United boss Greg Abbott (GA) spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's James Phillips (JP) following Carlisle's 1-0 League One defeat away to Notts County, Abbott first saying the Blues put in a terrific performance:
JP
A better start from you today, a better reaction, a better all-round performance but another defeat unfortunately?
GA
It is a terrific…….. We asked for a performance and we got one, it was a terrific performance, absolutely no qualms whatsoever about the way the boys have played, and the way they have battled and the way they have competed and actually played football on a cabbage patch.
They were absolutely terrific and the only disappointing thing, and it is the case in point at the minute, we have got beat. But, you ask for players to do their jobs and they have done their job today, we just couldn’t beat their man of the match in the goalkeeper (Bartosz Bialkowski). That is disappointing but that happens in football, you have to just be big enough and ugly enough to get on with it.
JP
The local press around here, looking round the guys in front of us, said that is the worst they have seen Notts County play all season, yet still they managed to get the points. Is that what happens when you are struggling?
GA
Well, I don’t know, we have played very well, we have been the better side, simple as that and we have lost the game. That happens in football as well, so it is hard to take but that is the way it is.
JP
But, why does that happen? Did you need to create more than you did because you did create some good chances but it is still a defeat though isn’t it?
GA
We created chances, did you not watch the same game as me? I have to say did you not see the goalkeeper that has got the man of the match and is just getting his award down there? He has had an inspired day, we have been unfortunate around the box, we have missed chances that we should be taking, you can’t do much more than we have done. Yes, technically you are absolutely spot on, we have lost the game. But, we have lost the game to an inspired goalkeeping performance and some missed chances and a little bit of bad luck around the goal.
You can’t be too critical and I won’t be too critical because last week I was ultra-critical of the side against Walsall, it would be very difficult and very, very savage of me to go into the dressing room and pull them to pieces after making them produce their worst performance of the season. These guys watch them week in and week out so take that as we have done alright, yeah the result is a bad one, that is the disappointment of the day, that is the only disappointment of the day. A key problem though.
JP
Another big disappointment of course is that you now lose Lee Miller for three games for what will go down as a headbutt and violent conduct, but it was all a bit of a much ado about nothing and a silly way to lose your captain and a very important player?
GA
Yeah, I mean the sort of incident had stopped, I had turned my back so I didn’t even see it. But, Lee is adamant there is no headbutt there and there is not much blood, and when you headbutt somebody blood usually comes out and there was no blood on the pitch. So, maybe it wasn’t a severe headbutt. But, you run the risk when you put your head into people that the referees take action, and that is what the referee (Darren Bond) is saying, he is adamant he put his head into his (Joss Labadie's). I never saw it so I can’t really tell you, but nobody has gone to hospital.
JP
I described though as from the pair of them, him and Leacock, as macho nonsense, Leacock put his head into Miller’s face and Miller then responded, and you give the referee then the opportunity, I mean is that the sort of example you want your captain to be setting? He gave the referee the opportunity to send him off was in fairness the summary of it?
GA
Absolutely the answer to your question is you are right, it is not the answer. So, it is a disappointment for us.
JP
What do you do now? It is a big rethink now without him for three games, that is when you need points it is a struggle to lose him?
GA
Well, you have given me six minutes to have a rethink and I don’t think that is long enough. So, when I get home tonight and look at it tomorrow I will have a think. But, looking at the all-round players and the performance of them all, somebody steps to the plate, Mark Beck is ready, Cads (Danny Cadamarteri) is ready, Rory is ready to play down the middle so we have got players there that somebody has to come in and take Lee’s place and do a good job and maybe keep their place. So, there is an opportunity opening for somebody, but it is a disappointment.
Because, I thought Lee was back to his like today, I thought he dominated the centre-halves and you have seen Bez (James Berrett) have his best game for a while bursting on to the stuff that Lee has held up and causing the Notts County midfield, who I think is terrific, a lot of problems today. I thought they ended up second best in the game, so we will probably miss Lee now, after Tuesday he probably wouldn’t have been too disappointed but that is what happens.
