Cambridge v FGR

[Chris FGR]

So, after a few seasons break we're off to Cambridge again. Probably the sort of opposition that the Amber army thought they'd got away from playing when they finally got out of the Conf after all those years, but ha, you haven't.

Hoping that we tighten up and somehow get a clean sheet, which we were 5 minutes away from against Swindon. If we stop zonal marking at corners and put Sam Russell back in goal, then we'll have a better chance of doing that. If we don't it'll likely be another routine defeat.

 

[AmberRich]

I think the majority, if not most, U's fans will expect a win tomorrow. We've been in relatively good form and the loss to Mansfield was a little unlucky, I feel we should have got a draw.

We might have a few changes tomorrow. George Taft is available for selection again, and Greg Taylor went off late in the game on Saturday with a head injury though he might have recovered from that by now.

I didn't watch FGRs game on Friday and haven't followed them that well so far this season. How has Mark Roberts done? A lot fans were frustrated with him when he played for the U's but he did have some good spells in the team and some of the younger players say how helpful he was to have around. I remember him having some great performances when he's played against us previously so perhaps he'll have a blinder tomorrow if he plays.

 

[Arbury]

U's 14-0 joke club.

3,395 with 2 joke club fans.

KTF

 

[Chris FGR]

I didn't watch FGRs game on Friday and haven't followed them that well so far this season. How has Mark Roberts done? A lot fans were frustrated with him when he played for the U's but he did have some good spells in the team and some of the younger players say how helpful he was to have around. I remember him having some great performances when he's played against us previously so perhaps he'll have a blinder tomorrow if he plays.

Came into a struggling defence and looked a bit off the pace, especially when asked to play out from the back. Not the quickest either. Recently has started to look a bit more solid, helped by us naming the same back 4 for 3 games in a row, and also by Cooper getting us to take less risks playing out.

 

[The Jovial Forester]

Can't see us getting anything out of this, no changes that Cooper might make that will make much of a difference unless Osbourne gets up to speed sharpish. You'd hope some sort of penny would drop with the defending but as we've said, they're not really up to the zonal stuff. Have to hope for a dodgy ref who once had a bad experience in a Cambridge Travel Lodge.

 

[Vanni]

This is exactly the sort of game we tend not to do well in. This has happened far too often for me and my fellow U's liking so most of us are rarely confident ahead of such games, except those short memories and I see there are still quite a few of those around *. In recent years I can remember quite a few games when we thought we were in an easy win (Daggers, Crawley and Pools) only to witness a poor performance from our boys. The Pools game was the worst one afaic as they were winless on the road for ages before they beat us. So I certainly wouldn't say it's a lost cause if I were a Rovers fan. I also have my doubts on Derry when facing the struggling sides, as I believe he sets us up much better when playing a fellow mid table L2 side.

Still, I've got to stay positive so will go for a close 2-1 win for us, with no more than 3500 U's fans at The Abbey.

* I am most definitely not referring to Arbury and his 14-0 prediction as I know he's only kidding! Only to those on various social media platforms who are predicting easy 4 or 5 nil wins

 

[Laker]

Vanni, Hartlepool indeed was shocking but I'm going to throw Tranmere under Money into the ring. We lost against a side with 10 men that was on the most dreadful run iirc and ended up going down. But yeah, we're good at ending a side's bad run. This looks like a similar potential banana skin.

U's to win 15-0. Arbury is so negative these days.

 

[Chris FGR]

Vanni, Hartlepool indeed was shocking but I'm going to throw Tranmere under Money into the ring. We lost against a side with 10 men that was on the most dreadful run iirc and ended up going down. But yeah, we're good at ending a side's bad run. This looks like a similar potential banana skin.

U's to win 15-0. Arbury is so negative these days.

Anything less then 15 and the entire Cambridge management, squad, staff and supporters should all be immediately sacked.

 

[SVH]

2-0 to the U's. ibehre and Uche.

Looking forward to seeing how Roberts deals with Uche tonight.

 

[AmberRich]

1-0 win. Hopefully Brown gets his first goal.

 

[Habbinalan]

As with most U's fans (and Stags and Cumbrians and 'pies...............) I'm haunted by memories of deflation and frustration when we go on a half decent run and have a home match against a stuttering toothless bunch of relegation threatened underperforming leaderless sheep with a Posh-connected twat for a manager. Nothing personal FGR acolytes - Mark Roberts is a nice guy and I'm supporting your brief glimpse of the sunlit uplands of L2 by buying your gas and electricity.

