MANAGER: Excitement, anticipation and nervousness

“This is a massive game,” he agreed. “We want a result on Saturday and we have good information about the strengths and weaknesses we can expect from York. 

“I think everybody who was at the game against York in Carlisle will know we went into it full of confidence. We’d beaten Northampton at home and we went away to Morecambe and beat them really well. 

“We expected the third victory to come on the Sunday, but there was a reason why we didn’t turn up on the day. We need to put that right, not only for our supporters who came to that home game, but for the travelling fans who will go there this weekend. There will be an expectation from them that we have got to compete.” 

“The best thing with Carlisle supporters away from home is that the 1,000 plus will sound like 3,000, and that’s fantastic for us,” he told us. “It’ll be a typical second division game played at a nice, tight ground. 

“The supporters will be right on top of us and you’ll be able to hear and feel everything. There’ll be excitement, anticipation and nervousness, and you have got to know what you’re doing, collectively and individually, as soon as you walk out on the pitch. It’s not going to be pretty but there’s definitely a result to be had.”

“I think they’ll make it a scrap,” he said. “It won’t be a game for the purists or for the statisticians. I expect them to pack the midfield and fight it out in there. They’ve got wide midfield players who can play inside the game and we have to be able to go up against that. 

“We’re in a battle at the moment and this is when we need every single Carlisle United supporter to come out and back us. The reality is that we’re in a dogfight and we need everybody to help to drive us forward. I’m sure we’ll get that again from our big following on Saturday afternoon.”