He has a bad game, he wanted to put it right but it has ended in disappointment for him, but that probably alleviates the fact he hasn’t been trying today because I did think he did try. I hope you have mentioned that because he got a little bit of criticism the other night and Lee is a popular member in our dressing room and a popular player in our squad and he is a little bit upset that people would label some of the things at him, and I think they are a nonsense to be honest.
JP
Do you feel after this game then with the reaction that you did get that there is enough there? Do you look out there and think that there is enough to get out of the little slide that you are in, it is five without a win now?
GA
It looked like there is enough didn’t it you have to admit probably. You watched it from up here, a better view than me and unless I am talking in a completely biased language we definitely deserved to get something and we looked a good side today, and we should have got something out of the game, but we haven’t.
JP
How do you respond again if you like, because there has been an up but how do you respond again for Tuesday and make sure you get something there (Crawley)?
GA
If you play like that you will win games, as simple as that. You don’t play much better than that, you won’t play as well as that and get nothing in games again. We have got to keep playing like that, as simple as that.
JP
Obviously, making sure that the fans are hearing about and the fans who come to these games, better performances are going to be key as well to keep getting that crowd back up for in a week’s time back at Brunton Park as that is going to be huge for Carlisle United to try to get those attendances back up this season?
GA
Well, it is up to you to say how well we have played today. I can’t say it, you say it because sometimes they might see me as a little bit biased. But, we have played terrifically well and hopefully you will spread the word and that message and you will keep going on about it on the radio. We need the fans, as simple as that, the fans are fantastic and stayed again all the way to the end.
They were fantastic today and they always have been on their travels. So, I don’t think there will be too many grumbles, the only grumble is when we played like we did on Tuesday night, they are a pretty fair and honest group.
JP
So, I am right in saying that you think the difference between the two teams then is their goalkeeper and missed chances?
GA
Yeah, today I did yeah. Not on Tuesday night it wasn’t, they (Walsall) were better than us. But, today I think the difference was a few missed chances and the goalkeeper, we should have won the game really. I am actually disappointed that we haven’t got three points, never mind one.
JP
Because, you are telling me that I should be making sure how the fans know how much better you were, and we were excited about certainly how you started and there were elements that were better, but if I was telling the fans how brilliant it was and you have got beaten again then they are going to be questioning me. Can you see why it might not be so easy to say everything was rosy?
GA
You say what you want, I just think it was a better performance. I don’t know what you are going to say, I don’t know how you dress it up. You say it as you see it, that is your job. All I can say is that I was really pleased that it was a really good performance and we have been done a super goalkeeping display and a couple of missed chances. That is the fine margin between winning and losing games, I can’t tell you any different, I can’t tell you what to say, you say it as you see it.
JP
The gap has shortened a little bit, at one point it was down to three points, but it is five, it is just another point towards the relegation zone. Are you comfortable that you are going to be able to get what is needed to steer away from that long term?
GA
What do want me to say that question?
JP
Yes?
GA
Well, there you are, you have said it.
JP
Yeah, but do you think it, not me?
GA
Well, what do you think? Seriously, what do you think? Of course I am confident, I think today we have shown that we are a decent side and off the run we have had before the Walsall game we were doing OK. The first-half of MK Dons and the Walsall game was pretty poor right, but all the teams in our league have those. You have just seen Notts County moaning about their performance, but they have got a win, it is all about results at the moment.
I certainly think there is more than enough, more than enough. I must have told you this a few times so I am probably getting a little bit aggrieved with the question because you know I have got confidence in the team and you know that we are good enough to do it. The points aren’t there yet, but they will come.
JP
It is a shame in a way in a grinding sort of game that it was such a moment of quality that was the difference in the end, it was a super goal really from (Alan Judge)?
GA
Again, it comes from a poor free-kick, we don’t retain the ball, it is a blatant handball, it is a blatant handball right, and he gets away with it. I think the refereeing decisions again today have probably gone against us, and the finish was probably the outstanding bit of quality in the game to be honest. I wouldn’t take that away from Alan, he is a really, really good player. But, leading up to it there were things that could have stopped it and then it is a handball, so I feel a bit aggrieved with that as well.