BTFG Cambridge

[Greatwesternline]

We're just going to be a hopefully mid-table League 1 team as opposed to a lower table Championship team.

Things could get worse not better, academy players who just broke through would have been on a huge high which brings massive confidence.

Many more defeats in a row and then you have people online slagging them off, the terraces slagging them off, booing, and the confidence will drop like a stone. Then all you have left is a bunch of inexperienced players afraid to take risks, which leads to long ball football.

This season feels precarious to me. We are 3 results away from being in a season long relegation battle in my opinion. Alternatively if some good results come along we could push on.

In league 1 it feels like a lot of games can't be that easily explained away by tactics. Things just happen in games quite a bit more without a definitive plan. As the standard of players drops, so does the ability to execute game plans i suspect.

[PieEater]

One thing I will say about Cambridge (if any of their fans read this). I was impressed by the pace in their side on the wings. You showed us how to play with wingers. Clearly exploited Carson who I think needs to be dropped for a few games, not for much he's done wrong but feel like LB is a weak link and the opposition are targeting him.

Yes they did. They pressed well, they defended well and they used the wings well. Credit where it’s due, they were organised and had a solid game plan. Brophy is a good player

I don’t think Carson had a particularly bad game. The turning point was when Mbengue got knackered (again) and we had to change FBs. Don’t think the goal would have happened if Yiadom had still been LB

We’re asking too much of our FBs imo. Mbengue can’t seem to last the game and Carson is great on the ball but not the best defender

I agree about the wingers, they both took on the full backs, beat them and put in decent crosses. We have pretty well nobody who can do that, except maybe NGW.

I think critisim of Carson is a bit harsh, his defending isn't great but he's the only one to put crosses into our vertically challenged attack.

[Hound]

One thing I will say about Cambridge (if any of their fans read this). I was impressed by the pace in their side on the wings. You showed us how to play with wingers. Clearly exploited Carson who I think needs to be dropped for a few games, not for much he's done wrong but feel like LB is a weak link and the opposition are targeting him.

Yes they did. They pressed well, they defended well and they used the wings well. Credit where it’s due, they were organised and had a solid game plan. Brophy is a good player

I don’t think Carson had a particularly bad game. The turning point was when Mbengue got knackered (again) and we had to change FBs. Don’t think the goal would have happened if Yiadom had still been LB

We’re asking too much of our FBs imo. Mbengue can’t seem to last the game and Carson is great on the ball but not the best defender

I agree about the wingers, they both took on the full backs, beat them and put in decent crosses. We have pretty well nobody who can do that, except maybe NGW.

I think critisim of Carson is a bit harsh, his defending isn't great but he's the only one to put crosses into our vertically challenged attack.

Vickers put in some good crosses after beating his man - ie the Knibbs crossbar chance at the end

Watching that back, dunno how he hasn’t scored that. Looked a goal all the way. Git commentator yelling he’s given it before changing his mind 5 secs later

[Snowflake Royal]

I think you get way too hung up on the passing out from the back thing. We did it well yesterday most of the time, and we don’t tediously pass between centre backs. It’s no Stamball

It was one of the things we did pretty well tbh, Button and Abbey big parts of that. Now the midfield need to show themselves better

And hitting it long, or out to the wings really didn’t work at all. Again if you have Kelv and Smith it might do

If you think that was doing it well I despair.

Why? What wasn’t being done well? You just don’t like the style

What we definitely didn’t do well was play it long

We didn't get anywhere. It was static. There were few forward options. Abbey frequently just stands with the ball at his feet looking at no options and then passing back or sideways.

[BarryWhiteRFC]

I'm not seeing that at all.

There's very little 'should be beating Cambridge'.

Just frustration at leaving out our top scorer, tactics of high balls to Vickers against Bennett and Morrison and a lack of creativity.

I've seen all our league games and I'd say bar second half against Vale, that was our worst performance.

It's a very young team that will improve, but at the moment the balance is wrong.

We look like conceding any time the game opens up and there's a break where someone can run at us and cross. At least without Binden.

Football fans do make me laugh. Your first post "stop playing it out from the back", next post, "shouldn't be playing long balls".

How should we get the ball forward pray tell?

It's a young side learning. Just try and enjoy the ride. We'll have bad weeks and we'll have good weeks. Lets hope we have enough good weeks to keep us in this division.

