United boss Greg Abbott (GA) spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's Matt Newsum (MN) following Carlisle's 2-1 League One defeat away to Shrewsbury, Abbott saying the Blues are wondering how they didn't get something out of the game:
MN
Your thoughts after that one?
GA
My thoughts are with the group to be honest in the dressing room, because they are sitting there just with their heads in their hands wondering how they haven’t got something out of the game. They are desperately disappointed, there are times when we haven’t performed, generally on the road we have performed, we have got a good away record, but there are times this season when we haven’t performed. Today we can’t believe how we have got nothing out of the game that we think for large parts we have dominated. I can’t recollect too many times that our goal has been sieged, but I can talk about the other goal being sieged.
But, I would have to say the key to the game is scoring at one end and defending at the other end, and that is the area where we have come second best today. But, the performance and the energy and the determination will lead us into better things, there is no question about that. But, the mood of my voice is disappointment because I can’t believe I am walking away from here as a manager who has got nothing out of a game that we needed something from.
MN
When you look at all the preparation for it, your team selection, you couldn’t have done more?
GA
Thank you, you are right. You look at the performance and I don’t think much more energy could have been exuded. I was so pleased with the players’ performance and performances will get you results. If you are devoid of energy, devoid of determination and idea then you have got problems, but we had quite a bit of things going for us today. I think they will be pretty pleased that they have walked away with points, we are desperately disappointed we have walked away with nothing.
MN
When you look at the actual manner of the game, the nature of the game, how much pressure do you feel from that in terms of you look at the team that you were playing in terms of the relative league positions?
GA
Yeah, we can only talk about our performance, listen, whatever you want to talk about, other stuff, that is up to you to talk about. But, I know playing like that and with the determination in the group, the dressing room is gutted, absolutely gutted together because we have not got anything out of the game. You can talk about whatever you want else, I just prepare my team as best I can, and we were prepared today. We have given a really good performance and got nothing out of it, sometimes in football you have to just take one on the chin, it is not a Notts County or a Leyton Orient or a Bournemouth at home, it was a really, really, decent performance and we have been unlucky today, whether it is luck or whatever it is, unfortunate maybe. But, we haven’t got points that we deserved and that is all I can tell you really.
MN
With regard to the goals you conceded, sucker punch seems fair on both accounts?
GA
That is two goals from........ I think the first goal is the first time they have been in our half, it was the first time they have been anywhere near the goal, never mind a shot on goal and it is in the back of the net and we have got a job to do again. But, that is what happens in football, I said to Kav (Graham Kavanagh) just before they scored that we need a goal here on our good play, and I think we might have won the game really comfortably today the way we were playing and the way we were performing and the way the front two (Joe Garner and Lee Miller) were occupying their centre-halves and bringing people into play, and the chances and the areas we were getting into. I suppose when you are on a run like we are these things happen, you sometimes don’t get what you deserve, but we will if we keep going like that.
MN
Obviously brought Lee Miller back into the side, what was your assessment of his afternoon?
GA
I thought he was outstanding, absolutely, and it is an absolute credit to him that he played 88 minutes, which I mean I wasn’t asking him if he was alright because I wanted to keep him on the field, but we were worried about him. But, he has got through 88 minutes and he will have a week to recover from that, it will probably take him two or three days but he is back isn’t he now and touch wood he has no injuries or suspensions or anything like that because he is going to be a focal point of what we do. I thought we looked miles better up top with him in there and he brings other people into play, and to be fair after about 87 minutes when we were going to bring him off he nearly equalises with a volley, and maybe a fit Lee Miller would have tucked that away. But, so be it, that is where we are, a massive positive that he is back playing.
MN
Another key I guess exit from your squad is Joe Garner, what has he brought to you and what will you lose from him going?
GA
Well you have just seen signs of those two together in the first half an hour that they could be really, really good together. But, that might be revisited and it might happen, I think they will be a handful those two together, especially when Lee is properly fit and we are playing with confidence and we have got some wins under our belt. But, we are not going to have him for a bit so it opens the door for Mark Beck, Danny Cadamarteri, Rory Loy, those types of people, so somebody has got to step up to the plate.
MN
Is it the sort of thing, I mean I know you talked about possibly revisiting it another time, but will you be revisiting strengthening that area perhaps in January?
GA
I think we are alright, I think we have got Danny and we have got Rory back, he is nearly there as well and Becky is pushing so there is no point getting somebody that is not better than those three and then missing out on the opportunity to get Joe, because it would be great if we had Joe as well and that would be four really good choices to pick from to accompany Lee, because I think he will be the focal point.
MN
And in terms of the goalkeeper as well you made a decision today and your thoughts on Mark Gillespie?
GA
I don’t think he had anything to do bar pick the ball up out of the back of the net twice, that is all he had to do. He had no chance with the goals so we can’t blame him for them, he hasn’t been tested really, it is one of those, I can’t give you an assessment on his game because he didn’t have anything to do. Sorry about that.
MN
Fair point. I guess when you come up to these things you probably end up feeling like you are being asked the same questions......
GA
Yeah.
MN
What goes through your mind when you go home? What goes through your mind when you are sat at home?
GA
Well, what goes through your mind after Leyton Orient, Bournemouth and the Notts County games is Jesus wept, where do we go from here. We will be alright, tonight I am going home in a better frame of mind because I know I have got a good team, I know I have got a team that will do alright, I know I have got a team now with injured players coming back, we know where there is probably a deficiency, but that will get better the longer is up the other end. Today we had the ball up the other end a bit more and we probably didn’t defend the two situations as well as we would have liked, that is the only disappointment on the day. But, I am in a better frame of mind tonight than I was last week and possibly the week before that. I think there is a team there that is shaped up pretty well, I think we were the better side by quite a bit today.
MN
Just a couple more I promise, I guess football supporters are funny people, they probably would enjoy having a pint with you and having a chat with you, but as it stands they will just look at results and be in a bad mood?
GA
Listen, as a supporter, I mean, listen, you can tell by the reaction of the fans that were here, 99% stayed and clapped the players off, in a situation like that that just tells you everything. So, people that want to sit and berate us, they are probably wrong tonight, they were right last week, they will probably be wrong tonight. But, I can’s top them saying and doing whatever, but I think tonight they will probably be wrong. But, if they see what the performance was like and where we might be given that type of performance then they are real, real good supporters. But, there will be grumbles because we have lost, but that is natural.
MN
And the next three games are all against sides in and around the same area of you in the table, so do you look at games like that or do you just see them as......?
GA
I don’t, I just look at producing performances like that, if we produce performances like that we can beat teams higher up the league. We haven’t today and people will think you are talking about a good performance and we have got beat and that is the slant that people are taking at the minute. But, if we keep producing performances like that we will be alright, listen, the games around people around where we are are always important, but so are the games against the teams at the top, and we have got a...... We might have to start beating teams at the top as well because we need some points no matter who we get them off. But, like I said, performances like that today will see us win more than we lose.
MN
And the last one from me, and don’t take umbrage, some people will talk about the dreaded ‘R’ word at this stage, it is something that you would consider?
GA
Well, there are 24 teams talk about the ‘R’ word until they have got 50 points, so let’s leave it at that, and nobody has got 50 points yet.