Greg Abbott On The Swindon Draw

Last updated : 06 December 2008 By Thetashkentterror

Greg Abbott
United manager Greg Abbott spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's Derek Lacey after Carlisle's 1-1 draw at Swindon in League One this afternoon, Abbott suggesting that his players need to start producing a much better final ball :


" They might think that they could have won it as well with their chances. We felt at half-time like they were playing more on the break, they were breaking at us and we had some comfortable periods of possession in both halves really, but especially in the first-half. We were thinking that it was more like them being the away side, but we did some good things today and we did some things that weren't so good.

" I think that the important thing from our point of view though is that we have not lost the game, we showed a lot of spirit I think, we showed a lot of character. I thought that at the death there that instead of sitting back protecting their equaliser, the lads still wanted to kick on and try to make the three points out of the game, to be fair as did Swindon.

" It was a terrific ball in for their goal, (Anthony) McNamee is a threat, he was last season, he was unbelievable last year. He was a little bit quieter today but still effective in periods of the game and he was their main threat. We said that if we can nullify him throughout the second-half then we fancy ourselves to win the game.

" I think that was the only time, maybe once or twice in the second-half he got away but he certainly got away from Rav (David Raven) that time and he put in a fantastic ball. Murph (Peter Murphy) is a little bit unlucky and he is blaming himself for the goal, but he needn't do. Because I thought that considering that he hasn't played any games for such a long time, he has come in and he has done a fantastic job for us. "



" He (Paul Thirlwell) doesn't even shoot in training and he has actually missed his round of well dones because he is doing the dope testing at the moment. So he wasn't even in the dressing-room to take a pat on the back, so he will be devastated about that. Terrific though, again he plays a captain's role, he is really influential in there for us, he gives us a licence to get other players forward and he has done another terrific job again today.

" If we are going to have periods of possession like we are then we have got to find that cutting edge. We have got to find that quality in the final third, we have got to make sure that we get the ball into the areas, the right areas for the strikers to get onto. Today at times we never did that but it is something that we are working on and it will come, it will come.

" Again we are at a tough place to come, these people here do give teams tough tests but that doesn't take us away from the fact that we want to be better in that final third. It is something that we are not going to hide from, again we are going to address that and we will work on that, as we do with the other areas of the field, and hope that addresses itself soon.

" We have got systems there that we have for certain games, we have got systems that we think are comfortable. The way that we played today allows a lot more attacking options in terms of other players getting into the box. At the moment obviously Danny Graham is sitting there with 11 goals and Michael (Bridges) has just about got himself properly fit.

" He is looking now like he is knocking on the door a little bit isn't he, a bit more than he was. He has been in and out of the treatment room, he has not played that many games and what we need is a full, fully fit firing Michael Bridges to give us options up the front end, and he has done that today. "



" I think that the character of the team endorses what I am all about, they have rolled their sleeves up, they have been tough, they have been determined. They have tried to do the right things, we have played some decent football at times. We have defended well at times, we have passed the ball nicely at times and I think that the bit that is missing is that bit at the final end of the field. That is something that would have made it a really good first performance, but it has been a good performance, a decent performance, a nice point and it has given us something to build on.

" The crowd are terrific, they always have been, we want them to go away knowing that we have given 100%. That we have actually rolled our sleeves up and had a right go, win, lose or draw I think that the fans that belong to us here will always stick by us with that. They will accept a defeat or they will accept a draw maybe sometimes, but as long as we are giving everything that we have got and showing that we have got heart and spirit and determination within the camp, I think that they will back us. I think that that is what they have seen today.

" Danny (Livesey) has missed out today and I am sure that he will be listening, and I am sure that my phone will be getting a couple of texts from Dan. We are hoping that he is OK, he will be fine, he will back in training I think on Monday or Tuesday and he will come into contention for next week. When he has broken his nose I think that it has blocked up, I am not a medical expert though, you will have to speak to Dolly (Neil Dalton). It is a minor little thing to clear the nasal area I think and that is about as doctor-ish as I am going to get, but he will be fit back in training on Monday or Tuesday at the latest.

" Kevin (Gall) is back training with the club, he has come back to train with us but he can't play in any game until January the 1st. We need to keep him fit though, he is our player and Lincoln said that they weren't going to be able to use him. So we have got him back, and we will train him and we will keep him fit and then we will see what happens in January. There is always a chance for everybody so he is back with us now and we will see where that takes us. "