Greg Abbott On The Norwich Win

Blues boss Greg Abbott

GA

No, it is a terrific performance, especially second-half. We went to task with them at half-time again because we felt like we were just waiting to get beat. We felt like we had stepped off, we had a good start to the game, we got a goal up and then we felt that we stepped off the plate a little bit and allowed Norwich into the game. I said that if we are going to go down then we are going to go down with bravery and honesty.

We came out in the second-half and we showed a lot of belief, we chased every ball, we made every tackle. We won everything up the top end of the field and we caused Norwich a whole host of problems. The second-half performance was a truly terrific effort born out of sheer honesty and determination with the quality added to it.

But I said to the boys that if we get the honesty and we get the determination then your quality will come through, there is no question on that. I am sitting here a really happy chappy because we have had some tough times in the past.

But I honestly think that we are getting there and that continues a terrific run of games over eight or nine matches now. We have got to keep this going and that is what the people want and hopefully we can keep delivering.

JP

What a week it has been for you as well since the Swindon game and what a reaction from your players, in five days seven goals scored.

GA

Well I said that if we doubt ourselves then everybody else will doubt us, but we don't doubt ourselves. I am filling them with as much confidence and as much optimism as I can and we are unbelievably tight together. They respect me, I respect them, we work so hard together, sometimes they don't always hear what they want to hear, sometimes I don't always see what I want to see.

But over the longer period we are hoping that we get more performances like this. But we are starting to beat some big teams, and take the Swindon thing out of it, and I don't want to bring that up too many times because it is a real downer for me that performance. But the performances before and after it now are really starting to show that we are a side and we have got a chance.

JP

Peter Murphy playing in a sort of holding midfield role for you, how did you feel that worked out?

GA

Can I just tell you, we had so many square pegs in round holes today, and do you know what, every single player has been absolutely outstanding. If you look at our bench, the whole of our bench didn't add up wages wise to £1,000 a week. That is what we are dealing and that is what we are up against, we are on our knees injuries-wise, especially with injuries in the midfield area of the pitch.

But every single player has put a shift and a half in and we are boxing above our weight again. We need to keep doing that and keep improving people and get that belief going. But the club is together, the club is united and the performance you have seen there is one out of that.

JP

Clearly Peter Murphy playing in that role though is something borne out of all of the injuries and suspensions that you have got in that area. But it is something the fans have toyed about for years, Peter Murphy playing in there, and he did a good job.

GA

Yeah, listen, me and Dennis (Booth) talked about it, what Peter is, he is a fantastic professional and reliable. What he has done there is give us a thoroughly professional reliable performance and one that doesn't shock and surprise me. Sometimes we can think about using that at difficult places, tonight tactically in the second-half they never got into our half.

Adam Collin has not had a save to make, I think one save that he has made looked special but I don't think he has had too much to do in the whole of the game. That is testament to the way we have set up and the amount of effort that that the boys have put in.

Peter sitting in there alongside Kav (Graham Kavanagh), who to be fair, let's give him a bit of credit as well. The amount of games he is playing and the amount of effort he is putting into the thing. And Kevan Hurst has come on with his performance late in the game as well so terrific is what I am trying to say in a roundabout way.

JP

92^nd minute was when that first save was that Adam Collin actually had to make, he couldn't do anything with the goal really, the equaliser on 26 from Grant Holt. But 92^nd minute, how pleasing was it that they were limited to, just a couple as well, of long range shots and that was about all they came to.

GA

No disrespect to Norwich, tonight I thought we were going to win the game, when we went 2-1 up I actually felt like we were going to win the game. At MK Dons, and I will tell you something now, at MK Dons when we were 3-0 up I said to Dolly (Neil Dalton) that we are going to need another.

It was just one of those nights where you thought there were going to be more goals, I said we are going to need another and we did need another. We needed one more to win 4-3, which was fantastic because it was a terrific result in the league and that is where we need the results.