If you can't work out there's a world of options between hoofing to short or isolated players, and tedious passing between centrebacks that goes nowhere, I think it's beyond my abilities to educate you.

The old, 'I haven't really got an answer so I'll insult you' classic. Needless to say playing it out from the back isn't know as "playing it between centrebacks." It just a by-product of the system.

[Hound]

If you think that was doing it well I despair.

Why? What wasn’t being done well? You just don’t like the style

What we definitely didn’t do well was play it long

We didn't get anywhere. It was static. There were few forward options. Abbey frequently just stands with the ball at his feet looking at no options and then passing back or sideways.

Yep that’s the lack of movement or poor control in midfield.

If the issue is the transition of the ball from the back 4 to the midfield I’m with you, it wasn’t good enough. The interaction between Button and the back 4 I thought was good

[Snowflake Royal]

Why? What wasn’t being done well? You just don’t like the style

What we definitely didn’t do well was play it long

We didn't get anywhere. It was static. There were few forward options. Abbey frequently just stands with the ball at his feet looking at no options and then passing back or sideways.

Yep that’s the lack of movement or poor control in midfield.

If the issue is the transition of the ball from the back 4 to the midfield I’m with you, it wasn’t good enough. The interaction between Button and the back 4 I thought was good

We agree.

My issue is rarely with the defenders. Unless they play stupidly risky passes under pressure or put each other or the keeper under unnecessary pressure. Which they didn’t.

Midfield and manager are my bones of contention. And of course the fact I hate the approach. It's for good, slick, confident and organised teams who are better than most the division. Which is rarely us.

[stealthpapes]

We're just going to be a hopefully mid-table League 1 team as opposed to a lower table Championship team.

Things could get worse not better, academy players who just broke through would have been on a huge high which brings massive confidence.

Many more defeats in a row and then you have people online slagging them off, the terraces slagging them off, booing, and the confidence will drop like a stone. Then all you have left is a bunch of inexperienced players afraid to take risks, which leads to long ball football.

This season feels precarious to me. We are 3 results away from being in a season long relegation battle in my opinion. Alternatively if some good results come along we could push on.

In league 1 it feels like a lot of games can't be that easily explained away by tactics. Things just happen in games quite a bit more without a definitive plan. As the standard of players drops, so does the ability to execute game plans i suspect.

Put this in iambic pentameter
And frame it all for the resident fools

[stealthpapes]

We didn't get anywhere. It was static. There were few forward options. Abbey frequently just stands with the ball at his feet looking at no options and then passing back or sideways.

Yep that’s the lack of movement or poor control in midfield.

If the issue is the transition of the ball from the back 4 to the midfield I’m with you, it wasn’t good enough. The interaction between Button and the back 4 I thought was good

We agree.

My issue is rarely with the defenders. Unless they play stupidly risky passes under pressure or put each other or the keeper under unnecessary pressure. Which they didn’t.

Midfield and manager are my bones of contention. And of course the fact I hate the approach. It's for good, slick, confident and organised teams who are better than most the division. Which is rarely us.

Fitness, organisation and commitment get you a long way in Championship, and clearly also in League One. Our endless lack of a pre-season does not help. The fact we've had about a manager a year since relegation from the Prem does not help. I know I would prefer it to work with kids, but that's why I've decided to do as many away days this year as I plan to.

[Za Vas]

Thought we were bullied last night, although it’s hardly surprising given 7 of the 11 were 22 or younger. The only exception to that being at centre back where Abbey continues to impress and Dean did an ok job, albeit Bindon has looked more solid from the football I’ve seen so far this season. Carson looks a little out of his depth although he did put in a few dangerous crosses. Mola, too early to judge but didn’t cover himself in glory for their winner – left back is a concern. Despite what some on here are saying I felt Azeez put in a good shift also.

It’s early days so I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, but Selles needs a game plan for when teams sit deep. Cambridge were quite happy to let us have the ball in our half and we clearly had no plan to break them down. It was frustrating that we continued to pump balls into the box for Vickers, who frankly didn’t stand a chance in the air against Morro/Bennett. We needed the game to be end to end to create anything threatening, but with Cambridge winning the 2nd ball/being stronger in the 50/50s, that played right in to their hands.

Despite the poor performance, I am more invested in this team than any other for the last 5 or 6 seasons . When (/if, but hopefully when) it clicks, I think there is a decent enough side in there to give us a mid/lower-mid table finish this season, and set us up quite nicely for next.

