John Ward On The Preston Draw

Last updated : 27 July 2008 By Thetashkentterror

John Ward
United boss John Ward spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's Derek Lacey on Saturday evening as he talked about Carlisle's 2-2 pre-season draw at home to Preston, Ward also looking forward to the next home match coming up against Middlesbrough :


" It was a really good game for us, both with and without the ball. They are a good side and we knew that we were stepping up the ante in terms of bringing a Championship side, and we'll do it again on Tuesday when Middlesbrough come. We're looking at how we dealt with it though, the possession with the ball was good, it was positive and we got forward.

" Particularly in the second-half a little bit more, but I thought that the general shape of the team was interesting and something that I quite like. There is a lot of good movement and interchanging of positions, where we weren't flat and one-shaped and predictable, and I like that about the team.

" We said yesterday, I don't want to pile too many things on him (Michael Bridges) but he is a quality player that will being out good things in other people. As long as we can keep him right and fit, you have seen his attitude when you have spoken to him and seen him play today. He is absolutely spot-on, he is a big player without being a big-time person. I think he is just going to help what we have got here and if he can raise his game along with other people's then it's something to look forward to.

" He (Tyrone Cameron) got tired, it's the biggest game of his life and I've just given him the last two games, up here and at Chester on Tuesday. The kid has played academy football which is nice football I think, they talk more about development than winning. So he has got things to learn but there are a lot of good signs from the young fella. I've thrown him in at the deep end, I thought that there was no point just watching him in training, let's see what he does. "



" In the two half-games I have seen him play I have seen things about him that I quite like. I'm keeping him with us for another week as well, again at late notice yesterday he has cancelled his train ticket and said that he will stay. So the lad is showing real quality in terms of a personality about wanting a career, so I'll persevere with him. He's not for now, he's for later on if we want to do that, but he has shown enough in this game to say to me that he can do alright.

" Possibly this might have been my first eleven, but we still haven't seen Bristol Rovers, they are still abroad and still in Scandanavia. Again, that will examine me a bit in terms of how we play and what we do, they have got a couple of new signings that we need to find out about. I'm much more interested though in working on a shape, an organisation and some quality of play which I am seeing from our team here, with or without the ball.

" We have got three of our first four games away from home so I am looking at that particularly and saying that we need to be tight at the back and have the quality to go and hurt people at the other end. Without being far too open, which we maybe were guilty of that once or twice last year and I take that responsibility. So we are looking at being what we look at the moment, a bit more solid and having that quality to break and work at people when we are going forward.

" I'm going to be positive today but of course there are things we always keep working at and reminding people of. Some of the stuff that we worked on last year though, Greg (Abbott) and I at great length, things are becoming a little more natural to players. The word is getting through and I see people working shapes quickly and early and not having to be reminded by myself all the time.

" There is a nice rapport between the players as well. I do encourage people and players to shout but if people aren't listening then there is no point, so they have got to be good listeners too. So I think that people are learning good things at this football club and hopefully we can keep progressing. "



" When you are a forward player, I said to him (Scott Dobie) that I was going to start him wide on the right today and that we would have a little look at that. I said to him though that that doesn't stop him scoring, he'd done that at Kendal and he has come in and done it again today. He feels that way about his performance, he has got real pace as you have seen, he gets beyond people and he is getting those things in front of goal, which is really nice, so his confidence is very, very good.

" They (the fans) will be a bit like me, seeing what reaction there is to last season and the disappointment of that. I have had nothing but positive reaction from the team though, both in training, off the pitch, around the football club and what we are trying to do. So they will be pleased with what they have seen, I think that they afforded a nice reception to the boys at the end of the game.

" We made a number of changes though and I think that everybody that was coming on or coming off got well received by the supporters. Which informs me that they are pretty pleased with what they have seen as well, so we have got to work on improving and we'll do that. If we all stick together, the supporters, myself and the players then who knows what we can achieve, we'll keep working hard to do that.

" I think there is a possibility of some of the Joe Garner money coming into my fund. As we explained before publically, the club came out and explained the details of the agreement with Joe Garner. We also said about Keiren Westwood that that money doesn't come in automatically in one lump sum, it comes over a period of the times of the contracts of the players. So there is a smaller amount than keeps getting reported, yes £1.14 million sounds like it is just in the bank today and everybody is now going to throw it around.

" There isn't that much though and it has got to be carefully planned and worked at. I have bought one player in seven (Cleveland Taylor) since I came here, I'm not sure, people have their opinions but I'm not sure that too many of them have failed yet. We haven't paid transfer fees out for six and they have all done pretty well. I am not against transfer fees, of course I'm not, but I think that will club will be encouraged if I can go and find a player and say that I would like to do it, and I'm sure that I would get the support from them. "



" We had one striker that went out who would not be fit and available for me or anybody until November or December. So it was a question of making sure that we had that position and area covered. You have just seen three or four different strikers in positions today for our team today who have come on and done pretty well. Again people have their opinions about them and I have got to look after young Gary (Madine), he is not 18 until August but what a nice prospect to have around your football club.

" So I will be looking at all areas to try to strengthen, if a striker comes along that I think can help us and I can do it then I will. If it is another area and I have got a possibility then I will try to do that also, because I think that the team and the squad does need strengthening, although I am very happy with the quality at the minute.

" I was talking about stepping up a gear today with a Championship side, and no disrespect to the other people that we have played this pre-season but Middlesbrough do it again. They have international players and players of top quality. They reflect on Carlisle I think, that they want to come here and have a game. Preston have put a very strong team and squad out and have given us massive respect, and I'm sure that Middlesbrough will do the same.

" So again, a big learning curve for a lot of my players, they won't have played at that level. Danny Graham will want to do well because it his is old club, that type of thing, so I think that there are a lot of interesting factors in the game on Tuesday. Not the least that we have got a very attractive team coming to play us.

" He (Chris Lumsdon) is suffering a bit, he tried to train yesterday and felt the back again. It was my decision to take him out of training, he is a bit distraught, he feels that he is missing out, which he is. We can't do anything though if he is not quite fit, and he is not quite well enough at the minute to continue, so we are just going to have to persevere. We are all disappointed, we felt that he would be fit by this weekend, and to certainly get even 20 minutes today would have been great for him. That has not been possible though and we are just going to have to hope that he gets recovered quickly. "