But tonight I just thought things were going to go our way and our appetite and our enthusiasm and our energy was first class. We have to play like that every week, and some of the fans, and I will mention them and I hope they are listening. They were a little bit critical from the Paddock last week against Swindon, make sure they heard to say that is what they want, passion and determination, that is all they are after.

I have said it time and time again, I want the team to represent what I am all about and that was passion and determination. The quality will come after that but it was nice to hear a couple of the people, and there was one person in particular, he knows who it is, but we have had a peace offering tonight and apparently he is going to buy me a pint.

JP

I am sure a few people will buy you a pint tonight, I want to talk about Vincent Pericard and then the cup itself. Vincent Pericard though, some goal tonight and an assist as well in the Hurst goal, man of the match performance, he just was unplayable at times.

GA

I just thought he was very ordinary and I don't think there will be any other clubs looking at him. I think he has got a lot to do and a lot to improve on so we will leave it at that shall we.

JP

That is what you are saying because you know that people will be looking at him and his contract is coming up.

GA

We like Vincent don't we, I have said it from day one, we like him. Impressive tonight the big fella and he is enjoying himself.

JP

You have got to talk us through that goal though.

GA

That is luck, he can't do that, I have seen him in training, he just can't do it. He will tell you he has meant it and it is skill and all that, and that has come from his days when he was at Juventus and all that sort of nonsense. That was out and out luck, he has just stuck a leg out there and he has flicked it over the keeper's head. I wouldn't say to any other clubs that are looking at him that he can do that regularly because he can't, I have seen him in training.

JP

I can see where you are going with this because I know his contract is coming up, we will talk about that at a later date because you said he will leave it until December before he really wants to talk about that. You have got the draw coming up tomorrow, we are going to have it hopefully live on BBC Radio Cumbria, will you join us for a bit of reaction to who you draw, and who would you like to draw now?

GA

Well the answer to that is no, I won't join you for any reaction. My Dad is 70 tomorrow and he doesn't realise that there is a surprise party but I will join you for a bit of reaction, even if I have to break off from celebrating my Dad's 70^th birthday.

We want Manchester United at home, a draw, and then beat them away. I think that is the perfect one because we are better away from home aren't we so that would be nice to just hold them to a draw here and then beat them away from home.

JP

And about you, you are talking about people wanting to buy you a pint. The board of directors will be quite happy to buy you a few things after that. This round itself made them the best part of £100,000 and you could draw a stellar team in the next round, and it could make a lot of hundreds of thousands.

GA

All we talk about in the dressing-room is winning brings in good things, losing gets you nowhere. Winning brings in all the bonuses that go with it and if the club has made a few quid then fantastic. My priority is getting the thing right on the pitch, I am trying my hardest to do that along with Dennis and Kav and Dolly and the rest of the staff.

But the priority for me is winning the games, the bonuses will always come with winning football matches. Every thing is better when you are winning and if the club benefits that is a double-edged sword, that is absolutely fantastic news for them.

JP

And just finally, on the situation with injuries, are we expecting anyone back for the game on Tuesday?

GA

Well we have got Tom (Taiwo) back from suspension haven't we and we think Adam (Clayton) is going to be OK. We have got a little bit more in terms of bodies to pick from in the midfield area. Decisions again will have to be made but we have got people that are all fighting for the same thing at the moment and that is the key to what we are doing.

JP

And at my most cynical, I have to say that of course Hartlepool compared to this, perhaps compared to MK Dons won't seem like quite such as a big game. Important to make sure it is the same level of performance?

GA

We are trying to do that, all the time we are trying to give the players reminders that every game is as important as that. All we have done today is progress in a round of the cup, we need league points, we need bread and butter stuff.

If people pick up the papers and see us ninth or tenth in the league they are thinking we are doing smashing. If they see us 15^th or 16^th, we want to be better than that and we have proved with some of the performances now that are coming that we can be better than that.