[Hound]

Agree with most of that

We’re too reliant on Ehibhatiomhan which was my fear from deadline day. Vickers or Azeez haven’t scored this season and don’t especially look like scoring

Do feel we’ll be a lot better side when Smith is back, and hopefully Ballard. Smith and Ehib up front is a proper aerial threat

[WestYorksRoyal]

Agree with most of that

We’re too reliant on Ehibhatiomhan which was my fear from deadline day. Vickers or Azeez haven’t scored this season and don’t especially look like scoring

Do feel we’ll be a lot better side when Smith is back, and hopefully Ballard. Smith and Ehib up front is a proper aerial threat

Our defensive record is pretty good. 5 conceded in 6, 2 clean sheets. We need more goals, we've had three 1-0 defeats. Crying out for Ballard and Smith to be ready, but makes me feel relatively confident that when they're available we'll start picking up more points.

[Royal Rother]

If you think that was doing it well I despair.

Why? What wasn’t being done well? You just don’t like the style

What we definitely didn’t do well was play it long

Abbey frequently just stands with the ball at his feet looking at no options and then passing back or sideways.

Indeed. Like the centre backs for Man City, Arsenal, Man Utd, Liverpool et al do.

[Snowflake Royal]

Why? What wasn’t being done well? You just don’t like the style

What we definitely didn’t do well was play it long

Abbey frequently just stands with the ball at his feet looking at no options and then passing back or sideways.

Indeed. Like the centre backs for Man City, Arsenal, Man Utd, Liverpool et al do.

[Snowflake Royal]

Just realised I haven’t been to a single game we've won since 2019.

Think I'm pretty chipper considering.

[Royal Rother]

Abbey frequently just stands with the ball at his feet looking at no options and then passing back or sideways.

Indeed. Like the centre backs for Man City, Arsenal, Man Utd, Liverpool et al do.

Yeah, thought that would shut you up for a bit.

[Uke]

We're just going to be a hopefully mid-table League 1 team as opposed to a lower table Championship team.

Things could get worse not better, academy players who just broke through would have been on a huge high which brings massive confidence.

Many more defeats in a row and then you have people online slagging them off, the terraces slagging them off, booing, and the confidence will drop like a stone. Then all you have left is a bunch of inexperienced players afraid to take risks, which leads to long ball football.

This season feels precarious to me. We are 3 results away from being in a season long relegation battle in my opinion. Alternatively if some good results come along we could push on.

In league 1 it feels like a lot of games can't be that easily explained away by tactics. Things just happen in games quite a bit more without a definitive plan. As the standard of players drops, so does the ability to execute game plans i suspect.

Put this in iambic pentameter
And frame it all for the resident fools

Via ChatGPT…

In League One's midst, we hope to stand,
Not languish low in Championship's sand.
Yet darker days, they might unfurl their cloak,
For young academy stars, a hopeful yoke.

Their rise, a soaring flight, their spirits high,
Confidence immense, they touch the sky.
But should defeats in succession tightly bind,
Online and terraces, harsh words we'll find.

The jeers, the boos, their confidence may drain,
A plummeting stone, their hearts in pain.
Inexperienced, they fear to dare and strive,
Long ball football, the game they may contrive.

This season feels precarious, I must say,
Three results away from battles, night and day.
Or with good fortune's grace, we might ascend,
In League One's realm, our fate, we shall defend.

In this league, tactics often lose their way,
Chaos reigns, and plans may fray.
As players' skills decline, so too it seems,
The grand game's plan dissolves like fleeting dreams

[Uke]

Idiots motivationally booing a young team at the end can fcuk off

[Snowflake Royal]

Indeed. Like the centre backs for Man City, Arsenal, Man Utd, Liverpool et al do.

Yeah, thought that would shut you up for a bit.

No, it's just so stupid it's not worth anything else.

[blythspartan]

Now the dust has settled we were a couple of millimetres away from getting a draw last night, which would have been a decent result given Cambridge’s recent home record.

I think as mentioned I’d like to see Elliott play in centre midfield and I’d play Vickers as a winger. For me Azeez flatters to deceive and he doesn’t look good enough for League One level.

Also, as has been stated their wingers were terrific and maybe Vickers and NGW could be used as out and out wingers for us.

I’m afraid I am rubbish when it comes to formations and I have always loved 4-4-2, but would a 4-3-3 work better with the way Selles wants us to play?