Greg Abbott On The Swindon Draw

Last updated : 05 September 2010 By Thetashkentterror

Blues boss Greg Abbott
United boss Greg Abbott (GA) spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's James Phillips (JP) after Carlisle's 0-0 draw at home to Swindon, Abbott saying that the visitors nullified United's strengths well :


JP

What do you feel about that one today?

GA

I feel it is a really well earned point to be honest. We haven't reached the heights in terms of the football that we have been playing, in the game. I think Swindon have come with a gameplan, maybe our early form and our early results have given sides a extra problem and they have come here with a gameplan to stop us playing the way we have been playing, which is absolutely correct and nullify our strengths.

I thought Swindon did that, certainly in the second-half they got on top. There were some tired legs out there, we are a really, really young side and they are a good side, they are probably in a false position at the minute. They beat Southampton 3-0 in the week, but we have come away unbeaten.





JP

Looking at the game, do you think this, when you look at it over the broader context of a season, could be one of those really valuable points? Because it could have slipped away from you with some of the chances they had, but you held on for that.

GA

I think honesty and hard work has got us a point today, I wouldn't say the quality of our play, but maybe looking at it in the first-half we had good chances to put in better quality in the final third. We also had good half-opportunities that we didn't make the most off, but listen, every point is going to be valuable to us, wherever we are going to end up you don't give away points.

If we get no points and Swindon get three points that is a big difference, and they have only got one and we have only got one and it keeps them right away from us and gives us a bit of breathing space, and we go again next week.





JP

And moves you up into second, albeit very early in the season. Just looking at the performance of your two central defenders, for most of the game (Lubor) Michalik and (James) Chester did very well, just towards the end they almost went to sleep would you say?

GA

Well, listen, there were a couple of opportunities that Swindon probably think they should have scored from. I was more concerned with how easy the balls went into the box, and how poor we were at stopping that first threat. But, after that then Lubo and James have got to deal with it, and to be fair they have dealt with most of it all day.

Lubo was breathing out of his proverbial at the end of the game, but it will do him good. He has looked strong enough, he has slotted in not too badly with everybody and listen, we have kept a clean sheet so that is not too bad.





JP

Just tell us a bit more in detail about what you made of his display today on his debut, as you say, no real football at all for him in terms of competitive action for quite some time, and for most of the game he looked like he was right up there with it.

GA

Yeah, listen, he is an experienced player that will manage his way through games early on. But, I think he probably needs three or four games and he needs the sort of work we do from week to week to get himself right on top blob. But, he kept going up for his corners and he kept going up for the throw-ins.

He marshalled well with James and for most of the game he was comfortable. I think the last ten minutes undoubtedly he tired and we thought about changing it, but while it was nil you think it is alright. We probably just about got away with that decision in the end.





JP

Francois Zoko seemed to be just kept out of the game a little bit, was there an argument that the ball wasn't got to him in the right areas?

GA

Listen, they have done their homework, they have matched us up in the middle of the park. It was a frantic area for most of the game and we didn't think we got the ball in and around the sides of the defenders where Craig Curran and Gary Madine both would have caused a lot of problems, and stretched the play enough to get Francois on the ball.

But, when he was on the ball we felt today that he didn't quite produce the sort of stuff that he has done. But, the game is not all about Francois, it is a bit more than that, and we have to find other ways of breaking teams down rather than just rely on one player.





JP

There are plenty of positives as well coming out of a result like this, let's not forget they are one of the promotion favourites, and James Berrett's performance today must have been one that you were very chuffed with?

GA

Yeah, listen, there is a lot of honesty out there, there are a lot of inexperienced young players there making their way. Our crowd are pretty decent in terms of giving their support to a team that works their socks off. We didn't play as well as we have been doing but their manager (Danny Wilson) and the other press people are saying that we probably deserved it through our guts and our hard work, and they might be right.





JP

Just in terms of life after Ian Harte, the delivery fell to James Berrett as well, how did you feel about his balls in?

GA

His balls were absolutely outstanding today. We were a bit disappointed, I am disappointed now we have got another giant in there (Michalik) and we haven't got on the end of stuff. That is something Lubo has got to do and he does do, he does score goals, but Gary (Madine), him, James Chester, Francois, we should be getting on the end of some of them. There were some fantastic deliveries in from the corners.





JP

And in terms of those balls in, of course Ian Harte took a lot of your free-kicks but he wasn't often, or ever, the man who took the corners, James Berrett's corners in today, there were 17 of them. Where you perhaps just missing that Ian Harte head in there as well arriving onto them?

GA

Shall we put Ian Harte to bed? Let's talk about the players we have got, they deserve that respect. We are always going to miss Ian Harte, let's put him to bed and let's concentrate on our players, because we haven't got Ian anymore. We are going to miss him because he was a terrific player and he was very valuable to the club, but he is not playing for us anymore.





JP

Good point. Looking ahead then a very exciting match coming up for everyone involved, the fans have already clearly been bitten by it, 1,700 already I think confirmed to be going to Hillsborough to take on Sheffield Wednesday.

GA

Well, you know, the support we are getting at the minute on our travels is outstanding. We have had 400 extra today through the home gates as well, so if we can go on and do a turn down there, hopefully they will increase and keep increasing, because we need that as well don't we. But, the backing we get away from home is sensational.





JP

Ben Marshall back with you as well, he showed a few nifty touches when he came on?

GA

Yeah, he could have scored couldn't he, the one they have cut back and he has just got a touch and it deflected wide of the post. But, Ben is bright and he will benefit from being round a first-team again, but we are glad to have him back, he gives us another dimension.





JP

And having, as you put it, perhaps the respect of Danny Wilson looking at the way you have played and working hard to try to combat that today, what will you try to work on this week in the build-up to that game?

GA

Well, we have got to find a way of dealing with that situation, if teams come and nullify us then we have to find another way of breaking down the door. But, we got enough ball into decent areas in the first-half to put better quality in and we didn't, and that is something we were disappointed about because you work hard enough to get the ball there.

Our full-backs (Sean McDaid and Frank Simek's) delivery today was ordinary, they have got to put better balls in the box. Both have got loads of energy and both are so willing and both have got great enthusiasm, but at the end of that run and that work they have got to find the quality to give Gary Madine and Craig Curran.