United boss Greg Abbott (GA) spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's Paul Newton (PN) at Thursday's press conference for the local media, Abbott, ahead of Carlisle's FA Cup first round tie at Alfreton tomorrow, first talking about his previous FA Cup experiences :
GA
As a manager really we have had the day out at Everton, that was a memory, I think we are due another FA Cup run, it would be nice. As a player it had the good, the bad and the very, very ugly, but the good was unbelievable, we knocked Tottenham out of the FA Cup and Everton as well, Southampton and Oxford as well when they were flying in the Premiership.
So, I have some good days but Telford away and places like that where I have been beaten, it is not nice, even last year which I thought was probably our worst performance of the season, we got knocked out didn't we at Torquay. So, we are due, hopefully we are due a good one, great for the fans to have a run with it and maybe get one of the big boys. But, there will be a lot of shocks on Saturday and we have got to make sure that we are not one of them.
PN
As you say, as a player you have been in the same position as these Alfreton players will be this weekend, how much will they be looking forward to trying to claim a league scalp?
GA
Probably a lot more than we are because we to the outside world don't win much do we, we are expected probably to get a result, Alfreton aren't, so if we win then we should have won, if we lose then that is a massive scalp to them, and if we draw it is nervy times for a replay. So, it is one of those, we have got to try to do a professional job, go there, try to get a result, perform properly, respect what Alfreton will do.
I know how they will play, I know Nicky very well, I know how his side will shape up and I certainly know that they will have nothing left in the tank from any of the Alfreton players come the 90th minute, they will have given everything and a bit more. I watched the game against Lincoln, it wasn't a great game of football but their determination won them the game on the night for me in my opinion, and I would expect that plus a bit more on Saturday.
PN
They have a reputation as quite a strong, physical side, and they are the kind of sides which have given your teams problems over the recent seasons, how will you accommodate that?
GA
Maybe remind the players of the Stevenage game, and it gets no more physical than Stevenage, that might be a good point that you have just thrown at me there that I need to remind the players that we competed against a really tough side in Stevenage who are similar to the way they play to Alfreton and we coped, and coped very well. It might just be one of those to throw in tomorrow to say that we have done it once, we need to make sure we compete with them at every second ball and every tackle and every pass.
But, when we get the chance to play we need to try to play and keep the ball off them, if they haven't got it then they can't do much with it, which is a common sense statement. But, I think that is the key, we have to compete first and foremost in the game otherwise we will get beaten, there is no question, you have to compete first. But, we haven't had too many problems with that just lately, so hopefully our players will understand that and go and do themselves proud again.
PN
Could a good cup run this season mean perhaps you being able to do a bit more in January in the transfer window?
GA
Yeah, I mean I am relatively happy with the squad but if we are looking to get right up amongst the big ones there is probably room for another player or another two. That type of player to take us right into that area of the table with the types of clubs up there would be expensive and would be assisted by a cup run, that is for sure.
But, that is something for further down the line, we have our lists of players and on that list there are some very expensive players that something in terms of a financial boost would have to happen for us to do that. We have also got our cheaper players that we in the past have been pretty successful at bringing in and doing well for us, so we have that list of players there that covers every area in that.
PN
What about Andy Welsh? How is his recovery coming on?
GA
Slow, Andy is a bit slower, we are not going to see him for another two to three weeks I wouldn't have thought just at the moment. So, it is slow but that is what it is with calves, and you get to 27 or 28 and they take a bit longer and things you can't rush back because they will just ping again. So, he is in Dolly (Neil Dalton's) capable hands at the minute.
PN
And I guess that means you are effectively two men down on that left-hand side because Jeremy Helan has gone back to Manchester City?
GA
Yeah, Jeremy has returned to Manchester. That is something that I think Jez has gone back, his club were keen for him to stay, we were keen to get him some more football, he has got past that wow factor of this is League One and this is the pace of the game and this is the type of opposition you are up against, and he is coming to terms with it. I thought he had his best spell last Saturday at coming on but he I think his agent has informed him there is something else on the horizon.
I have warned him that it needs to happen and needs to be to his benefit, and his club like me wanted him to continue his development with us because they knew where he was and they knew what type of people we are and they were happy with what was going on. But, that is not going to happen now, but one thing is for sure, we wish him well because he has been a terrific lad and his understanding of what is going on and what level he is at and his patience has been very good for a young man of his age, and I have been impressed with his attitude, I really have.
PN
And just finally back onto Saturday's game, I guess the focus for you as manager is to make sure that it is not your team's name on the front pages or the back pages of the Sunday newspapers?
GA
Yeah, I think if we can keep out of the headlines on Sunday then we have done alright haven't we, it means we've gone away pretty much unscathed, and that I think for sure, and being in the hat for the next round is important. So, it is a nervy one at the weekend but no game is easier than any other, it is one we hope to get a result, but I know all about Alfreton and the manager (Nicky Law) and what we ought to expect, and I have told the players what to expect also.