Neil McDonald - Radio Cumbria Interview

Last updated : 29 March 2007 By Thetashkentterror

Blues manager Neil McDonald
United boss Neil McDonald spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's Derek Lacey on Monday afternoon as he talked about the thumping 5-0 win at home to Gillingham last Saturday and what his playing squad plans were for next season :


" It finished off a great weeks work, to score five, that's my biggest win, and to finish off a team for the first time this season is just what we needed at the right time. I was surprised by the size of the crowd and hopefully they are disappointed that they missed a five goal win, and hopefully they'll come back for the next game.

" We've got Tranmere and we can draw up level on points with Tranmere, they are coming off a defeat away from home. I've been to their ground a few times and I've spoken to the Managing Director and she wants promotion, so they are under more pressure than we are. Our aim was to stay in this league, I think we've done that and if we can just finish off the season then I think we've got a big hand in who goes up and who goes in the play-offs with the teams that we have got to play.

" There are still some cracking games to come, but where has the season gone?, the season seems to have flown over. We're still very much working hard on the training ground though which I think showed on Saturday and we'll work hard again this week knowing that we can beat Tranmere away from home.

" It's the first time for a while we've played without the wind I suppose, and I think that showed. Even with the sending-off I think we were totally in control of the game, we just needed that second goal and when the second goal came we really finished them off. That's what we should have done to a few teams this season but we haven't. The pleasing thing is that we kept on putting the ball in the right areas which we've been working on over the last couple of months. Everything came to the fore, which was a great moment.

" If you put the ball in the right areas then that's where you will score goals. Hopefully that's not the last time that we score another five. Apart from a few games where we haven't done ourselves justice, and that was certainly one away against Gillingham, we've put that right which is excellent. We've had a good result against Tranmere at home and we're hoping to do that again on Saturday. If we win then we are level on points with them and the teams above us have to keep on winning. "



" Oldham scraped a draw in the last couple of minutes and Tranmere were beaten over the weekend so there are teams above us feeling the pressure a touch. We have to go into each game not trying to feel that pressure, with a freedom that if we get there then that would be fantastic but it's no the be-all and end-all for us. It is for them and that's the pressure they have to deal with. It's another more local game, I'm sure after Saturday's result there will be a fair few going. They know that we have improved our away form and this is a game that we can certainly win that's for sure.

" If I was truthful I didn't think we'd be this close at this stage of the season, but at the same time you try to set high standards and you try to set goals. The goal was to try to finish in the top half and if we could sneak a promotion place then that would be fantastic, but we've given ourselves half a chance really. I know Blackpool play during the week against Rotherham tomorrow and that will determine whether or not we're closer or further away. At the same time though, the games that we have to play gives us a chance to be right up there and in with a shout.

" I'm trying to speak to all the players at the moment, the ones who have been offered, I'm waiting for them to come back. When we hear of that we'll release it as soon as we possibly can and let everybody know what is happening. We made enquiries, even before the transfer deadline on players. It was disappointing in one way to say that we couldn't have some of the players that we were asking for before the deadline, but at the same time we have laid the seeds to certain managers. They have said that we can't do it now but come back at the end of the season and we'll try to do business.

" That's encouraging in a way and if we can try to get a couple signed on or get a couple lined up just before the end of the season finishes, or even before pre-season starts then that would be fantastic. I'm not so sure it's extra pressure, I'm not sure what you are supposed to do and how you are supposed to do it, so I don't think it's a pressure anyway. We've been trying very, very hard behind the scenes to strengthen the squad, I think we've done that gradually and slowly.

" We have to make sure that we get the right people in in the summer because we have a very good squad. If we bring somebody in that doesn't enhance the squad and make the squad better then it's the wrong signing. We've been very careful on who we've brought in and who we have tried to bring in, and we'll certainly do that at the end of the season as well.

" You have to work through a budget but they (the board) are very understanding. They've been fantastic so far because we've brought two players in in (Paul) Thirlwell and (Jeff) Smith and we've had to pay money for them. The loan signings have come from top football clubs, and they have been very supportive on that and they've been a huge big help. With having a new manager there were always doubts on how he was going to do, how the team was going to do. Hopefully we've proved that we both can do it, I can do it as well as the players can do it, we do need to strengthen of course if the goal is set higher next year. "



" It's just finding that balance and I think we have a decent balance in the team. We have some players with vast experience, and some that haven't, and it's just finding that mixture where you don't have too many of one or the other. You can't always buy young players because they are inconsistent sometimes, and you have to have that balance, and we'll certainly have that balance in the summer as well.

" We tried to speak to Blackburn about trying to sign Joe (Garner) and they have said no at the moment. We can go back though, I've got to speak to them anyway on how he has been doing and see what their thoughts are. See if Joe still wants to come, Joe might fancy playing a higher level if Blackburn want him to do that. Joe might get into Blackburn's first team because of the way he has played for Carlisle and he's scored goals, there are plenty of twists and turns on that. I'll be speaking to Mark (Hughes) in the summer to see what is happening, and see where he sees Joe's future.

" You never know, you would think that he will probably buy another couple of centre-forwards because they are aiming for Europe, and they are aiming to be as high as they possibly can in the Premiership. We have to see what really happens and see how it goes from there but he's done fantastically well for us. We've still got seven games to go so we'll see how he fares in those seven games.

" I think we have asked him (Johann Smith) to play wide, which he probably hasn't played wide, he's an out-and-out centre-forward to be fair to him. He has attributes which we are trying to use, and I think he used them very, very well when he came on on Saturday. He's still a young lad and he's played three or four on the bounce which is excellent. When he came on he made a huge difference, he stretched them and that gave us the space to finish Gillingham off.

" When you win 5-0 everyone can't wait until we play the next game now. We have to make sure that we are not complacent, it's going to be a very difficult game against Tranmere on Friday. We have to make sure that we play it properly and we have done over the last month or so. We just need to keep the form going because we are putting teams under pressure. If you win two or three games on the trot then that puts pressure on the teams above you but if you win five then that makes everybody sit and up think 'hang on a second, they must be in some sort of form.' Hopefully that will be the case on Friday. "