United boss Greg Abbott (GA) spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's James Phillips (JP) at Thursday lunchtime's press conference for the local media, Abbott in the first part of a lengthy interview initially talking about the latest transfer work going on at Brunton Park :
GA
There is a lot of tooing and froing, there are a lot of phone calls being made, there are a lot of enquiries being made, a lot of names thrown at us, there are a lot of names we are throwing at agents to find out availability. There have been four or five meetings to be fair that we have had, so it is an ongoing busy period to be honest with you. There is a lot of stuff has been going on, I am actually sitting here and I am quite happy with things really, although there is only the one signing in I would be hopeful that we could do at least one more before we come back pre-season, and left the door open then for one or two others.
We are waiting behind a lot of other teams to do their work, there are a couple of players that we have enquired for that have got a lot of Championship interest and a lot of interest at the top end of League One. We fall behind them, unfortunately we fall behind them so we don't want to make all our signings now and run the risk on losing out on those players as well. They might end up choosing the Championship if they go through or they might end up choosing the top of League One because finance is higher. But, we have got to make sure that if they don't we can maybe throw our hat into the ring as well.
JP
Is looking at that sort of player who is attracting attention from that sort of level, is that a sign of your ambition or is that similar to what you will be looking at season on season?
GA
I just try to get the best possible players I can within the financial structure of the club to make us better. You start off with your number one target and we don't always get that one because Championship teams might want them or big, big payers in our league might get them. But, we have to have a number one target and until I have been told no to that one then we don't want to push all the others through that we have got on the lists, and then that target become available. If somebody says to me it is a definite no then I move on to the next one, and that is the way I have done it for the past three seasons.
JP
One name who has been thrown out there from the Swindon end is Jon-Paul McGovern, can you tell us anything about that one?
GA
Yeah, I mean there have been a lot of names thrown about over the last couple of weeks and I think part of the summer and part of the fun for the fans is the rumours and all the speculation. So, I think we just leave it with everybody enjoying themselves and throwing the names around, and somewhere along the line somebody might get one right. But, I don't want to stop the fans enjoying themselves, I think it is quite entertaining and it is part of their pre-season schedule that they try to work out who is coming in, so I think we will leave them to enjoy their fun.
JP
Helping with their enjoyment then, is he a player who would interest you if he were available?
GA
I have got a book of players that interest me and there are about 300 names on it now, rather than the 100 that were on it last year. So, lots of players interest me but I think until we have done something we just keep working away and do the best we can to try to get the type of players that we want at the club to make us a bit better.
JP
One of the issues that has been of this summer and also of a previous one as well was the Danny Graham saga, now that that is resolved, at least he has definitely moved, the money is coming in in the instalments that it is, has any of that filtered through to you yet? Are the board saying that there is a bit more because of that or are they just saying go and look at the players and we will do what we can for you?
GA
No, I have had a conversation with John (Nixon) about that situation, there is not going to be a lump sum involved right now so John has made me aware of what he considers the best way to use the money and to be fair I tend to agree with what he is saying. It is something that we kept within house because I don't want to give any hand away to any other clubs, but there is certainly not a lump sum right now.
I haven't actually seen John just yet because he has been away with the Football League meeting in Cyprus, he is not due back until tonight, to tie down one or two things. But, I don't think John even knows the way the deal is structured yet, so until we know that then what he is saying is probably relevant anyway. But, once he finds out what the deal is in terms of structure then we can structure how we might, or how I might get hold of part of the money, but not all of it.
JP
That is something that fans have been talking about actually, perhaps more savvy than they used to be on the fact that deals like that aren't three and a half million quid upfront in your pocket, go out and spend it to the respective clubs. They are saying if it is in instalments from Watford, can Carlisle work in off the back of those instalments in their own way, is that something that football clubs can do or do you have to wait until you have got the money in your pocket?
GA
Erm, no I think if you are guaranteed the money and you know when it is going to come in you can start then to structure a transfer, and we may be able to structure a transfer similar. The problem you have got is if a player that we are interested in is in demand and there are three or four clubs in for him, and say for instance he is a £100,000 transfer and they want all the money upfront and there are four prepared to do it, that is what you have to do. That then might not be as easy for us as it might be for the bigger clubs and the Championship clubs. So, we need to see how that deal is structured first and then we may be able to work off the back of that and structure a deal to suit. But, I certainly wouldn't rule out the possibility of us doing a deal like that.
JP
With this waiting game that you have got then on waiting on which transfers that you want, is that exciting, frustrating or what? What period is that like for a manager for your top targets?
GA
I think it is like the fans, it is exciting, I have got my top targets, I think it is well known now that the fans have got their top targets as well. I think it is all fun, for me I can't enjoy the fun because I have got to get a team together that is going to do better than it did, or perform as admirably at times as it did last year. The key to what I am doing is to try to get a better group of players together, so it doesn't become fun, it is part of the industry, it is work, it is serious work. What have I got to try to do is make sure I have got a good squad in for the start of the season, like I have said a lot of times before, it is not easy, but I think it is fun for the fans because they are speculating and they are sort of picking and choosing and wondering who they would like to bring in the club.
JP
Speaking of players who are in the club, particularly Peter Murphy, are we any further along with sorting out his contract and his foreseeable future here?
GA
Well, I would hope that Peter would at least commit to a one-year deal, he has been offered that, he has been offered a two year one but maybe that didn't suit him. I have not really spoken to him to be honest, he has been away on his holiday, he is away at the moment I think, so until I hear from Peter.......... We are back in obviously next week, I can't really answer the question because he is enjoying his break and probably having to take his time to think about what he wants to do.
JP
Is that usual or might you have expected this to be resolved by now?
GA
He has done it before, so probably in Peter's case it is what he does. He is a pretty uncomplicated man, he takes his time to think things over and out of respect to him he thinks it over and then he gives me his answer. But, I would be hopeful that he would come and want to play for us at least for one more year. He likes the club, he likes the area, but again, these are questions maybe you need to ask Peter. Because, he has got that prerogative to hang on and weigh up all his options, but I am pretty confident that he will come to us and he will continue the good work he did at the end of last season.