Greg Abbott On The Leicester Draw

Last updated : 05 April 2009 By Thetashkentterror

Blues boss Greg Abbott
United manager Greg Abbott spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's Derek Lacey after Carlisle's 2-2 draw at Leicester, Abbott pleased with the collective effort from playing and coaching staff alike in the build-up to and during the game :


" I think that I have put a shift in today. I think that we have all put a shift in, the backroom staff, myself included, and Dennis (Booth) and Timmsy (Dave Timmins), and all the players and Dolly (Neil Dalton), everybody together. We talked about forgetting the individuals thing now, it is all about collectively what we do as a team, as a group.

" We have had a performance there from top to bottom, from the people that run the club that came down with us last night, to myself through to the players and everybody for me has contributed to what is a fantastic point. It gives us impetus, it gives us that encouragement and that belief that we are not a bad side. We have matched Leicester in both games haven't we, home and away, we were unlucky at home and today we have matched them all the way for me, and deservedly got something out of the game.

" We talked about being compact, getting people behind the ball in good areas. We had a free-kick where we whip it in with pace and it has got to go out of play, the worst case scenario is that it goes out of play. It doesn't, the keeper (Tony Warner) catches it, he spins it down the field and we end up 2-1 down looking like we are going to lose the game.

" For their first goal Cleve (Cleveland Taylor) has got the ball and he has got his cross in but it gets cleared and then we are a little bit bare-faced. They have gone up and scored on two breakaways really and when you consider the amount of times that they have put the ball into our box, you think that it is a bit of a travesty that we have conceded goals like that. "



" I am not going to talk too much about negatives in the game today though because there were too many positives that far and away outweighed those two. We have got a point and it has got to give us belief. If anybody thinks that this team hasn't got spirit and determination and is a sinking ship then they need to look at what we have done today and look at the determination from within the football club, and that is top to bottom.

" I am drained, I am absolutely drained, there is a lot of pressure on us, people ask if there is pressure, of course there is pressure. That is the first time that I have jumped up and down and nearly did a backward flip when we scored, and I was on my knees when they scored their goal to take us 2-1 down. You are talking about emotions, you are talking about passion and I tend to wear my heart on my sleeve a little bit.

" Today it is all about the players though, an absolutely fantastic effort and if we do that in the next five games then there isn't going to be a problem, but we have got to do that. We haven't done it throughout this season and that is the dressing-room message there, boys don't get carried away with that. We have done wonderfully well, it has set us up nicely to give us that belief to know that we can get points that we need to make sure that we stay in this division and make sure that we build on what we have done. That is the key today.

" Where do we find all these away fans? Why do they keep coming? Where do they get their money from? The thing is that at Southend we were apologising to them, today I am hoping that they will say that it was money well spent and that they have enjoyed their afternoon. It is wonderful stadium, it is a wonderful team, it is a club that is run right, it is at the top of the league.

" Our supporters came and enjoyed all the day out and they have seen their team perform with absolute maximum effort and determination though, and we go home with a deserved point. To them, very well done, I think that they are the best supporters in the league in terms of the way that they travel away with the geography of where Carlisle is. Absolutely outstanding, we said that we wanted them clapping at the end and we have got them clapping at the end, and well played to them as well. "



" I am not going to talk too much about negatives, we know that our home form needs to improve. What we have got to try to do is transfer this performance, I thought the fans have been terrific, even at home. There were the grumblings against Hereford when we think that we had enough chances to win three or four games, but I think that they are seeing a determination and I think that they are seeing the importance of the situation.

" I think that now is the time that they just want to get behind us, they want to see a performance and a victory. I think that next week, this will carry right the way through the week and they will turn up in their numbers yet again and they are going to get a performance. Let me tell you, they are going to get a performance and they are going to get another passionate determined affair from these players who have shown what they can do today.

" What do you expect at the moment with the injuries, it is an absolute nightmare. We were just having a nice session at Derby's training ground, the facilities are fantastic, it is a Premier League club, the pitches are beautiful. Then within two minutes of us starting training Lewis (Neal) turns his ankle and can't play, it is a definite straight away, he is out. So we have to rethink our team and rethink our shape and stuff.

" I just think that it is credit to the players that we are not going to make excuses, I have not made excuses all season, and that is another one that we could have used to say look at what we are doing without him, him, him and him. It is not about that though, we had eleven players on the pitch the same as them and we were as good as them today, and we deserved that point.

" He (Nigel Pearson) has got hellishly long arms to get his arms around me at the moment. He is an old friend of mine, he asked how I was doing and said that it was a great game. This is during the game, he said that I had got pressure at one end and that he had pressure at the other, so we should just enjoy it, and we did do. "



" I think that is football at its most enjoyable, even though it is at its most critical and most important bit. He has probably not enjoyed the result, I think that we have got to say that we are enjoying the result because it was one that we didn't expect to get, or one that many people didn't expect us to get I have to say.

" Who knows what was wrong with Evan Horwood? I looked at him, went to shake his hand and ask him if he was alright and he said no, and that was all that I got out of him. So I don't know what is the matter with him but I think that it is round his neck area. So we have to have a look at Ev but let's be fingers crossed, we can't lose any more, certainly defenders, we can't lose anybody else. We are praying that he will be OK and that it is a bit of stiffness round the joint and that he will be OK.

" He (Michael Bridges) has been struggling as it happens with his hip and back. He has been stretching off yesterday and all today, he didn't complete the warm-up if you didn't notice and with about ten minutes to go he was really starting to struggle with his hips and that. So we have got to get him through, we need him to the end of the season.

" The same with Joe Anyinsah, his hamstrings have really tightened up so we just need all the players that we can and we can't take risks. To be fair Dobes (Scott Dobie) has come on for Bridgey and he has got his goal. We have to protect our players, we are down to bare bones and Michael has had problems and we want him on the pitch. You see him for his first goal, it was a terrific goal, absolutely fantastically well taken and he has contributed to the game throughout again.

" I think that it is a collective thing though, I don't really want to talk about individuals at the minute. We said too many times before the game, we talked about individuals doing this and doing my job, let's talk about collectively and we were collective today. You have seen that with the amount of times that we put bodies on the line and made blocks and people running for each other and tackling for each other, terrific. I think that with determination like that everybody knows that we are up there fighting like mad. "