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JP
Amazing that this fixture was even on tonight and what a fixture it turned out to be?
GA
Yeah, two fantastic efforts, the groundsman (David Mitchell) has been brilliant, and our MD (John Nixon), I hope people don't think I am crawling up to him but our MD was here at 6.45am on Saturday and he was sweeping the pitch at 8.15am with the help of the youth team players and everybody else.
So, we have got to put a bit of credit towards that and our groundsman Dave who has been absolutely sensational getting these two games on. We needed the games because obviously with the training pitches like they are, it is actually our training sessions as well because we have got nowhere to train really.
So, we have managed to get the momentum and get two really good games under our belt, two terrific performances and it is a terrific result and tonight we are sitting pretty now because if we can get a result on Saturday then it tops off a marvellous, marvellous week for us.
It keeps the FA Cup alive, the Johnstone's Paints now really alive and kicking and the league would be really up with it if we could get a result on Saturday. So, a fantastic effort, complete, which is what I have been after since I came, complete team effort from top to bottom at the football club.
JP
Sheffield Wednesday will be glad to see the back of Carlisle United if they do get out of League One this season because you are proving a bogey side for them?
GA
Yeah, well I think on the performances we have got just as much right to get out of the league as they have. Because, we were better than them tonight, I think we deserved to win, there was no question. It is amazing, psychologically that you are up against a big team with big players and a big football club and we were the better side tonight in every department.
And that is contrary to the first-half on Saturday when all hell broke loose at half-time to make sure that we didn't take life easy and take things for granted. But, that is more like the side that we want it to be and how we want to play and I thought we were really good winners tonight.
JP
Three very different goals for you, all full of quality, just talk us through them, let's start with the (Francois) Zoko header and great approach play and what a lovely ball in from Tom Taiwo?
GA
Yeah, I don't think Tom thinks about it too much, he just puts it in an area where we know people should be. What we have said is that when we get into good areas then just put the ball in the areas where you think that one of our strikers might get, and Francois has got across his marker and managed to bury the header, I think it went in off the post.
The second goal, it is a fantastic finish, it is not easy, it is not easy, big Lubo (Lubomir Michalik) is capable of putting them into the Warwick Road shop, but he has managed to put it in the back of the net.
Then the third one was a fantastic ball from Gary (Madine) who has worked selflessly all night, not everything has come off for him but he has worked tirelessly tonight and he has put in a great ball to Ben Marshall who has had another half decent performance.
JP
Oh, what a goal it was, I watched the El Clasico last night and Leo Messi would have been happy with that finish from Ben Marshall?
GA
Steady on, steady on, we are talking about Ben Marshall here.
JP
It was a lovely chip though.
GA
Listen, Ben is doing great, he is improving, smashing, and he took his goal fantastically well and it came at a great time. We have just had a good chat with him, I have had a good chat with him today about how he is performing and how we started and how he is progressing and how he is enjoying himself. He is on the right lines at the minute and he is certainly a threat and he certainly caused problems tonight.
JP
A couple of fans have made the point, Carlisle, struggle against non-league Tamworth and then make mincemeat out of one of League One's biggest sides?
GA
Yeah, well, if you look at our results, I think is that one (defeat) in nine or something? So, we are not struggling too much but we did make hard work of Tamworth without question, and we did under-perform at Walsall.
So, there is room for a little bit of criticism but I am probably going to come out fighting for my team tonight, because they have got through the seven or eight or nine games or whatever it is with one defeat. They are all difficult games and there are a lot of banana skins about and we are one tie away from Wembley again, which is remarkable and fantastic for all the fans who have stuck with us.
I think it is a tongue in cheek criticism actually but I think that the point is that the psychological thing is that against the bigger sides and the better sides we are playing better. But, we have still not been conquered by the weaker ones yet, touch wood.
JP
Yeah, well you go to Leyton Orient at the weekend, what do you build on from this game?
GA
Just the belief that we can be a really good side when we are passing as crisp as we are and we are moving the ball around as good as we do, and we tackle and are winning it back as quick as we have done tonight then we have got a chance of winning games.
That is the key, there are two roles, win it back quickly when they have got, and when you have got it use it effectively and get it in the danger areas and try to create something, and we did both those things tonight very well.
JP
And James Berrett came off with a knock, what can you tell us about that?
GA
We think it is not as bad…….. If it is a calf strain we will be upset because he has been pivotal in a lot of the good things we have done this season. We think it might just be the hard surface and bit of pounding, and from the fact that he is young kid in his first full season with us and a tremendous amount of games, I don't think he has missed a minute of football this season so far. We are hoping it is just more stiffness or cramp style but we will rest him up and have a look at him tomorrow.
JP
You used the word pivotal in there to describe him, we were talking about that in commentary and I actually put it to Jeff Thorpe that he might just be your best signing for Carlisle United? How good do you think he can be and how amazing is it that you picked up him for nowt?
GA
That is what we do, that is the way we recruit our players. We have probably got a team of players largely from the ones that we have brought in that other teams didn't want. He couldn't get a game at Huddersfield and I know about James, I have known about him for four or five years to be honest.
I asked a few questions to one of my old pals Andy Ritchie and he just said that if we had got a chance of getting him for £50,000, £60,000 or £70,000 then we should sign him. I said no and that we had got the chance of getting him for nothing and Andy said that I should be driving down there and getting him myself because he was an absolute steal.
We did it and he has come in alongside a few others that have done tremendously well. He is a little bit like James Chester in terms of how you have to manage him, he is so low maintenance, he gets on with his job, turns in, trains, trains with us happily. He gets his stuff, goes home, plays his game, he is uncomplicated and we are delighted with him.
JP
And another fan in touch tonight, says, please, please, please, tell us that we can sign Lubo Michalik permanently, he just instils confidence in the team.
GA
I can't, I can't is the answer to that but we will try, and to be fair I have had a phone call with Leeds United today about Mike (Grella) and Lubo. Again, we are in a situation where we know where the players are and obviously we have got to try to make the finances fit and match.
So, the answer to the fan is, would I have the same feeling as him, yeah I definitely would and I have got to ask the question and I have got to try to convince the board to try to do it. But, he is a Leeds United player, he is playing for himself as well as us at the minute, he does really, really enjoy his time here and we are hopeful that something could happen.
JP
Mike Grella, just a touch of illness and hopefully he will be back at the weekend?
GA
Yeah, I think there is a little bit of bits and pieces flying around so after tomorrow we can get everybody away from the club. It is the warm to the cold weather snap I think, and everyone picks up bits and pieces. But, he is in his hotel bed in the town and hopefully by the weekend he will be back around it.
JP
And just finally, you are in the capital at the weekend as we have already said against Leyton Orient and now just one round from another match in the capital potentially in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy?
GA
Yeah, well, I am owed a performance I think at Wembley. Because, it was great to get there and fantastic for the manager and my staff and everything but we under-performed. Let's hope we can get there again and maybe with the team we have got now I think we are in a better position to produce a better performance. But, we aren't there yet, we have got a big game in Huddersfield or Tranmere, both equally as tough, but we are in there fighting.