Carlisle United Football Club

“We’re preparing for this game in the way we would for any fixture,” he said. “The attention to detail will be exactly the same because we can’t accept the attitude that there’s nothing to play for.

“We’re professionals and we’ll get ready in a professional manner. There will be a fantastic atmosphere but we aren’t going out there for a kick about. We want three points. It’s important for us to show our appreciation for the valued support our fans have given us by playing the game in the right way.”

“Ronnie [Moore] has done a great job over there,” he commented. “He’s gone in at the right time and you do sometimes need a different skill set, as a manager, when you walk into a club which is low in confidence and feeling a bit fragile.

 

“The approach you take with the players has to be different because when a team is down at the bottom, they’re there for a reason. He’s dealt with that and I’m sure they’re absolutely delighted they’ll be in the Football League next season.”

“Our team will go out there on Saturday with direction, passion and a belief that what they’re doing is a mirror of what we’ve been working on through the week,” he explained. “We want to score goals, play free-flowing football and, when we don’t have possession of the ball, we want to get it back as quickly as possible. 

“There will be an opportunity for some players who haven’t played regularly to get a starting berth, and that will be to allow me to have a look at them so I can decide if they will be part of the future at this club.”

“The players are professionals and they know the expectations,” he said. “We won't take our foot off the gas and go out there to be embarrassed. We've got a group of staff who care about the results and the performance levels of all of the players. 

“The players always have a licence to express themselves. I never ask them to do something they can't do. There is an air of relief around the building, and some smiling faces, but the planning and preparation has been the same. The level of intensity hasn't changed and we're giving the players the same detailed information to enable them to go out and perform.”

“The size of the crowd we're expecting on Saturday is fantastic,” he agreed. “When I first came into the club everybody told me if I could get Carlisle United going I would get unbelievable backing from the fans. This place can be our twelfth man if we get results by playing the brand of football I know the fans want to see.

“It will be a good atmosphere on Saturday. It will be more relaxed than it potentially could have been for both teams. It was only two or three weeks ago when we secured safety, and Hartlepool managed it last weekend. 

“Myself and Colin West went over to watch them against Accrington and you could tell there was an anxiety around the football club. We met the owner and there was a realisation they could have lost their league status. It does cause a lot of worry so I’m pleased for them that they’ve got the results they needed.”