John Ward - Radio Cumbria Interview

Last updated : 04 April 2008 By Thetashkentterror

John Ward
United boss John Ward spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria on Friday evening ahead of Carlisle's home game against Yeovil tomorrow, Ward talking about everyone at the club pulling together in the right direction :


" Promotion is there for us to win, I'd rather look at it that way. We've got to get our results right and be the best we can regardless of other results. On Tuesday we got a wee bit of a break because Doncaster couldn't win the same as us but if we start looking at them and close our eyes to what we have to do then I think we are going to be looking in the wrong direction. So it's very, very important that we focus everything on the Yeovil match tomorrow and leave everything else to us to deal with when it comes along.

" Probably, if anything, the Forest defeat has just put a realistic approach into it. We talked about people like Tiger Woods, the best in his industry and he doesn't win every tournament he enters, and when he doesn't win one he has got to come back and win another one. It probably makes him a little bit more determined.

" We've just used that kind of analogy for the lads to say that we are not good enough to win every game, it's just not going to happen, but it's not going to happen to anybody else either. So we just get on with it, and the performance in general was acceptable, it was a good performance, and if we can reproduce that on the pitch tomorrow then we give ourselves the best chance of winning the next game.

" I don't think the midfield three are tired, I've worked with them all this week and we've seen them yesterday and today on the training ground. I've been very close with the lads and they're not tired, they're fine, they've got plenty of energy left in them. I thought it was a very fast and thorough game on Tuesday night, for anybody that was probably looking tired in it then they would pay the penalty. I thought that in the main we stood toe-to-toe with Nottingham. "



" The deciding factor was a good free-kick by them and a similar one by us that has hit the bar. The second goal, as I've said before, was down to me, I'd changed the side in a desperate attempt to try to pull something out with everybody up the top end of the pitch. That deciding factor was one free-kick which we couldn't convert and they did, but I'm not looking at tiredness in my group, I'm looking at a very determined group of young people.

" Scott (Dobie) is back in, it's good for him, he's had a very bitty start since he came into the football club. He has got a chance now though to get his boots on for these next six games and see if he can help us through this part. Paul Reid also played half a game on Wednesday night and came through that unscathed, so those two lads have strengthened the group I think.

" We said last time that it would be like having a new player when Paul (Thirlwell) came back. I certainly haven't seen the best of him, I haven't seen a lot of him to be fair, but I know of his pedigree and he is the captain of the club. Since he has been injured he has played a very big part, even off the pitch.

" He's in that dressing-room, he's encouraging the players and he's very much part of the group. Even allowing at his own frustration and annoyance at missing out on such an exciting season. He's coming back though, he's training with the squad today, and we'll be looking to find him some football somewhere in the next week or so, and we'll see where we can take him from there. "



" A few of these players have not played against Yeovil for Carlisle, I've not managed Carlisle against Yeovil. You can make what you want of anything that has happened in the past, I don't think that it has any bearing on the game that is coming up next. I think it's important that we try to replicate the performance from Tuesday night, if we can do that and increase that little bit of quality in front of goal then we'll be looking at giving ourselves a chance.

" They (the crowd) were absolutely fantastic and the spontaneous applause at the end by many of them, who stayed after the boys had their little huddle was absolutely superb. I have to say that that has not got lost on the dressing-room at all, infact the Forest players were even remarking on it. If anything, that just steels us up that little bit more and if we can all pull together again, and do the same thing tomorrow afternoon then maybe we can all get a better result for ourselves.

" I was absolutely delighted with the way that everyone kept with us, they knew it was a big game and a tough game and we were giving it all in that match. We'll do the same again tomorrow for them. It was spontaneous as well and I think that was why it was well received, it wasn't as if it was orchestrated.

" They stood there and they knew that they had watched a team that they could be proud of even in defeat. That takes some doing you know in these days of instant success and getting your results. I was really pleased with the patience and the reception from them and we'll be asking them for that same thing again tomorrow. If we all pull together then it gives us the best chance. "



" We always go into a game saying that we must win it, we want to win it and that's exactly the point we have been saying today. We try very hard to win all our games, we've had a fantastic home run. If you want to look at it and be positive then you can say that it is one defeat in fifteen.

" We've got to just put everything to one side and forget what people are saying, like we haven't scored for two games or this and that. Just get on with what you are doing for the players and I'll be saying that to the lads tomorrow, just keep doing the things that we have been doing. It's brought us success in the past and we'll work very hard to keep it that way.

" We also in this last month won the Performance of the Week award with winning at Leyton Orient. Keiren (Westwood) is the same as myself, anybody that gets an individual recognition in a team game is the first to acknowledge the work of his team. The work of my team, the back-room staff particularly, Greg (Abbott) and Dennis (Booth) and the guys is absolutely first-class.

" Everybody is seeing the benefits, everybody is pulling together, that goes into the dressing-room for the team and they go out on the pitch and show it. So there is, as I've said before, there is a very together group of people at Carlisle United trying very hard. It's nice to get recognition but in brackets after my name and Keiren's name it says Carlisle United, and that's the important thing. "