Greg Abbott On The Sheffield Wednesday Defeat

Last updated : 27 February 2011 By Thetashkentterror
Blues boss Greg Abbott
United boss Greg Abbott (GA) spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's James Phillips (JP) after Carlisle's dismal 1-0 League One defeat at home to Sheffield Wednesday, Abbott saying that the Blues are feeling a little bit sorry for themselves after the game :


JP

Frustration for you today I'm sure?

GA

Yeah, it is always disappointing to lose but today we haven't done enough to win a game. We are feeling sorry for ourselves a little bit to be honest, in the dressing-room we have had a really good conversation about what we think about where we are and where we want to be and what we are asking from the players.

But, it is not for a want of effort, at times today we didn't find that quality. We were up against a good side and a very, very powerful financial side who set their stall out to frustrate us with the system they played, and they got the early goal which supports that system, and we couldn't find that quality to break it down.





JP

They had two chances in the whole match, and just happened to get their first of them on 20 minutes. I have just walked past the commentary team from BBC Sheffield saying that it was an excellent defensive display from them, and that is what they did, they came here to pinch something and got their early goal and they defended very well to their credit?

GA

Yeah, maybe that is a bit of a pat on the back to the way we have been going and the esteem that people hold us in. They know we are a powerful side attacking-wise when people open up, you look at the two games, Exeter on Tuesday and this one and they were totally different.

They have packed their midfield and got men behind the ball and worked their socks off today, got an early goal and we couldn't....... We are frustrated for the players because we couldn't find that quality to find a goal that would get us back into it and gets us something out of the game.





JP

What sort of things were you trying? It is not easy for fans perhaps to see them from the stands, what sort of things were you trying to break Sheffield Wednesday down?

GA

Well, I think we were trying everything but I think what we need is a player that we can go out and get that is on about £5,000-£8,000 a week that has got absolute quality and would make a difference.

Sheffield Wednesday have got that, about eleven of them, and we haven't, we haven't got anybody in our team today on £2,000 a week, and I will tell you and I will let you know. Sometimes you are asking players to work their way around a system with ten men behind the ball and that elusive bit of quality that we just haven't got at the football club.

Francois (Zoko), our matchwinners today in the game would be probably Francois Zoko and Ben Marshall and both were really quiet, and when they are not flying you are looking around at what else you can do to break that down. We didn't have that quality, we didn't have that player of that type that could open up and find that bit of extra something against Sheffield Wednesday today.





JP

The goal itself that was the decisive one in the end, what did you make of the way that was scored? Sloppy or do you think it was just the way it was?

GA

You could say every goal is sloppy, it is a corner that we have done well to get something on the first ball, but it drops down to him (Tommy Miller) and he spins on a sixpence and puts it in the back of the net.

It is an opportunist goal which sometimes you can't do a great deal about, you are always disappointed if you are conceding from a set-piece but they happen. You can't look at every single goal and say that we could have stopped that, because you could have done, you could have actually stopped every single goal.

That is every single team that scores a goal, you could have stopped it somewhere along the line. But, they scored because certain things don't happen and, if you want, we never got on to the second ball quick enough and that is the reason they scored, they did and we didn't so that happens.





JP

What do you learn from today's game then? What will you take into the next time a team tries to do this to you?

GA

Well, it is very difficult, if teams are going to come up here and defend like that and get an early goal, if we get an early goal it makes life a lot easier for us. But, it is something that we probably need one or two more real top quality players within the squad, and we are trying to find that.

But, the level that we can go to doesn't always find you that player that can come on and make a big impact in that type of game against that type of opposition. You look at Sheffield Wednesday and they are still, you look at their bench, look at their bench, and tell me that that bench wouldn't have walked into most first teams.

We are scratching around looking for a player of quality to try to find a eay of breaking down a ten man resolute defending team, which did it very well as well to add to that as well. I am not criticising Sheffield Wednesday, they did it very, very well, they came here and got what they wanted, and that is a victory at any cost.





JP

What sort of player do you think you need then to bridge that gap? What are you missing in the squad at the moment?

GA

(Wayne) Rooney, I am not being funny, somebody like Rooney and (Dimitar) Berbatov or (Steven) Gerrard, they would break that down but we aren't going to get them are we. So, we have to look within our levels and what we have available and try to fathom........

Probably we know we need a bit of width, we know we need a wide player and we are trying to find that so we can change the whole tactical side of the game. We haven't got a natural, only Marshy, who has been very effective down the middle and very effective behind the front two.

But, Marshy is the only natural wide player, we are looking at that left side and seeing if we can try to find maybe a leftie that comes in. The problem you have got then if you buy one of top, top quality he has got to play every week, and if things don't go right then you go back to your diamond or you go back to a system that has worked.

4-3-3 has worked for us in the past as well just recently, so it is trying to find a player that might give us that extra dimension on the left-hand side so that we can actually play with a bit more width at times.





JP

You are finding a bit more form away from home than perhaps at Brunton Park at the moment, which is timely because you have been away from home for quite a while and you have got another couple of away games now, hopeful from those though?

GA

Always hopeful, I am always hopeful, you have seen a team come here and defend for their lives and they have done it very well. Obviously, we go to Charlton and Brighton and they I would expect will come out at us, and that might allow us with our system and the way we play and the type of players we have got, a few more spaces and we can hurt them a little bit more than we hurt Sheffield Wednesday today.





JP

Any hope for anyone returning? The likes of (Liam) Cooper or (Lubomir) Michalik ahead of Tuesday's game?

GA

No.





JP

Any injuries picked up today?

GA

No.