Greg Abbott On The Swindon Victory

Last updated : 21 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 1-0 League One victory away to Swindon, Abbott saying that he was pleased with the overall energy and work-ethic of his players again :


JP

What pleased you most about it today?

GA

I think the energy again, I think the work-ethic, the togetherness of the squad. Swindon threw a lot of balls into our box, they didn't really carve us open.

They threw a lot of balls into our box and there was instance where (Jonathan) Obika got through I think at the end, and where Liam Noble has come from to get the clearance was typical of the performance today, certainly typical of him today.

But, we are pleased at the levels of effort and application, they are sensational at the moment. It is a really young squad, a really young group and they are going to learn from all these types of games, and all the games are going to be different.

But, this is a decent club, a really decent club with decent players, decent management, decent staff and they are finding things hard at the moment. But, the extra incentive for them is that they are fighting for their lives and we had to match that today and I thought we did, massively. We have got a well earned victory in terms of earned with the effort we have put into the match today.





JP

You say it was well earned, what were the key factors? What was it that set apart the two sides?

GA

I think I have just said, the energy and the effort and the never say die attitude throughout the team was fantastic. Everybody who has come onto the pitch was brilliant and these are typical League One games that you are happy to come out on the right side of the victory.

It wasn't pretty at times, there was a lot of honesty in the game from both sets of players and we have managed to find that one bit of quality with Bez's (James Berrett's) strike and we are going away happy. But, it wouldn't be a game I would say we completely dominated or we played fantastic football, but when I am on about earn it, we did actually earn it because we had to do because of the effort that Swindon put into the game as well.





JP

You can draw parallel with the Notts County result actually, just one moment of brilliance, what about that moment of brilliance?

GA

Very similar, the Notts County game is not going to bring 20,000 people back to the game week in and week out is it. But, sometimes, our fans, again we have had a standing ovation from our fans because they have seen the 100% effort.

If you do that, sometimes you play quality football, sometimes you play average, sometimes you play a little bit poorly. But, today we gave an effort, we gave everything we had and you saw as the players came off that there are a few there walking wearily, and that is what we are after. But, we are just delighted.





JP

The decisive moment was James Berrett's goal, will you encourage him to have more shots?

GA

Well, we changed the system slightly to get Nobs (Liam Noble) and Tom (Taiwo) and James Berrett forward, and his goal was the piece of out and out quality in the game wasn't it. It was a fantastic strike and David (Lucas) is a good keeper, he has got a hand to it but he couldn't stop it going in.

It has given us, when you are a long way from home and you are on your travels you need something to grab hold of sometimes and protect. It gave us that encouragement and we managed to do it nicely in the end, but not without a few scares along the way.





JP

What did you make of Noble's display as well? In the infancy of his professional career he seems to be growing with every game?

GA

18-years old, never played a league game in his life, I think the lad deserves some plaudits. It is not difficult with Nobs to keep his feet on the ground because he is the most level-headed Geordie you could wish to meet.

There is no ego with him whatsoever and he is a street kid, he has just got a bundle of honesty, a lot of energy and there is a bit of ability in there as well. But, today I think he has covered every single piece of that grass and a bit more.

He reminds me of a young Stuart McCall who I used to play with, in terms of the way he takes the game on and competes for everything. He makes mistakes but then he runs and wins it back and puts it all right.





JP

High praise indeed that comparison, he won't thank you for the nickname I am sure, is that another from the Dennis Booth stable Nobs?

GA

Well, Noble, Nobs, doesn't take a rocket scientist to work that one out.





JP

One sour note perhaps out of the day, Lubomir Michalik having to go off?

GA

Yeah, that is a blow to us, the big man has been brilliant hasn't he and everybody likes him. He has been a terrific player for us but to be fair it opens the gap for somebody else. Danny Livesey has come in and I thought he did ever so well.

He was really struggling in the week with his fitness, you go in spurts, he has only played two games in eleven months has Danny. But, he will be delighted, he will be the happiest man in Carlisle tonight. Lubo, we just have to wait and see how he is, it is a hamstring so obviously it looks like he will be out for Tuesday but we will have to see the extent of that later on in the week.





JP

How far along is Danny Livesey with his fitness? Should he be OK to carry on for you or might you need to quickly react?

GA

No, that has done him the world of good, if Lubo had got injured in the 90th minute and Danny had only had a minute then it would have been a disaster because he would have gone in on Tuesday and we would have thought that he was not quite ready. But, 45 minutes at that level, or 50 minutes at that level, will have done him the world of good.

JP

With these three games, Southampton, Oldham and then Swindon, I bet you would have torn someone's hand off for six points out of those? And you might feel that you could have got more?

GA

What we try to do is give as good a performance and as honest as performance as we can all the way through. We are sitting on 41 points I think now aren't we after 29 games, I think that is a terrific amount of points to go at.

We are on the right lines, I think we move into the top half of the table, so things are looking in the right direction. But, two great results, hopefully we can back them up with the games at home this week, and get on a bit of a roll ourselves.





JP

You are in the top half, above the team (Exeter) that visit you on Tuesday on goal difference, and perhaps these clean sheets have helped you to do that?

GA

Well, obviously, our goal difference record is pretty good, clean sheets are massive, we take a lot of pride in that the way we structure our play. Then we think we have got attacking players that can score goals, and that has been the case today. But, we are delighted with the progress we are making and hopefully it continues and we can pick up some more points, the season is alive and kicking.





JP

And just finally on that game, you talked about having something to defend here with Berrett's wonderful goal today, you also have a run of form to defend now in that game on Tuesday night?

GA

Yeah, it is momentum and confidence, and the dressing-room is buzzing at the moment. So, they will just give another honest performance and we are trying to get rid of the inconsistent ones and the drab ones.

At the end of the season we will probably talk about the fantastic performances, but we will be reminded of the Dagenhams and the Tamworth first-half and the Walsalls and things like that.

They are things we are going to get over the season with the age group of the players that we have got. But, if we are talking about more good performances than not, then we are on the right lines.





JP

And I should just ask you as a jourmalist, you will have sympathy tonight for Danny Wilson who is really struggling?

GA

He is a great guy, Danny is a top guy. He came to our place last season, or the season before, and I was on a bad run and he said to just keep sticking at and that I was doing great. It was words of encouragement like that from a guy that has been around for a long time. Danny is a top man and I certainly wish him all the best.

You can tell his team is with him by the way, there is no need for me to do anything drastic because his team is with him. It doesn't look like there is too much discontent, the effort and the energy is there. Probably a little bit of luck at the minute and confidence being a bit low, and things go against you as a manager but he will be turn that around I am sure.