I think we might win and win well. The guys are enjoying their football, getting used to each other and seem pretty motivated, with a growing confidence and assurance built on an experienced spine and knowledge that we'll create chances. I'm loving watching Piero morph from a winger at home in a 442 to a proper confident box to box midfielder in the diamond, whilst remaining able to get in the killer crosses...................and we have someone to get on the end of them at last.

I know we might screw it up yet again.

Injuries/tiredness permitting, it has to be the same first half team and tactics as we've deployed home and away for the last 4 matches. There are options for tweaking it at CH, LB and even further forward but no neccessity.

A modest sub 4,000 crowd will either see a flowing game of football and (finally) more than 2 goals in a match from the U's or (more likely) a frustrating succession of missed chances, a gifted first goal to FGR.........................................followed by a last ditch winner for a 2 - 1 victory.

Pessimists may be correct more often but optimism is more fun. Anyway, I'm having my flu jab today and apparently feeling good helps boost the antibodies.

 

[The Jovial Forester]

See Cooper is trying something different, Osbourne, Bugiel, Wishart and Iacovitti starting and his boy not even on the bench - understand he's not due a suspension even yet (ETA wrong there, apparently he is. Not sure why Noble's out) , was it a late injury or a sudden conversion from dad? Four nil win then
ETA and Russell in goal too, not sure how I missed that

 

[The Jovial Forester]

Hah, normal service. Few panics then done by a ball over the top.

 

[huddsmoose]

FGR look comfortable on the ball but I have not seen a worse defence since we returned to this level. We should be out of sight but our finishing has been woeful.

I have a strong suspicion that only scoring 1 will bite us squarely on the arse.

 

[The Jovial Forester]

FGR look comfortable on the ball but I have not seen a worse defence since we returned to this level. We should be out of sight but our finishing has been woeful.

I have a strong suspicion that only scoring 1 will bite us squarely on the arse.

On the radio sounds like panic stations nearly every time you come forward with unforced errors chucked in too.

 

[The Jovial Forester]

Jesus, start a bit brighter then frig about in defence and set up Ikpeazu. Doomed!

 

[The Jovial Forester]

Ikpeazu's feet will get tired from whacking it in soon enough then we're in.

 

[The Jovial Forester]

Amazing, thought we'd walk that one.

 

[dog]

Depressing. Time for Cooper to feck off.

 

[SVH]

Professional from us to get the job done. Could and should have been more whilst FGR looked dangerous going forward on the break.

Woeful at the back and unless something changes soon they'll be straight back down.

 

[cufc17]

Wish we still had Jabo

 

[Stripes]

A real dilemma for Mr Vince. Seriously nothing much can be done by whoever takes over. I doubt he'll admit defeat, and will continue to back Cooper.

I don't think there are many managers available that could possibly cleanup this mess.

It'll be a bloody long winter and spring before the misery can begin subside.

 

[Laker]

I only made the second half today so can only judge the bits I saw but we looked pretty decent I thought, good control over the game and always a threat. Deegan in particular looked good, along with the front two. Roberts looked dreadful.

Very comfortable win and I do think Forest Green need to shake things up a bit - they were miles off us.

 

[Vanni]

Get rid of Cooper and appoint Sir Richard Money instead FGR fans. He'll sort you lot out in no time at all.

 

[Tom_CUFC]

Very good when we needed to be, excellent, fair fucks to Derry, he's turned us around since Berry left and we've found a system that really works for us, let's hope it continues for a while yet and we can avoid either of the front two getting injured which would really balls us up.

I would bloody love it if FGR went down, and they looked top contenders tonight, but there's a long old way to go, and as Hartlepool and Newport have proven in recent years it only takes 3 or 4 good results at some point to sort you out.

 

[Chris FGR]

Well same old story for us, ok at times on the ball but lightweight as fuck, defence an utter shambles and just generally not good enough. We've been 3-0 down 4 times in our last 7 games, and look totally incapable of stopping teams scoring. We keep rotating our defence and keepers as well which probably isn't helping.

Cambridge decent, move the ball well, are a big strong side and took their goals well. Difficult to say how they'll do over the season, cos everyone is looking like world beaters against us.

 

[FGRJC]

Wasted journey yesterday the only good bit about it was it only took us 3 hours to get home. Cambridges front two were very very good or we made them look good! Cooper can fuck off.

 

[GTFCfish]

Hasn't Cooper been sacked yet?

 

[FGRJC]

Hasn't Cooper been sacked yet?

Unfortunately no, I think he'll have until the notts county game.

 

[Pablosammy]

Is he really in danger this early on? He won you promotion to the Football League, surely that counts for something?