Greg Abbott On The Blackpool Defeat

Last updated : 29 July 2009 By Thetashkentterror

Blues boss Greg Abbott
United boss Greg Abbott spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's James Phillips after Carlisle's 3-1 pre-season friendly defeat at home to Blackpool, Abbott first giving his answer to a text message from a listener about Michael Bridges :


" We spoke to Michael about something a while ago and he decided that it wasn't what he wanted to do and he is having a look elsewhere at the moment. So that is the last that I have heard from Michael, he has turned us down and he has gone looking at other things. You would have to speak to Michael about what he wants to do.

" I thought that in a lot of the areas of the game tonight there wasn't a great deal in it. We probably played as well as them in terms of passing the ball. There were a lot of times that we did get the ball in the box but again, maybe that clinical final thing is just missing at the moment, but we don't want to be talking about it for too long.

" Again we have given away soft goals but we did compete with them to be honest with you. We have just got to maybe be a little bit tougher, we have got to be tougher. We are playing good opposition at the minute though, playing good sides, strong sides. Again they (Blackpool) are physically very, very decent and they are a very hard working side.

" We have battled away with them and competed toe to toe for most of the game and got the ball into attacking areas as well as them but we have not been able to finish it off. What we have got to do is to just keep doing what we did. I thought that we started off really brightly to be fair and then we concede a bit of a soft goal, then we are finding life difficult over 15 to 20 minutes. "



" I thought that in the second-half, again it is a weak goal, he (Jason Euell) has gone in again unopposed really. We have got to be making better tackles and better efforts to stop that than we did. Then obviously they sit back and sit off the play a little bit, we get the ball into good areas but we can't find that quality around the top end of the field at the moment.

" We aren't going to come up against quality like against Middlesbrough, I thought their second goal in that game was a really good run. I thought that it was too easy for the lad (Euell) tonight but we don't want to be conceding too many soft goals do we.

" We have got our own set-play routines, it is an area that we do spend time on. It is an area that we will continue to do so. What I am maybe a little bit disappointed about is the numerous crosses that we get in, we didn't really find that quality ball in. Everyone will say that it is the strikers' fault but they need a supply and sometimes the balls in tonight weren't of the quality that they need.

" Everybody at the minute - it is the topical thing to do is to point the finger at the strikers. They do need that service though and if they are missing chances then we can be critical, but to be fair they do need good service and better quality in from the areas. I think it is that quality, that pass, that little bit of cleverness, better service. They weren't many really badly missed chances. "



" Again though some of the bits and pieces in the second-half when the ball goes into the box, you are looking for someone to jump on them, a poacher type to jump onto the second ball and knock it away. You have to make those things happen though, you have to keep working at it, you have to keep going in those areas and you have to put good quality in. Goals don't come easy do they, that is why they are paid a lot of money are these players.

" We are finding it difficult to get the right striker out of clubs. Everybody is reluctant, we spoke to one club and asked if we could have one and they said that they had only got five, you think that they have got five strikers and they won't let one out on loan. Everybody keeps hold of them, the Premier League clubs want six, the Championship teams want five, our league they want a minimum of four.

" It is hard to prise one out of the quality that we are looking for. We are keeping trying though, I can assure everybody of that, we are trying all the time and we will continue to do so until we make that happen. We have got a number of enquiries in but I think that tonight has been probably the clearest indication that we need to do something before the start of the season. Again though, I don't want to bring one in that isn't better than we have got and we use up the funds that we have got.

" The Danny Graham situation hasn't helped us to be fair with us not knowing where we go with that and the amount of funds that we might get available for that. We are trying though and we are looking at possibly a loan to buy us some time, but we want to bring in a permanent signing, somebody that can come and excite the fans and score us some goals, but at the minute we are finding that very difficult. "



" Our defenders have had some quality against them, Middlesbrough are a Premier League side and on paper they still are a Premier League side. They have got some real good quality, I don't like conceding any sort of goals and we would hope that Brentford don't possess the same threats as the sides that we have come up against do now.

" We will always work on the defending though, there is work at both ends of the field. You can never be comfortable and we said last season that we didn't get enough clean sheets and that is something that we would love to get at Bradford, get a couple of goals and get a clean sheet just to give everybody confidence at both ends of the field.

" The real stuff starts next week, people have fantastic pre-seasons and struggle, some people have terrible pre-seasons and don't struggle. We have had now adding it all up together, probably an average pre-season so we are not in a good or bad shape at the minute. The real stuff comes and the real thing unfolds next week though when we start against Brentford.

" There will be a few of the first-team lads that are going to play against Guiseley because it is still pre-season time and we still need people to get pitch time. The main thing at the minute is to get everybody fully fit and steered clear of injuries. We can only play eleven players at any one time so not everybody had the full 90 minutes, so there will be a few more going to top up tomorrow night. Then we will have a look at it all on Friday and pick a team for Saturday and then we are into the week leading up to the first game, and hopefully we have got our team sorted out by then. "