Greg Abbott - Radio Cumbria Interview

Last updated : 05 September 2009 By Thetashkentterror

Blues boss Greg Abbott
United boss Greg Abbott spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's Paul Newton at Thursday morning's open press conference for the local media, Abbott first talking about the current injury situation at Brunton Park :


" We are OK on injuries, we have got a big doubt with Tom Taiwo who is finding his heel injury, or the back of his ankle injury is giving him a few problems. So we will have to wait a little bit nearer to Saturday to make a decision on that one. Apart from that, Richard Keogh obviously long term, little Bridgey (Marc Bridge-Wilkinson) is back in full training today so in that respect we have got one back, and we are looking like doubtful with one, then Richard is the same situation.

" Tom's injury is a concern because if he is out of selection for Saturday, he has been doing very well and it would be a disappointment. We have got a big squad though, and a good squad and plenty of strength in depth so we have to get on with it. Injuries are part and parcel of the game but it will be a disappointment for himself and for us because he has been doing well.

" I have just spoken to the big man (Richard Keogh), he is a lot happier with his ankle. He says that he thinks he can do straight line running which is seriously quick after the type of injury he had. When I saw it, the size of his ankle, you thought four to six weeks maybe. That was your gut feeling but if he thinks that he can do straight line running come Monday then that is a big positive, so maybe not so long. Nature is nature, we can't predict when they are going to be fit, but hopefully if he is on about straight line running then two weeks should see the back of it we hope.

" What the Morecambe game has done is that it has given us a few more answers and it tells us a few more things about the squad and the depth of the squad. What we have got to be, especially myself, is not be too quick to make hasty judgements in terms of people playing well or people not playing well. Because a lot of those younger players are really keen to do well and sometimes they are over-keen and trying to over-impress and sometimes it goes against them in that type of game. "



" We were encouraged though by a lot of the things that we saw. What we are probably saying at the minute is that we have probably got the bulk of the first-team eleven right at the minute, and we have got players behind it that are very, very capable of stepping into that. I would always think it is the case that some of the younger ones are not quite ready yet. We have got a young team as it is at the minute, seven or eight of them are 23 or 24-years old.

" We are a very young team as it goes right now and what we are hoping is that the likes of (Michael) Burns and (Gavin) Rothery and (Tony) Kane and Adam Collin and Gary Madine can press them as hard as possible. The more that are ready for first-team action the stronger our squad is. They are all going in the right direction though, time again is on their side because they are only young kids. We just want them to get there as quick as they possibly can.

" Richard Offiong's performance was encouraging, he has missed a bit of football. I don't think he is as fit as our players are right now because of the time that he missed with the transfer, it seemed to have been dragged on for one thing or the other. He has got pace though, he has got power, he is decent in the air, he wants to shoot, he wants to score goals.

" He has got a different attitude to his work around the box than other players we have got. He is single-minded that he wants to score goals and what we have got to try to do is get him to make the right decisions. We can never tell him to stop shooting though because that is what everybody has been after, but an encouraging start. "



" I think that Kav (Graham Kavanagh) is always going to give me a selection headache because he is a top player. What he is trying to do at the minute and what we are trying to do with Kav is integrate his playing work with his coaching work and not have him too much of either or the other. First and foremost though he is a player and if he is deemed as good enough to be in the team then he will be in the team.

" The type of performance that Kav put in though at Morecambe, bits of it was a little bit hairy-scary and bits of it were absolute quality. Nobody could fault his guts and determination though, and you see his reaction when he scores, that is the type of player he is. I think that a lot of our younger players can learn from that energy and that enthusiasm that he brings to the table.

" He is probably taking his coaching role on the pitch when he has a go at people. He wears his heart on his sleeve, he is so determined to do well. Younger players have to be able to deal with that, what we don't want them to do is to maybe be pressurised too much and that would be a concern. They know though what type of person Kav is because they work with him day in and day out.

" He is the same in training, he plays with the same fierce determination. If I ever thought he was overstepping the mark though then I would tell him just to be careful. Because they are younger players and probably not as mentally tough as senior players, and they probably need a little bit more grace, and at times that is the case. It is only him with his fierce determination wanting everybody and the younger players to do well and improve. "



" When he is giving it, it is what type of information he is giving, those harsh tellings off are sometimes good information. In the heat of the moment though that is the way that Kav talks and always has talked and that is the way that he has been as a player. So I don't think that we need to go too much into that but possibly some of the younger players aren't as understanding of the way it is delivered as senior players are.

