Brief Synopsis!!! (Cambridge)

[hermangelmet]

I'm not sure what I've witnessed today, a team so lopsided, it's laughable.

On the left side we are Argyle boys, making triangles tearing the opposition apart, on the right side we are Argyle boys stepping inside and not creating anything at all and in this position Edwards brings only his defensive attributes.

When Bakinson had cocked up for the nth time and we needed a change in the centre of midfield, it was only right for Edwards to move there but instead he was hooked for other tactical changes. Cooper was rightly brought on, but in the wrong exchange imo.

In the first halt we failed to convert our chances, in the second we failed to create them.

 

[rsp4]

So Cambridge played as we did under our previous manager. Go out not to lose and it proved fruitful for them. BUT what turgid football :banghead:

We had chances and some fairly good ones at that but we looked knackered.

I thought taking Jeph off was a mistake to be honest but we were better with Cooper on and Moore (what a tidy player) moving back to LWB.

Bakinson I'm afraid is not on it. I must sound like a broken record but boy he is a struggle. Hurry back Josh Grant.

The good thing I suppose is that Palmer had nothing to do. We saw that a few times with opposition keepers in the past 3 years.

Nothing to worry about yet nor any knee jerking required.. we are 1 point of the automatics and 4 off top with 12 to go. I would have taken that at the end of September.

Our best staring 11 is with Grant J and Cooper in.

 

[Devongreenowl]

In Argyle’s defence, they have had quite a difficult Month with the number of games played and the distances travelled, but so have Swindon, Crewe and everyone else. Hopefully, with a long-weekend break and with no mid-week game, the players will be fresh again next Saturday at Bradford.

Not quite the same though Dave. Clearly, neither Crewe or Swindon have travelled anything like the same distance as Argyle over the last few weeks. I just think it’s caught up with them and I’m sure they will be pleased they haven’t got a game until next Saturday, when it’s just a mere 650 mile round trip to Bradford!

 

[JannerinCardiff]

I'm not sure what I've witnessed today, a team so lopsided, it's laughable.

On the left side we are Argyle boys, making triangles tearing the opposition apart, on the right side we are Argyle boys stepping inside and not creating anything at all and in this position Edwards brings only his defensive attributes.

When Bakinson had cocked up for the nth time and we needed a change in the centre of midfield, it was only right for Edwards to move there but instead he was hooked for other tactical changes. Cooper was rightly brought on, but in the wrong exchange imo.

In the first halt we failed to convert our chances, in the second we failed to create them.

I liked today’s left side, Sawyer, MacFadzean and Mayor did cause lots of probs but you’re right the right side doesn’t offer the same width - therefore now we’ve plenty of fit forwards we need to start Byron Moore at RWB from the start so we offer a threat on both flanks.

In this case I’d start up front with Telford and one of Jephcott or Hardie.

 

[Andy Maidenhead]

All games critical now...Exeter will only be so...IF we can perform considerably better .. starting in extremely difficult away game at Bradford.
Let's be brutally honest..past few performances somewhat underwhelming.
We need Telford back fully functioning asap

 

[Dan Ellard]

Yet another boring Saturday pm at Home Park. Usual story of possession football with zero capability of scoring goals.

That was the first time since September that we've failed to score at home in the league, so I wouldn't call it the "usual story"...

 

[Dan Ellard]

We were comfortably the better team in the first half, with Cambridge playing 4-4-1-1 it was easy for Sawyer and Wootton to get on the ball and play out from the back. Both passed it well, and we created a number of decent chances. The feeling at half time was that if we continued to pass the ball well then we'd eventually break them down.

This didn't happen in the second half, and the game became far more even. Cambridge were more adventurous and put together some good passing moves of their own, and yet we couldn't break them down. A fairly disappointing result - we now need to win 2 of our next 3 otherwise we might get cut adrift of the top 3.

Palmer 7 - barely tested all afternoon but claimed crosses and high balls well.

Wootton 7 - his passing out from the back was much much better. If he can now manage this when opposition teams look to press our back 3, then he'll be fine.
Canavan 6 - should have been sent off. Even from where we were sitting, it was a clear penalty, and a red card given that he didn't exactly play the ball.
Sawyer 7 - his passing out in the first half was excellent, but less good in the second. Mostly untroubled defensively - the yellow card he picked up was a joke. Never even a foul.

