Greg Abbott - Radio Cumbria Interview Part One

Last updated : 16 September 2009 By Thetashkentterror

Blues boss Greg Abbott
United boss Greg Abbott (GA) spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's Paul Newton (PN) at Tuesday morning's open press conference for the local media, Abbott in the first part of the interview looking back on the 2-0 home defeat to Brighton at the weekend :



PN

Firstly you have had a few days now to think back on the Brighton defeat, where in your opinion do you think that the game was lost in the end?

GA

I think my opinion is still the same, I think we have played some decent football in the game. I think we have had enough of the ball in the game to get something out of it. Our week is, as a manager I take responsibility for our play at both ends of the field and that is the attacking side of it and the defending side of it. So we worked Monday on that and then again we worked today on it, and to be honest the response of the players has been brilliant.

They are a good group to work with, I have worked on the back four and we have worked on throwing the ball into them in all types of situations. Then Kav (Graham Kavanagh) has worked on the play at the other end and that is yesterday and today, and then we finished with some finishing for the strikers. So they are all understanding of the need to improve at both ends. They are very receptive to what we do and that is good, you have always got a chance when you have got players like that.

PN

I guess it is a timely reminder that you can never be too complacent in this game.

GA

Well I wouldn't label that at me ever, or the players. We don't want to tie the result into complacency I don't think, it is just that we need to be clinical I think is more of the key and tough, clinical at one end and tough at the other end. Make sure we don't concede these cheap goals and that when we have our spells of play, that we are a little bit more clinical and find that cutting edge in the final third.

PN

Inevitably people will be talking about the home form, three defeats in four so far, why do you think that is happening and what can be done to change it?

GA

Well I think for the first time a side has come here and shown us the utmost respect. Brentford came here on a high from last year, I thought that Exeter we were very unfortunate not to win the game. But I thought Brighton came with a gameplan and worked it very, very well. They got their early goal which gave them something to hang onto.

They banked up two banks of four and we couldn't find the pass or the quality to break them down, so you have got to give them a bit of credit for that. But I think it was the amount of respect they showed for us that made life difficult for us in that instance. But we have to find a way of dealing with that and that is what we have been doing today and yesterday.




PN

Much of the talk after the game was about Nicky Forster and his two goals ultimately won the game for Brighton, and the fact that might be the kind of player that your squad doesn't have at the moment, would you agree with that?

GA

Well we have not got one with 200 and odd league goals, and we have not got one that wins you games when he is very quiet and basically all he does is score goals. We haven't got that type of player really at the moment but they are fortunate to have him and that is the way it is. Those sort of players are at a premium, generally you get them at the age that he is, 35 or 36.

Is it the way we want to go forward? I wish we could have one at 25 or 26 that would guarantee you goals like he does. But we believe with the four we have got that there are goals in there and if there is not then we have to do something about that, but the onus is on them to provide that scoring feed.

PN

In terms of that area with the loan window open, is that an area you are looking at or considering at the moment?

GA

It isn't right at the minute, I think that would be very unfair on the four we have got. It was only last week that we were talking about how well all the other lads were doing. Now one defeat or a blank in terms of goals and we are all talking about a loan window, not all of us but you have mentioned the loan window. I think a week is a little bit too soon to start getting too much desperation, I think we have got to give these lads an opportunity.

Richard (Offiong) hasn't played a full game yet, we have got to see where he comes out, he might be the answer. He certainly should have scored on Saturday with his header, he certainly went by the right full-back (Adam Virgo) as if he wasn't there. We have certainly seen enough of him to suggest that he has going to have something to offer this football team.




PN

Are you already envisaging changes for the coming weekend against Oldham?

GA

We had a nice chat yesterday, we have had two terrific training sessions and what I am doing, I will have a look into the players' eyes on Thursday, I will have a look at the work we have done. I will have a look at the opposition, what type of team they have got, what type of players they have. Possibly already know quite a bit about Oldham, I have seen them such a lot of times over the last two years, and then we will pick a team from there.

But I don't make rash decisions, I am a fair manager, I try to give players every opportunity to produce. If I feel it is the time to make a few changes I will do, if I think it is the time to stick with what we have got I will do. But they are decisions that obviously as a manager you are thinking of right from the final whistle on Saturday, right up to the start of the game next Saturday. It is something that I will be thinking about a lot over the next couple of days.

PN

Without wishing to pre-empt your team selection, do you think Richard Offiong is now at a stage where perhaps he deserves a start.

GA

He is in contention, he did enough to suggest on Saturday that he could be a threat. What we have got to work out is whether we bring him in at the expense of somebody else or whether we persevere with what we have got. Like I said, we have to look at responses in training, we have to look at attitudes, we have to look in peoples' eyes and think is it the right time to do it or is it right to keep faith with what we have got.

We have to make those decisions and I never make them much before Thursday, in my own mind I am looking at the whole situation and I will make up my mind on Thursday and Friday and let you all know.