Near the end of his first full season at Cambridge United, Paul Carden talks about his dual role as team captain and assistant manager and reviews the season so far.
Cardy was our first interviewee of the season so it seems fitting in this supplementary programme to review the campaign with him and talk about his second play-off campaign with Cambridge United.
Having joined on loan from Accrington Stanley in November 2007 and played a major role in United's run to last year's play-off final, Paul signed permanently in June and took on the additional role as assistant manager to new manager and good friend Gary Brabin.
"It's been a new experience for me; I've seen the game from a different angle and I've really enjoyed it and I hope it's the first of many seasons being involved in the management side of things," says Paul.
"Gary Brabin and Stuart Bimson have been brilliant, the Chairman has played his part and he's been brilliant, and all the players too. Because of their dedication and how well they've done, they've made settling into the role easier than it might have been otherwise."
The Liverpool-born 30-year-old stated when he took the role that he wanted to work with the younger players and help them make the transition to the first team, and he is pleased that he has managed to find a balance between playing for the first team and doing some coaching too.
"When the starting eleven have had a day off, I've often taken the rest of the lads and the young ones for training sessions," he confirms. "Also, we plan our training sessions quite meticulously and I have quite a big say in the structure of the sessions, so I think I've found a good balance.
"The manager is keen for me to concentrate on playing but at the same time he wants me to learn this side of my trade with a bit less pressure, so he's let me do the sessions on the days when the lads need work, rather than on days when it's structured towards the starting eleven because obviously I need to be involved in those sessions as a player.
"So the balance has been quite good and that's down to the manager and Stuart Bimson (above). I read Stuart's interview and he said they get a good angle from me and my opinion from the playing side. Obviously they're looking it from another angle so when we come off the training ground we all talk about the session, and in 99% of the training sessions we've achieved what we set out to do."
Quietly spoken and articulate off the pitch, and tigerish and competitive on it, Paul is also pleased that his new role hasn't changed his relationship with the players: "We still have the same banter and the same craic. There's obviously a bit more responsibility with the role but they're all good lads and that's very evident in the dressing room.
"New lads come in and they can see it straightaway. Lads come on loan and they're instantly made to feel part of it, and that helps everybody's situation; whether it be a new player coming in or a new assistant manager or a new coach, everybody is made to feel good because the lads all get on really well and there's a good atmosphere."
That team spirit has definitely helped performances on the pitch this season, and Cardy revealed that a lot of work goes into checking into a player's background and character before he is brought to the club.
"When we sign players we do a lot of 'digging' to find out what type of people they are; not just the quality of the player, you need to know the quality of the person too. We feel we've done that really well this season and that's helped with the performances because - irrespective of their ability - it only takes a few bad eggs to disrupt the dressing room and affect what happens on the pitch. So I feel that's a massive factor in how we've done this season."
Asked if any players have really pleased him with their progress this season, Paul points to the younger members of the first team squad: "Robbie Willmott, Chris Holroyd, Josh Coulson when he's played, Jai Reason since he's come here on loan.
"Obviously you see more of an improvement in the younger lads than in the senior pros because you know what you're going to get from the older players, but I don't think anyone has had what you'd call a bad season. Everybody has played their part, but certainly those four have come in as young lads and done fantastically well, and all credit to them for getting their heads down and working hard and wanting to learn."
Having struck up a new central midfield partnership with Ipswich loanee Jai Reason in the last two months, he also acknowledged the way the 19-year-old has fitted in despite having never played a first team game before he arrived.
"He's a big lad, a boy in a man's body, and he's taken to it like a duck to water. His first game away at Kidderminster was a massive game and he probably didn't realise how massive it was for us, but he came into it raw and hungry and showed a youthfulness that was really refreshing, and along with the other young lads that youthfulness has been a factor in what could be a really good season for us."
Having experienced the play-offs here last season, does Paul feel the club and squad is better equipped for success this year?
"There's only myself, Pottsy, Glees, Wayne Hatswell and Pitty still here who were actually involved in it last year so for a lot of this squad we've put together the play-offs is a relatively new experience," he says.
"But, having said that, it's about how we approach each play-off game. Once you get there, you do what you can to win each game. We've been training with game plans for the away leg and the home leg and your experience throughout the season comes into play. I don't think we can look back too much on last season, but hopefully we can right the wrongs of it and go one better than we did last season.
"That's the only thing I'm looking to change from last season - that's the goal."
Last week, Paul received the club website award for 'Goal of the Season' in recognition of his stunning strike against Oxford United. It was a televised game and his second half equaliser earned him the Setanta 'Goal of the Month' for February, and then received more votes than Wayne Hatswell's volley at Histon in the website's end of season poll.
"I don't score many goals so I'm delighted to be voted 'goal of the season' and to get it for the only one I've scored this season is a bit special, but we've scored a lot of good goals this season," he adds modestly.
"Wayne Hatswell has scored a couple of crackers, Danny Crow chipped in with a good one and there have been others too... and the manager says it's because I've been watching him in training. You can believe that if you want!"
Put on the spot to pick his favourite game of the season so far, he refers again to the 3-1 win at Kidderminster in February, when Jai Reason made a nerveless debut and Scott Rendell and a brace from Chris Holroyd secured a valuable win.
"The whole team was different class and it was a thoroughly deserved win," he says. "We steamrolled one of the better sides in the division."
Having been paired with Stevenage in the play-offs, after taking one point from our two league meetings this season, Paul is looking forward to two highly competitive matches.
"Stevenage are quite similar to ourselves; they've changed their side a bit from last season and it took them a while to get going, but they've been on a great run of 20-odd games unbeaten and it's only in the last few weeks that they've slipped up, like most of the top six teams.
"But they're up there on merit and they'll be a tough side to play against, like they always are. Graham Westley puts together a strong side with a lot of good players from this league and they have a go at it every season, so these will be tough games but they'll be thinking the same about us.
"They'll be thinking they're in for a tough game, and hopefully it will be too tough for them."
Closing with a message for the supporters, Paul concluded, "Please just put in the same effort as you have all season, and a little bit more if you can. I'm gutted that everyone has to dig deep again to fork out for match tickets and hopefully another day out at Wembley, but I'm sure everyone will think it was worth it if we win it.
"So please just keep backing the team and getting behind the lads, no matter what, and give them your full support because everyone notices the great support we have, including the teams we play against.
"The support has been immense this season and hopefully that support can push us on to League Two next season."
Andrea Thrussell
web@cambridge-united.co.uk
*An edited version of this interview was published in the programme for the Play-off semi-final second leg against Stevenage Borough on Monday 5th May 2009.
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