Greg Abbott - Radio Cumbria Interview

Last updated : 29 November 2010 By Thetashkentterror

Blues boss Greg Abbott
United boss Greg Abbott (GA) spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's Mike Parr (MP) this morning as he reacted to the fact that yesterday the Blues were drawn away to Torquay in the third round of the FA Cup, Abbott first making his way to Carlisle through the wintry weather :


MP

You are in a blizzard at the moment aren't you?

GA

We are on the A66 and it is not great, the conditions are more like Austria than they are in Carlisle, but we are making good progress, nice and steady.





MP

A nice one for you and the fans then, on the one hand Torquay is a winnable game but it is just a long trip for the fans isn't it?

GA

Yeah, but at least we might see some warm weather, it has got to be better down there than it has up here, so there is a chance the game might be on anyway. I would have fancied it to have a better chance than Hartlepool away anyhow.





MP

There was a time of course on Saturday that I didn't think you were going to do it, and I guess you felt the same way?

GA

Yeah, you weren't on your own there, I think we know the first-half wasn't anywhere near what we are capable of and we maybe got dragged into that complacency bit. But, we talked about it all week, about what threat they might pose, but sometimes players still go out there and underachieve.

Look at Brighton, they got done by FC United and held to a draw and Dover have beaten Aldershot, so it does happen. But, fortunately we came around in the second-half and we weren't one of the banana skins.





MP

The fans have got mixed feelings then, they feel that you can beat Torquay and should, but it is just that long trip isn't it?

GA

Yeah, it is horrible for the fans and to be fair they were the ones who stuck through it on Saturday and helped us across the line. Certainly I don't think Torquay away is a great one for them, it is expensive and it is a long trip but we just have to take what is given to us.

The good thing is that we might be able to get through that one and get the dream tie that everybody is looking for. So, it is a good one in a sense that we think we can progress, it is probably a bad one in the fact that we have got to travel again a long, long way and the fans will be asked to put their hands in their pockets straight after Christmas. So, not a great one but certainly one we can progress with.





MP

And how important is it to the club's finances to get as far as you can in this competition?

GA

Well, I have never hidden that secret from anybody, we have always come out and said that we need to win and we need to try to get as much revenue into the club as we can. This is one way that if you win the game you make a little bit more money, so it will be something we will be trying our hardest to progress into.

Then make sure that the club's funds are getting lifted with everything we do. We have never hidden that secret from anybody and this FA Cup will be no different from the Johnstone's Paint or the league in trying to maintain that side of the club.