John Ward - Radio Cumbria Interview

Last updated : 24 October 2008 By Thetashkentterror

John Ward
United boss John Ward spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's Derek Lacey on Thursday ahead of Saturday's League One match away to Colchester, Ward talking about his own position as well as giving an update on Carlisle's injured players :


" It doesn't get any better and I needed the whole of Wednesday just to get myself back in to the frame, I spoke to you about who gives me a lift? I'm fine now in terms of that though, getting back on, it sometimes just takes it's toll as you say. It really was a bit of a shock to me in that respect but I have got to get back on and we've got to go and play at Colchester.

" That is something that we said in the dressing-room, we have got no choice, we go to Colchester on Saturday and we have got to perform. We have got to put that onus on the people, everybody, my coaching staff and myself particularly to make sure that we get that out of the players.

" I think that getting it out of the system goes to younger people more than anybody. I am a bit older and a bit wiser, I have been round these things once or twice before where you have had a tough run and what do you do about it. You recall from your experiences before, which are not very good.

" Some of my guys here are experiencing this for the first time, they have maybe been at other clubs or been at this club for three or four years and have been patted on the back for everything that they have done, and quite rightly. Then now suddenly the criticism is hitting a bit sharper than they like, so it is something that they have got to deal with.

" It's for me to try to get my experiences over the past number of years into those players and say that it is OK, it will turn around and it will come back, when they are maybe not quite sure it will at the moment. So that is where I have got to really now go, along with my coaching staff, and go and really earn our corn at getting into this group of young players in turning this situation back round very quickly. "



" My personal aim is to win the next game, I don't pay attention to what you have just said about how long I am going to give it. I'm not going to sit here and think that if I don't win the next four then I will resign or they will sack me. What is the point of thinking that way? There are enough negatives around without me getting involved in it, and I have got to be the last person that goes negative.

" So rule me out of that one if that answers your question. All my work has got to be about the next game, I don't think about leaving the team for a couple of games and seeing how it gets on. I am looking at individual players, thinking that if he is not doing it then he has got to come out now, if he is doing it then he has got to come in now, that kind of thing.

" So I can't offer too many further opportunities to players if I have got other options to make a choice. We looked at Evan (Horwood) and said that he has done OK but he has made some errors, to be fair chatting to Evan he agreed with the decision for him to come out. He said that he needed to work at his game, fine, good lad, with those sort of players I know that we will pull through, and that kind of approach to it.

" Darren Campion came in and did fine though, so other players, like I have said about my goalkeeper, they are not immune from alterations and that has got to be the total focus of my thinking. I just cannot get involved in what you have just said there because I might as well pack it in now if I get thinking about four games and I am not going to be here.

" It is just ridiculous in that sense for me to be considering that. So other people will tell me, I am just working very hard with my coaching staff, who are right behind what we are trying to do. I have to say that I have got great support with Greg (Abbott) and Dennis (Booth) and the guys in the next office to us, and on the pitch we are looking for that to be returned as well. "



" Danny Graham is fine, Danny Graham is a fighter and I have just seen that in the last two or three games, I am absolutely delighted with him by the way. When I am looking for people to fight the cause, he has not missed training but he has got a very sore knee, he has got four stitches in it.

" That is something that could take lesser players out of the contest, particularly in this situation for some time. Not him though, great credit to him, he is out there fighting, he is training again today, he doesn't even want to miss a day of training. He will be there on Saturday and he will be fighting that cause again, so a lot of great credit for Danny.

" Paul Thirlwell trained on Wednesday and he will train again today (Thursday). We will see how he goes, whether we stick him on the trip. (Chris) Lumsdon is doing well but he is going to be a while away obviously. We got Scott Dobie back after very little, he only trained on Monday but we had to throw him on the bench, so he is fit in that respect. Gary Madine should train today (Thursday), which will be good news.

" On the darker side, Peter Murphy is going to have a keyhole operation on the knee. We are going to have a look in that knee, it is not right, he trained OK on Monday but on Tuesday and Wednesday when we were away it didn't work for him. So we have made the decision that we need to have a look, we think that there is something a little bit more sinister than we were able to find on the scan. So he is the only one really which is a shame at this moment in time, but the other guys are coming back onto the training pitch and that in itself will give us a lift.

" Michael (Bridges) is still missing out on the training ground, he went across to Hull to get the knee assessed, obviously he is still their player officially so we have got to work between the two football clubs. He is back in today and we will have a look at him here. You need your experience, you need guys to pull us through and unfortunately we can't have Michael who was just coming back. At Rochdale he found his goal and did OK and everybody wanted him in the side, but we have just missed out on him and he is as disappointed as anybody at the minute. "