Greg Abbott - Radio Cumbria Interview

Last updated : 26 October 2010 By Thetashkentterror

Blues boss Greg Abbott
United boss Greg Abbott (GA) spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's James Phillips (JP) at Thursday's press conference for the local media, Abbott first talking about the Blues having Dutch midfielder Ransford Addo on trial at the moment :


GA

He has just been recommended from a good source, he is a decent player to be fair. We are just going to have a look at him, we are not going to do anything just yet. He is in on a two week period, have a look at him, he has done ever so well so far.

We are just trying to look under every nook and cranny and exhaust every possible avenue. He has come from a good source so the first impression is that he has done alright, but at the minute he is just having a look at us and we are doing the same, and he did OK the other day as well.





JP

How did you get wind of his availability?

GA

I am not going to tell you that.





JP

Has it come through the link with Manchester United though because I know Royal Antwerp are a club that they are very closely associated with?

GA

Listen, I have got links with a lot of people, and it is just one of the avenues and one of the sources that I use. It is a really good source and I trust the source very, very highly. So, he is in and we are having a look at him.





JP

He comes as well, he is the brother of Eric Addo isn't he who is a very fine player in Holland, I am sure you will be hoping he is even half of that player?

GA

No, we actually said we have got the wrong player, we wanted the other one. But, we have made do with his brother and he doesn't look bad. No, listen, it is a low profile one at the minute, he is just coming in to have a bit of training, nothing great at the minute.

If it develops like Francois (Zoko) then fantastic, if it doesn't then nothing lost. He is paying all his own way and we will have a look at him for now. If it develops then brilliant, if not then it is another avenue that we can go to and you never know what they might turn up.





JP

In terms of the game this weekend against Charlton, fans have been spoilt at this level of football with some really big teams coming to Brunton Park, this is another one?

GA

Yeah, a massive club, been in the Premiership not too far along ago, and finding life tough. It's funny, I had a really long conversation yesterday with Alan Irvine from Sheffield Wednesday and he was complimenting how high the standard was and how good the coaches and managers were at this level.

He said he thought that at Premier League level and Championship level that the players did all the talking for their managers, but at this level you have got to do a lot more thinking and a lot more jigging around. He said that it was causing them a lot of problems, and Charlton is another club that are going to come and hopefully we can make that difficult for them.

They haven't had it easy have they, they have found life in this division tough and it is not straightforward that because of the size of your club or because you have been in the Premier League that you can get out of it quickly. If they are not right on the day on Saturday then they will find this difficult, if they are then it will be a tough match for us, but it is certainly one that looks nice on the eye.





JP

And the return of a very familiar face, a forward I am sure you would have liked to have kept in Joe Anyinsah, but he is now with Charlton.

GA

I wouldn't have liked to have kept him because he didn't want to stay, and that is the end of that one. But, a super lad, I love him to bits as a person but he chose to do something different and I respected that. So, there was never a question of me keeping Joe because he didn't want to stay at the club. I was good with him and he was good with me, we were both honest and he has moved on and I wish him every success after Saturday.





JP

What about the relative strengths of Charlton? A side who like to play football but a bit different from the side you came up against last year?

GA

Yeah, on paper they have got a terrific squad still, but they have found life difficult, and the result last week was a hammer blow for them. I think we have got to jump on the back of that, we have got to probably try to hit Phil Parkinson's team when they are wondering which way to turn a little bit at the minute.

But, they have got some really good players if you give them time and space and that, they will play and they will cause you problems. But, I think we have got to get stuck in them on Saturday, we have got to get right after them and take the game to Charlton and try to hit them while they are probably a little bit wounded.





JP

In terms of the central defensive partnership of Gary Doherty and Christian Dailly, a few fans might look at that and say that they are getting a bit long in the tooth now. Maybe it is a chance for Carlisle to get at them, but I guess after Rob Edwards this weekend just gone you will know that that is not always the case?

GA

Yeah, on the other side of that you could say they are full of experience and quality and they know what they are doing. We got at them, we certainly got at Gary Doherty in the last game of the season when he was at Norwich and caused him a lot of problems. We have caused Charlton problems in the past so we have to try to exhaust all the possible weaknesses they may have.

They have got some and we have got some, and they have got some strengths and we have got some. So, I think trying to pinpoint one area and take it for granted you can cause them problems is maybe slightly dangerous, but we will be having a right go at them.