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" I feel worse now I think, we've had the full meeting with the players today and I think when you get into the day's work and things like that it sinks in to you a little bit that the whole thing is finished. It's gone, there are no comebacks for us, and I think today the adrenaline has stopped flowing and you just feel a bit worse about it and it just hits you.
" Contracts is something that has to be done, I did put it to the players immediately after the game that we had to carry on with some business and did they want to do it today or on Monday. To a man they wanted today, I think it was a question of getting it out of the way and getting it done so that we could move on. That's been a full day for everybody today.
" I'd spoken to Zigor (Aranalde) some time ago, he has been aware of the fact that he would get a free transfer for some while now. I think he deserved that, he wanted to know and I told him. People have seen Evan Horwood come through in his first full season really, we've got a very good young player there. Just towards the end Darren Campion has come right to the fore at first-team and pushed on, but he has been doing that throughout the season. Ziggy has been a terrific servant for the football club and hopefully he goes with that dignity intact.
" It's harder for them, I try to appreciate that, they are the ones that are getting the decisions made on them. What I've learned over my years is that there is no easy way to say anything to anybody, so you are better off just being quite blunt with it and seeing what the reaction is. It is hard, especially when you are talking to senior people. Arni (Paul Arnison) today has come in and I think there was some sort of expectation level that that might happen to him, but it's none the easier when you have to tell him.
" There is the fact as well that you like these people, he has done very, very good things at Carlisle United. I've come in later and I've got to like the guy, I actually said to him that I would miss him because he is a lively person around the football club and on and off the pitch he has been really, really supportive. "
" He needs to play though and he is at that stage of career where I've said to him that I am not sure if I can find him a regular place. So it has to be done like that, it's not a nice thing to do but I can't think of a better way of doing it. You have to be quite blunt but at the same time I've got close to these guys as well, but that's life.
" We've got to look at the forward areas, it is something that has been a bit ongoing for us in recent weeks. We've had meetings with my coaching staff and my scouting people, we've got another one scheduled for Tuesday of next week coming up and we have made some phone calls. So it's a question of seeing where the land lies, but yes I want to strengthen the squad, I want some new faces in and I want them at first-team level. It's not underneath up-and-coming people, we want to be stronger all round and that is something that I will look at very carefully now.
" They (Luke Joyce and Grant Smith) have been told that they will be offered deals. We haven't actually made the offers to them today but they know that that is going to happen and we've got them a letter explaining that to them. Young Dan (Wordsworth) has got his year to develop and see where he moves on. The midfield area is really competitive when you look at the lads we have got in there so Luke Joyce and Grant Smith, who came in January, just joined the club, has impressed everybody I think with the play that he has put in.
" He, and all my signings really in January, Cleveland (Taylor) and Scott Dobie and Evan (Horwood) I think will all benefit from a pre-season starting from scratch with everybody and pushing on. Because all of them had had little football apart from Evan who had been playing in the SPL, but the other three had had little football prior to their joining.
" So they'll get better, and I think as well, younger players, you forget that Danny Livesey is only 23 and Keiren (Westwood) and David Raven, those guys are only that age, in their early 20's. For me they will improve and get better as they already have done anyway. Hopefully this unfortunate experience that we are going through at the minute will toughen that resolve a bit with everyone and we can improve next year. "
" Danny Livesey has got another two years on his contract anyway at this moment in time, but the one that runs out in 12 months is Keiren. I've spoken to Keiren today and we've told him that will be making him an improved contract offer and we'd look for an extension on that. That's been ongoing for some time though, we've been chatting to him through his agent and Fred (Story) and I have been chatting to him trying to get that done.
" He was very low as you would expect today, but again we said that we are going to do that in the next few days. When they are 24 at the end of their contract, which Keiren will be then in 12 months time he would be free. He has got another 12 months as it stands at the minute but he would be a free transfer to go at the end. I think that it happened with Karl Hawley didn't it, the players have got that in their favour all the time, which is fine.
" So you have to try to get your contracts around that and look at that when you are planning. Obviously we have been talking to Keiren for some time, and he's obviously wanted to see where we were and in what league etc. Now we know where we are though we can move on that and see if we can persuade him to stay.
" I spoke to one or two people after the game as you do, and we likened the winner to all sport. That it can be one golf shot after three or four days of a tournament, it can be one delivery in cricket or one shot and it just suddenly changes the course of something. In our game last night it was that one shot in that game, I think that there were two very tired teams going together.
" Andy Horn has gone up the tunnel to get the water etc. ready for extra-time, he has missed the goal and I can see Leeds preparing for that and thinking about extra-time. One shot, suddenly that's it finished, done, gone, you're out and it's all finished, all away. I know that I've had good support from the people who have been coming into Brunton Park who have had an exciting season. We're still upset and disappointed, so we just want to do better for them next time around. It seems a long way off at the minute but it will probably soon come around again. "