" This division doesn't give you any easy games does it, so we are expecting Tranmere to be another tough game. They will be keen to get their first win on the table, they have had some tough games and some results that they won't be pleased with. I think that we have got to take our away form and think about ourselves into this game and try to get a really positive home result.

" Which is what everybody needs at the minute because things are going fantastically well away from home and what we want to do is bring that type of performance to Brunton Park. That will let our supporters see how much progress we are making, which we undoubtedly are. You can never put your finger on why that is the case, possibly edginess, possibly expectation, possibly a little bit of nervousness from some of the players sometimes.

" Until you get across that line and get your win then it takes you a little bit of time. We are going in in a really good frame of mind though after some really good performances and Saturday can't come quick enough for us because we really want to take our form of late into the game and continue the momentum that we have got going. "



" Supporters may be a little quick to get on our backs, I don't know, but there has been a really massive positive reaction to everything that is going on at the minute. The away fans that went to Bristol (City), the away fans that went to (Leyton) Orient, the bits and pieces we are hearing about now and Andy (Hall) is in charge of all that sort of stuff.

" The message is getting much more positive and everyone is now starting to believe that we are going in the right direction. That spreads very, very quickly, that positive attitude amongst the fans spreads very, very quickly. Our lads now can't wait to play in front of our fans because they are seeing that we are turning the corner in terms of performances and results.

" If we do get off to a good start in the game then fantastic but if we don't then I would urge the fans to stick with us like they have done in the away games. They have done to be fair in all the home games, the players got clapped off against Exeter, there were one or two little bits and pieces that they were unhappy with. There always will be, but I think that they are now looking at a good team progressing and going in the right direction.

" They are seeing the players playing with a hell of a lot of spirit and determination. We are not a soft touch anymore and it is really good to be in charge of a group of players who I think are really going in the right direction. We need a good win at home to convince everybody that that is what is happening at this club. "



" The game is all about results, but we will get results the way that we are playing, I will absolutely guarantee that we will get results the way that we are playing. Anybody that has watched our last four or five games would think what a decent side we are but the key to it is making sure that the good performances, the draws go into wins and the losses go into draws.

" So we are getting points on the board which again eases everybody's expectation and eases everybody's pressure. We can show people what a side we are, what a good side we are, because some of the football that we played at Bristol (City) and (Leyton) Orient especially was absolutely outstanding. We need to continue that type of form and make sure that we get the results off the back of those performances.

"Maybe the fans are just starting to believe in what we are trying to do because I have been saying it for 12 months haven't I, Joe Anyinsah will be a threat but people need time. Just look at Jermaine Beckford's first attempt at being a central striker when he came in from Leeds and look at where he has gone on to now.

" We think that Joe and Richard (Offiong), Richard is very similar to Jermaine as well you know. People now need to trust what we are trying to do and give people time and don't expect miracles overnight. Joe has made that switch to a central striker though and he has got a lot of attributes which could make him a very, very good player in that position. "



" If he doesn't learn then he will be on his bike won't he, so let's hope that he does. He is learning though, he is learning, and what Joe has got, he has got strength and pace. He is very difficult to shrug off the ball and you saw the impact that he had on Tuesday night when the game was OK for us at that particular time, but he gave us that extra spark, that extra pace, that extra power.

" I think that he is going to be a big player for us and I have said right the way along how highly I rate him and how much I think that he can contribute to this football club. Joe is showing everybody what a good player he is, and he will become a firm favourite here, I have no doubt about that.

" We are just going to see about Craig Lindfield, Craig came with tremendous pedigree. What we have got to do is work out if over the very, very near future he can overtake one of the four strikers that we have got. If he can then we would like to take him, if he can't then we have to let him ply his trade elsewhere. Because at the minute the key to what it is is always bringing in players you think potentially can be better than you have got.

" I am fine without the loan window at the moment, injuries and results and performances will dictate whether we have to dip in. The board are backing me if we need to do that but I think that at the minute what we have got is a good group of players with quite a bit of strength in depth. At the minute we have got competition all over the field so we will have a look at how the next two to three weeks pans out. If things don't go our way in terms of injuries and suspensions or results then we would look at that, but at the minute we are happy with the group of players that we have got. "