Bakinson 6 - Edwards offers just as much as him in terms of passing, and more defensively. Given that we've got Josh Grant coming back too, I'm not sure that Bakinson is the answer. I think him and Sarcevic are too similar, in terms of picking the ball up and driving from deep, but not possessing the greatest passing ability.
Edwards 6 - another who tailed off in the second half. He's good enough at RWB but I think Moore offers more.
Sarcevic 6 - should have been booked. Didn't play too badly but missed our best chance when badly mistiming a free header.
Mayor 7 MOTM - he can be absolutely fantastic on occasions, some of the examples of receiving a difficult pass with a perfect first touch were exceptional for this level. As others have said, he is still missing something.
McFadzean 5 - a bit disappointed in his quality on the ball. Despite offering more than Cooper defensively, I'd rather have GC playing as he offers a lot more going forward.

Moore 6 - missed a big chance when it went straight at the keeper from point blank range. His hold up play was mixed, and he was better when moved to RWB.
Jephcott 7 - I'm going to go against the grain here - I thought he played well, showed some really good touches, worked hard and dropped into little pockets of space well. Shouldn't have been subbed.

Subs:
Telford 6 - generally fine but a weak effort when presented with a chance, put it straight at the keeper.
Hardie 7 - won a few headers and kept the ball pretty well.
Cooper 7 - great free kick, very unlucky to just be inches wide.

 

[Nobby]

Yet another boring Saturday pm at Home Park. Usual story of possession football with zero capability of scoring goals.

That was the first time since September that we've failed to score at home in the league, so I wouldn't call it the "usual story"...

Only two teams have scored more at home than us this season. The original post is just melodramatic.

 

[Guiri Green]

The 1st Half Cambridge just defended like we were taking a Corner, they had all but 1 back. 2nd Half they opened up and were a bit more adventurous, luckily for us they started as they did as I think they would have scored otherwise.

A good example of how to play against us for a Point as the Away Team.

 

[Forest of Dean Green]

Amazing the different reactions to a game. And the different levels of panic induced by a result. Our form over 12 still stands up really well. We will appreciate a rest now between games as we looked leggy. But first half my son and I were saying what a dominant performance with the best balance in the side we’d seen in a while. Second half, we ran out of juice and Sarcevic in particular needs a rest. I didn’t think any of the subs made a blind bit of difference and the first half team looked much stronger - even against a resolute team with two banks of four we still moved them about well. In the second half Cooper, I thought, was all over the place, and Telford added nothing. We put balls into some decent areas in the first half from both sides, but not in the second. It really wasn’t just the left side that was a threat as far om where I was and Edwards pushed on a lot and was in and around the box a lot and delivered some decent crosses. Onto the next one.

 

[Devongreenowl]

Good post FODG. There are some who seem to think we should win every single home game and away teams should hardly bother turning up. The moaning starts as soon as we drop points and little or no understanding is shown for the number of games in a short time, the state of some pitches which sap energy and the amount of travelling they happen to have done in the last month. They now have chance to recharge batteries this week before another epic journey up north.

 

[edengreen]

Watched yesterday and was at the game tuesday let's be honest our inability to take a shot first time is costing us we want to walk it into the net

Also when Lowe made the changes we continued to play the same way All of hardies goals have come from balls down the channels for him to get one on one we arent playing those balls

Also Jephcott is coming deeper and deeper as he is starved of service and when we do get around the back we have nobody in the middle to finish

Thought Sarce was very poor yesterday by his standards and probably needs a rest

 

[The Doctor]

Yet another boring Saturday pm at Home Park. Usual story of possession football with zero capability of scoring goals.

That was the first time since September that we've failed to score at home in the league, so I wouldn't call it the "usual story"...

Only two teams have scored more at home than us this season. The original post is just melodramatic.

Facts eh - don’t you just love them?

 

[Keepitgreen]

I didn’t think any of the subs made a blind bit of difference and the first half team looked much stronger - even against a resolute team with two banks of four we still moved them about well.

I agree. I felt if we'd have just persevered as we were I think a goal would've eventually come.

 

[Devongreenowl]

Agree with that. Telford is really effective against a high press because of his pace, but a high press was the last thing on the Cambridge manager's mind yesterday! Jephcott worked hard for little reward, although I did think that Hardie had some useful touches when he came on.

We all need to hope that Grant's injury is not long term, because after a decent start to his time here, young Bakinson is looking a bit of a liability in midfield I think.