Carlisle back under-fire Abbott

Allen insists the club's playing squad will be reduced next season

Carlisle United chief executive David Allen has revealed Greg Abbott will remain as manager next season even if the club are relegated.

Allen confirmed the club will stick by their manager regardless of the outcome of their League One relegation battle.

"I do think that we would have to give him a chance if we went down," he told BBC Radio Cumbria.

"We do think that Greg has done a good job. He has taken criticism because all the decisions are not perfect."

The Cumbrians lie two points and two places above the League One relegation zone after a run of just one win in 11 games.

Abbott replaced John Ward as manager in October, signing an 18-month contract at Brunton Park.

"Overall though he has done a good job in the circumstances," Allen said.

Our gates are down...and that does have an impact on our finances (so) what will happen is the playing squad will have to be cut

Carlisle chief executive David Allen

"He has got a squad that wasn't his to start with and no doubt he will make some changes there.

"I think that we would need to be fighting to get back up straight away, there is no doubt about that. We are not looking at going down at the moment, we are looking at doing everything we can to stay up," he added.

Allen also revealed to BBC Radio Cumbria's Matchnight programme that the playing squad at Brunton Park is set to be cut in number regardless of what division Carlisle are in next season.

"Our gates are down...and that does have an impact on our finances (so) what will happen is the playing squad will have to be cut."

The Cumbrians have seen a significant drop in attendances in a disappointing season after failing to go up via the play-offs last year.

"I'm not convinced the gates would go down just purely because we go down into League Two.

"Statistics show that people want to see a winning team so people might want to come and support them even more to see us get back up, because we would be fighting to get back up if the worst came to the worst."

"It's a very, very difficult time for us," he said. "We're fighting now and just doing everything we can to stay up."

"I think the fans realise we're doing what we can. We brought in Ian Harte and Ian Morris late in the day to boost our squad, we're doing all we can."

Allen has also called on the club's supporters to get behind their manager and team over the final five games of the season.

"We are just rallying all the fans that we can to get behind Greg and get behind the squad." he said.

"The fans are the 12th player so we just want as many people down there as we can get down on Friday, and let's get behind Greg and cheer them on."