John Ward - Radio Cumbria Interview

Last updated : 12 October 2007 By Thetashkentterror

John Ward
United boss John Ward spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria on Friday evening as he talked about the upcoming game at Yeovil tomorrow afternoon, Ward commenting on the latest injury news in the Carlisle squad :


" It's been a pretty long trip, especially with the boys at the top end. We're actually still on the coach at the moment just coming back from the training ground. So we've got all the way here and then done our training down here, and then we're just going back for dinner this evening.

" It's a good thing starting so well, there is no way that you want to come in and have two defeats and then have to dig out some confidence from somewhere. The good thing about it is that there is a lot of confidence and a lot of brightness about them and the staff as well. You go into tomorrow's game with that feeling and that has got to be good.

" I think the attitude of the players has been pleasing, we said that to them. The two things that they are here for - attitude and ability - and it has to be in that order. They've all got the ability or they wouldn't be professional players so it's important that the attitude is correct. I've certainly seen that over the days that I have been here from everybody concerned, the back-room staff as well.

" I think we are short on numbers and I've said that publicly and privately as well. We are down here with 17 players and young Joe Garner is back up at home with Paul Thirlwell, and the other young ones as well but that's about it. The strength of it is very good in terms of everybody being fit, but when they are not and two or three are missing then there is a shortage. "



" The strength is their attitude towards each other, they are first class as a group of people. Obviously I have seen good ability in the two games and some goals as well which everybody loves to see. Eight goals for me and before that there were three goals at Bournemouth and two at Hartlepool so they were scoring before I came in and that's great news.

" He (Paul Thirlwell) hasn't travelled down with us. We would probably cause more problems than good by bringing him down on the coach six hours each way and we decided not to do that. He's had some treatment work done back up in Cumbria today and we'll catch up with him on Monday when Neil Dalton gets back into the club. It's a little bit early to say what the timeframe is, it's a little bit of a surprise this one because it's not actually the calf that he was out injured with - it's the other one, he's injured the right one now.

" We need just to assess it more thoroughly, we think that there might be a connection through the back as well so it's a little more complicated we think. So I can't really say the length of time that we might be missing Paul. Joe (Anyinsah) trained well yesterday and he's obviously down here with us now and he's trained again with the boys, if there is no reaction tomorrow then Joe should be OK for selection.

" A loan signing is a possibility, you have to sort of explain the reason because it is called an emergency loan so you'd have to explain the reason for that. Generally though that is a possibility of doing it and it's something that we've looked at. We've also made a few notes on the long-term thing as well so both ways we are looking to try to improve the group if we can. "



" I've been close to Yeovil for the last four years and Russell Slade has come down here and got them into the play-off final last year and has done a really, really good job with his team. I know from first-hand experience that it is going to be a really difficult game for us.

" Kevin (Gall) will come into the forward line and play, it's no secret, he got two goals on Tuesday which is why we put him in there. Obviously that response was fantastic from him, yes he knows one or two pieces about Yeovil but Dennis Booth also watched them play on Tuesday for us when they played away at Hereford. So we've got good information we feel about the Yeovil team and that's why I know that it is going to be a difficult football match.

" I can't influence other results with other teams, if we get it right and get our result correct, which we all want to do, then we'll see where it leaves us on Saturday night. Other teams will have the same sorts of views about going top, Tranmere play tonight and things like that so I can't influence them. It's just very much focusing on trying to get a good positive result for ourselves here.

" We thank the supporters coming down tomorrow, their loyalty is fantastic, and it's got to be done every other week as well because they travel considerable miles every fortnight or so. To come down here, I think that some of them are staying overnight in Bristol as well, it really is fantastic. We want to do well for them, it's not lost on myself or the players, the efforts, the time and the cash that they put in to get behind this team. At the moment they must be happy that they have got a good team to get behind and we'll try to do that for them again tomorrow. "