Greg Abbott - Radio Cumbria Interview

Last updated : 25 September 2009 By Thetashkentterror

Blues boss Greg Abbott
United manager Greg Abbott spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's Sarah Corker and Jon Colman from the News and Star at Monday morning's open press conference, Abbott first talking about the disappointing 2-0 defeat at Oldham on Saturday :



" I was a little bit disappointed to be honest, obviously the result is not a great one. Up to the first goal going in things are OK, we have created a couple of chances, and after that when they got the goal the performance went a little bit downhill which was disappointing.

" They looked a poor side at the start of the game and we looked as much as in control as we have at the start of a game for a while, but it just shows you what a difference a goal makes. After that goal goes in, they up their game, they get a bit of confidence, they get a bit of belief and it makes life very difficult for us.

" I am looking for the players tomorrow night to go and enjoy the game against Portsmouth, and when I say enjoy the game I mean enjoy the game by playing it the right way. By being determined when we have got the ball and by being determined when we haven't got the ball.

" It is a good chance for us to put the whole of Saturday's second-half behind us, which I thought was disappointing, and raise our game and go and enjoy performing against supposedly better players. Obviously they are Premier League players and I want us to do it with a fierce determination. The camp is wounded at the minute but we will sort it all out. "



" I have absolutely no idea how Portsmouth will approach the game, I think they will be very, very determined to win the game. But how they do it, whether they play a full strength or a weakened side I have absolutely no idea. For me I like winning games so if I was their manager in the situation they were in then I would expect to try to do the same, my priority is winning the game.

" The confidence of the players is OK, we have had one really poor second-half performance in the last few weeks. We need to score goals and we work on that on a daily basis and there is a responsibility to the whole of the team, the team that is, to score goals and to not concede goals, so that is something else we have been talking about.

" I am disappointed like the fans, nobody likes getting beat but two games ago we were talking about how we had turned the corner and everything was going in a positive manner. So we didn't get too excited then and we are certainly not going to get too downbeat now.

" But we will be doing all we can tomorrow to put in the type of performance that will get us a little bit of confidence back if you like, certainly in terms of a result for everybody around here and show the players how good we know they can be. "



" Let's be fair with everybody and give the situation with the strikers a chance to develop. If after a few more games we haven't got goals then we have to look at things. We have to look at finding a way of finding the goals and that might mean changing the way we play, changing the bits and pieces. The loan market is an option that is there if and when we need it.

" We tend to create expectation ourselves, we want to go into the game against Portsmouth and win the game. So I would think there is a little bit of pressure on us to win the game as well. Because it is a game where Portsmouth are having a tough time at the minute and it will be how they react and how they take the game on.

" I don't know how they are going to do that but we want to go in there with a bit of pressure on ourselves to perform, and quickly after Saturday get back on the right lines in terms of our performance and the way we are playing.

" If they don't come up prepared in the right manner, which I am sure they will do, then it could be a difficult one for them. But coming all the way up north, they probably realise on the map, it is even about 12 inches on a map, that is how far away it is. It is a long, long way, they won't like it, and that is a small map by the way.

" The fans can enjoy themselves can't they, let's hope that the game is full of excitement and that the Premier League stars turn up and we can compete and give them a game. Hopefully we can ask them a lot of questions and try to find a nice night for the fans with a positive result. I think that is the key to everything tomorrow, it has come quickly and it is a good one for us to get straight back into game situations and a nice one to look forward to. "