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 picking up an award at the North West Football Writer's awards dinner, in recognition of the club's Johnstone's Paint Trophy success :
GA
It was really good, the evening was lovely, they looked after Kav (Graham Kavanagh) and myself, and it is recognition for the club and it was nice, we had a lovely evening and spoke to some really good people. Football is a great leveller, we all talked about our own problems and things that we are happy with and things we are not so happy with.
It was just a really good occasion and the good thing was that everybody was treated as equals. There was Ian Chandler there from Whitley Bay and there was Roberto (Mancini) from Manchester City and there didn't seem to be a difference in class, everybody made everybody feel ever so welcome, and I think that is a really good side of football, and that was the really most pleasureable part of the night for me.
JP
I know that you have developed good relationships with the big boys in the region, did you manage to have a quick chat with them about a couple more players perhaps while you were there?
GA
Yeah, we asked (Carlos) Tevez and (Joleon) Lescott and (James) Milner and I didn't realise but I have just learnt what go away is in Italian, so that was interesting. No, the evening I think has been invaluable to talk to these people and players, they see you and find out what you are like as an individual and tend to get a bit more trusting on whether to send people to you and that. So, that was probably the key of the evening was that Kav and myself mixed with everybody, and if we do get the chance to get any new players then they know first-hand what type of people they are dealing with, which is excellent.
JP
You spoke at the weekend about you had not seen a great deal of Jeremy Helan in terms of him perhaps going straight into the team, you have had a bit more time to have a look at him now, how is he looking? How is he fitting in and settling with the team?
GA
Yeah, he will take time, he is young player and he is a foreign player as well in a different country, I know he has been here a while but it is always different and difficult and he probably won't have much idea of the level and League One. But, he has come in, he is a lovely lad by the way, that is a key, that will give him a big advantage, he has mixed in with the boys tremendously well, he doesn't want to go back to Manchester, wants to stay in the area and he just wants to train and make himself better and enjoy the development. He has had a really good week with us so he is further forward now than he was last week, so that is really encouraging.
JP
Another player in your team who is performing very well at the moment, Lee Miller, you can't keep him out of the headlines at the moment or indeed this press conference just coming in behind us now. How important has he been having him in and around the team?
GA
Erm, well I think you have seen, I think you have all seen for yourselves what impact he can have, he gets us high up the pitch, the ball goes in and he occupies the two centre-halves, the ball gets into him and he enables us to keep possession and get our midfield players up the pitch. He is an important player because we think he is a good player and I think he is enjoying himself and he has got like a new enthusiasm for the game you know having spent such a long time at Middlesbrough being in and out of the team.
JP
Rory Loy is another striker who is playing awfully well for you at the moment, I know he is due a goal but you kind of feel he is bringing plenty to the team as well as just goals at the moment, he is looking in the best form we have seen?
GA
I think he brought more than plenty to the team on Saturday, I think if you had added a goal to his game and he was so unlucky, I mean it was not down to bad finishing, it was good goalkeeping and what have you. But, his performance, that is probably the best he has played since he has been down in England.
I know he scored his goal at Charlton funnily enough last season but I thought on Saturday he is doing things a lot more naturally now and his fear has gone out of his game. He is a lot more confident and a lot more fearless than he was and I think we have tried to get that into him, to say that you are developing nicely, you are doing all the right things and don't heap too much pressure on yourself.
I think it helps with big Lee, obviously with the Scottish thing as well, the connection there is a key as well, he has taken him under his wing and he is helping him, and he has been through the mill as well himself has Lee. So, I think Rory is benefitting from that but the encouragement he gets from the staff and he always has got from the staff I think is helping him as well, and we are seeing him really develop into a nice asset for the team.
JP
Some really bad news this week for Frank Simek, what a blow for him?
GA
Yeah, we have got to be careful with Frank and maybe I now need to start pulling rank a bit with Frank to tell him to not fight nature, which is what he is trying to do, which is a testimony to the lad and a testimony to the way the club is that people want to play and they want to get fit. But, you can't rush certain types of injuries and in doing that he has given himself a bit of a calf problem. So, we are going to have to say to him, listen, it will be right when it is right, and we will crack on without him as long as we have to do until he is properly fit to come out and stay out because he is an important part of this club.
JP
And Lubo Michalik, obviously we know he picked up his cut to the knee ahead of the weekend away with Slovakia, are we hopeful he will be involved this time out?
GA
Er, Lubo is just about.................. He has had a little bit of a setback today, it has opened a little bit, the wound has opened a little bit, so we will have to see how that is tomorrow but at the moment he is again wants to be out with us and wants to be out playing and wants to be part of the team again.
JP
And just finally, any other thoughts on the loan market at the moment, any other intentions to go into there or are you OK as things stand?
GA
Well, I said no last week and we signed Jeremy Helan the next day, so I am going to say no this week and we might bring somebody else in tomorrow, so it is a no.
JP
So, can we expect anyone?
GA
Well, we talked to (Roberto) Mancini about Tevez last week so don't be surprised, but if Sam Allardyce thinks he has got a chance then so do we. No, there will be nothing I don't think, well there won't be anything happening tomorrow, we have got good numbers at the moment and we will leave it at that until we need to revisit.