we are looking for, you bring Danny Livesey back in if we can get him fit and competing for a place at centre-half, he has got genuine pace as well for a centre-half. David Raven has got pace at right-back so already the signs are there that we can get that energy and pace in the team. We know it is something that we have lacked at times and it is something that we require, hence the decisions that have been made to back that up.

" We have got plenty of people if Danny Graham does decide to ply his trade elsewhere. Obviously there are issues to go with that, it is what sort of money we can get for Danny. If that situation goes then we will be looking for the highest amount possible because we know that we have got to replace him with a proven goalscorer.

" There are five or six names there that are available that won't be available all summer so hence the reason why we are trying to tie Danny's situation up and make sure that we know what is happening with him. Then we know what we have got to spend and we know where we are looking for. They are proven goalscorers though, that is what I will tell you, that is what we need if Danny does decide to go.

" We have had a really encouraging chat with David Raven, he has gone away on his holidays today. Out of respect again he has asked if he can have the week's holiday with his girlfriend to decide his decision and that is not a problem. Before he went though he was very positive in letting me know that it was looking in a good way for us. So if we can wrap that one up when he comes back at least we will know with David in a week to ten days what his decision is.

" So that is another position that we can say that we have got an experienced player there with the pace and the defensive qualities that David does possess. So that will be one that will be a big plus when he comes back off his holidays, and one way or another we will know and that is when we decide whether we move on or don't move on. Again though there are choices in that position if David decides that he wants to exercise his right and go elsewhere. So you are trying to cover all angles while you are just waiting for these players to make their decisions. "