United boss Greg Abbott (GA) spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's Paul Newton (PN) at Friday's press conference for the local media, Abbott first talking about the Blues having a trio of absentees against Brentford :
PN
Without three of your key squad players tomorrow, Paul Thirlwell and Andy Welsh through injury and Lubo Michalik who is on international duty, clearly three players you are going to miss?
GA
We have disappointment through the squad from people that aren't playing, give me some answers, go and prove that you are the right people to play. I have got no problem with that, I think we have got a good squad, I think that the players that are going to come in there is no way that they will let us down. I think there is a determination through the group now, everybody is collective, everybody is together, we have worked hard at being a group, and saying that is not about an eleven, it is about being a twenty. Tomorrow will be a significant look to see if that is the case, and if it is working and everybody is of a quality.
PN
What is the latest assessment of Paul Thirlwell's injury?
GA
Erm, again, no time limits, but he is not going to play this week and I think he will probably be doubtful for next, but after that we are hopeful.
PN
And Andy Welsh, approximately six weeks was the initial diagnosis, is there any change to that?
GA
No, that is not like an impact injury, it is a muscle injury so if they are saying six weeks then generally they are not far away.
PN
With regard to the rest of the squad, how is everybody looking today?
GA
Er, too good at the minute, you always worry when they are absolutely as good as they are doing at the moment. But, I can't complain too much, I would be worried if they were sluggish or not right, but there is good morale through the club and hopefully everybody can buy into that and we can nick another result and move ourselves where we want to be.
PN
And you got Lee Miller successfully through his comeback game last week, he is OK? He has show no ill effects of that?
GA
We have had to manage him a bit this week, the big man has got a body that is going to carry stiffness with the size of him, but I think he has been a big example and a big plus for the group. Because, they like Lee, he is popular in the dressing room, he has not wanted to miss any training this week and we are hoping his influence in terms of the way he is and the way he enjoys his work rubs off on others.
PN
You had a trial game behind closed doors this week, what can you tell us about that?
GA
That is what it was, a trial game behind closed doors, it was good to give players pitch time that haven't been getting as much as others.
PN
You had some trialists involved?
GA
Yeah, we are going to use these games, if we do the behind closed door games rather than full reserve team games then the red tape disappears, so we can play players and have a look at various different things.
PN
Obviously the name Mark Fotheringham has been mentioned, any decision taken on the players?
GA
No, we were just doing him a favour and his agent a favour and that is as far as it is at the moment.
PN
I have got to ask you about Steven Swinglehurst as well, he got a goal for Kendal on Tuesday night, how closely will you be following his progress?
GA
Well, we have watched two of the games already and we have spoken to Lee (Ashcroft) twice and he is getting regular football, so that is where we are with Steven. He needs it, he knows he was finding life a bit tough in terms of the level here so he is getting his football, he is enjoying it, he has come back and he is enjoying being back with us, he trains with us during the week so we keep an eye on him during the week, he is getting his football at the weekend so it is perfect for him.
PN
Where do you see his true position?
GA
That will find out, that is what the games are for, probably centre-half, he is probably not pacey enough and quick enough around his feet to be at left-back. The problem we have got here is we have got Murph (Peter Murphy) and Stephen O'Halloran ahead of him, so that is the reason to him going out and getting his games, but I think probably long-term he will be a centre-half.
PN
And just onto other players perhaps in a similar situation to Steven on the fringes of the first team, Ben Mckenna, would he benefit perhaps from a spell out on loan at the moment?
GA
He would if he didn't have a thigh strain.
PN
When fit would Ben perhaps benefit from a month of first team experience elsewhere?
GA
Probably, but like I said, at the minute we are low on numbers ourself, but the key is doing the best for everybody and making sure that your first team squad has got depth to it. At the minute there is not a great deal of depth to it but with Steven and four centre-halves it is an obvious and sensible thing to do. At the moment we haven't got many wide players so with Ben you would think that unless we got somebody else in it would be wise to keep him with us.
PN
Thoughts on tomorrow's game against Brentford?
GA
They have spent a lot of money, they have had a real financial boost in the summer, I don't know where the money has come from but they have had a real boost financially. We were looking at Clayton (Donaldson) and some of the figures that were thrown around for him were miles, miles ahead of where we need and could ever be.
So, they have brought in good players, (Niall) McGinn is a good player, Johhny Douglas has got loads of experience, Clayton is a good one. They have brought in (David) Clarkson who is a good player from Bristol City. So, they have got some quality right through the team, so it will be a tough one for us and I expect them to be challenging around the right end of the division come the end of the season, so a good benchmark for us.
PN
And we have spoken in the past and you have spoken about how important it is to get the home form right?
GA
Yeah, I mean we are showing signs of that, we were really dogged and determined in our last game, got a result. We are putting together a little run at the moment where I think it is one defeat in four, so we want to tickle away at that and improve that and put a run together that might just in this league at the minute with it being so tight, might just see us go into the right areas of the division, which is what we are after doing. But, there is certainly going to be a determined performance, again this week the training has been absolutely spot on, so we go into it with good heart and spirit. Fought really hard for a point last week and the week before so we have got something to go for as well at the moment.
PN
We were talking in the room just before the interview started about the way people sometimes perceive starts to the season, and given the fact you are only three points behind somebody like Sheffield Wednesday where the perception is they have had a great start to the season, it shows that you are on the right lines?
GA
It is a long time since somebody has put it like that, I mean, yeah of course it is, and it doesn't matter how you get your 80 points, if you are going to get your 80 points for promotion, they will all come together in bits and pieces, you will have good and indifferent parts of the season. We had an absolutely phenomenal start if you take the Notts County game out, I think six unbeaten, and then we lost the four on the trot which people got a bit excited about.
Now we are putting a bit of more calmer run if you like together and things are settling down. You look at the table thinking that we are in tenth, we are three points behind some of the really big boys, I think we are three points behind third, you look at that and think that is a good start. But, we have to monopolise on that and maintain that by continually getting results and tomorrow is a big one for us to do, we would go ahead of Brentford if we win tomorrow and possibly into the top six. So, there is your encouragement for winning the game, if they need it.
PN
And what it does show perhaps with the exception of Charlton at the moment, it is a very open division, there is not a great deal between the sides is there?
GA
Well we said that, we did say that, and this is the key to the run we are talking about, if we can put that run together then we might steal a march. But, I think the league is going to be tight, it is going to be exciting, there are going to be lots of twists and turns, I think there will be maybe 12 or 14 teams battling for that top six, even more, because even at the moment little runs from teams below us propels them right up the league. So, it is important we try to keep this little mini-run we have got going unbeaten and creep up the league.