Greg Abbott not getting carried away yet

Feb 16 2010 by Mark Douglas, The Journal

HAVING seen his Carlisle United team earn a place at Wembley and chalk up their biggest victory for three years in the space of a few days, Greg Abbott reckons the biggest challenge facing his in-form players is not to get carried away by their recent success.

Saturday’s 5-0 walloping of MK Dons rounded off the sweetest seven days that Carlisle have experienced since promotion to the third tier in 2006 – and confirmed the recent renaissance under the affable Abbott.

But as the Carlisle boss has been at pains to point out in the run up to tonight’s meeting with promotion-chasing Huddersfield Town, inconsistency has been the Cumbrians’ biggest enemy in recent years.

That is why talk of the play-offs and Wembley places has been flung out of the window by a boss determined to keep his feet on the ground while others talk up his squad.

“Never mind promotion we’re heading for Europe now,” Abbott joked.

“Seriously, the biggest challenge in this kind of position is keeping everyone focused and not letting ourselves get carried away by recent results.

“I said to them that we all know how well we have done recently, but don’t forget how hard we have all collectively worked to get here.

“The other thing that happens when you start to put a few results together is that expectations go up and it is all about coping with that as well, because people might be expecting us to do something against Huddersfield now. That is a slightly new position for some of the lads.”