Greg Abbott On The Workington Game

Last updated : 15 July 2009 By Thetashkentterror

Blues boss Greg Abbott
United boss Greg Abbott spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's James Phillips after Carlisle's 3-1 pre-season friendly win at Borough Park, Abbott pleased with the performance of his players :


" I think that the positive side of it is the result always, it is a win, I am not bothered if it is a friendly or not, we try to do things the right way. The fitness levels were good, you have seen that, we looked strong, we looked decent in possession at times. Some of the younger players have done really, really well, I am pleased with that, pleased with the overall attitude of the players, the attitude is absolutely first class, no problem with that. It has given us something to build on.

" I thought that (Michael) Burns, (Gavin) Rothery and Gary Madine were very good, that is good and that is what we want. We want to get these players forward and get them pushed on, that is why pre-season is terrific for us, it gives them the chance to get pitch time and stake a claim. I thought that Michael's range of passing was excellent, I thought that Gavin looked really lively on the right-hand side and Gary is obviously a threat when the ball gets played into him, and certainly from wide areas he looked like getting on the end of stuff. So in that sense I am really pleased.

" You have got two separate back fours, which is always difficult. We have not worked on much at the moment, we are only eight days in, we have done a lot of physical work. We go away next week and that is where all the shape work will come in and we think that we need to be even tighter. We think that we need to be more compact at the back.

" I think that sometimes people get in the way because they are over-anxious to prove points. He (Mark Gillespie) is a youth team goalkeeper, he has not played hardly any reserve team football yet. So you forgive him with that, it is a big day for him, he is playing in the first team and he will learn from that. I sometimes think that goalkeepers should stay at home but they want to get involved in everything, but that is the breed we are dealing with isn't it. "



" He (Jan Klukowski) is Johnny on the spot, the two balls came in, they were two terrific finishes, apart from that he didn't do much more than what he did the other night. I think that we have got to look at, is he going to be better than Gary Madine, and on that showing he probably possibly might struggle to get to that level. He scored himself two goals though and he will feel a lot happier than he did on Thursday night.

" We think that Gary is a good player and that he has got potential. What we need to see, and I have said to him, is that he has got to be more selfish as well. He got involved in a lot of build-up play but he has got to be in the box. Yan has got two goals and people take notice of centre-forwards that get goals against their names you know. I think that what Gary has got to do now is that he has got to build on that part of his game. His build-up play was excellent and he has got to then look a goal threat in terms of scoring.

" It is a fight upfront isn't it, I am not saying who is going to get the chance, the places. I am not picking teams at the minute, what I am seeing is that I want to see performances and I want to see stakes for claims. Scott Dobie for what he did at the end of last season, and what he has done already pre-season and today, hasn't done himself any harm.

" You always get this type of game at places like this and Workington stuck to their guns terrifically well. They probably have two training sessions a week, possibly one more at this stage of the season, but they have given a good account of themselves. It is a tough workout for us and it just shows the energy that we have had to use up to actually go out and win the game. It is a big game for the Workington boys because they are playing against some very experienced professional players. "



" I think that he (Matty Robson) played too deep to be honest, I was a little bit disappointed, I want Matty playing as a left-winger that goes at full-backs, not as a help to our left-back. Our left-backs can deal with the situation on their own, I want him playing further up the field, I want him to be far more aggressive and far more exciting if you like. Where he gets the ball and goes at his defender a lot more often than he did today.

" He (Liam Davison) just seemed to get his ankle caught in the ground and turned it over, which was disappointing for Liam because it is a big day for him. That will be the first time that he has had first-team action and I thought that he was playing very well to be fair in his ten or so minutes. He did start the game very good so he will be disappointed, but hopefully it is not too bad and he can get back on the training ground and continue his development.

" We are active in the market, we are just active, we are assembling a squad which we are comfortable with at the minute. We are not totally happy, 100% happy, because we think that it needs a little bit more and we will continue to do that.

" I am comfortable with today, it was a slow pitch, it is not an easy pitch, it is a slow pitch because of the dryness of it. The ball doesn't run at the speed that we want to play the game at, you do get slowed down by the pace in the pitch. Overall though we passed it well enough at times, we showed the right sort of attitude and application and that is a sign that it is a step in the right direction. "