MATCHWATCH : Cambridge United (a)

[yuomi]

Inexperienced manager + inexperienced players = This.

Yes and we all know this. Should have got a point and plenty of players to come back

It’ll be a tough season, certainly until they get a bit more experience or tbe more experienced lads come back

Exactly who are the “plenty of players to come back”?

Off the top of my head we're missing:
Smith
Ejaria
Bindon
Wing
Ballard (not exactly coming back, but you get the idea)

[John Madejski's Wallet]

I actually quite enjoyed that game. Pace was exciting at times. We had our chances (they had more tbf), and fukk me WiFi should have started.

We are what we are. A very inexperienced team trying to build something.

[Orion1871]

Yes and we all know this. Should have got a point and plenty of players to come back

It’ll be a tough season, certainly until they get a bit more experience or tbe more experienced lads come back

Exactly who are the “plenty of players to come back”?

Off the top of my head we're missing:
Smith
Ejaria
Bindon
Wing
Ballard (not exactly coming back, but you get the idea)

They'll just get injured again because Bowen Jr is only in his job due to nepotism.

[Hound]

Inexperienced manager + inexperienced players = This.

Yes and we all know this. Should have got a point and plenty of players to come back

It’ll be a tough season, certainly until they get a bit more experience or tbe more experienced lads come back

But yet this is what most of the fans wanted, a younger team. It’s just a shame they lack quality and maybe a bit of confidence at the moment. Too inconsistent, not just game-by-game but in actual moments in games as well. Needs to improve.

Yeah and rather than crying about it should realise that it’ll take time - not 2-3 games - to come together.

Don’t like the excuse but we’re missing big players as well in Wing, Smith and Ehib not being fully fit. Then Ballard, Mukairo, Ejaria who may or may not make a big difference

I thought we did ok. Made some chances, Cambridge didn’t really create a lot outside of set pieces.

Lack of quality on the ball at times was disappointing but I can’t say it’s a huge surprise

[Snowflake Royal]

Selles screwed the pooch. Madness resting Ehib going into a break having just signed a striker.

Can't believe we let Brophy get an assist.

We played like morons. Uh, let's hoof to Vickers v Bennett and Morro.

Fair play to Morro. Came and clapped us after the game. What a gent.

[leon]

Dreadful stuff really. Was really hoping to watch this tonight and feel some hope for the future. Nope. How low have we come to make a load of scuffers like Cambridge look like Barcelona.

Clueless tactics. Just play aimless long balls. Constantly give away possession. Dreadful stuff.

[WestYorksRoyal]

We didn't play our game. Seems like they rattled us. Perhaps that Millwall performance was possible in a half empty stadium where the fans didn't care.

I'm not panicking yet as I never expected immediate promotion. But we need to use these 2 weeks well ahead of Bolton.

[Hound]

Yes and we all know this. Should have got a point and plenty of players to come back

It’ll be a tough season, certainly until they get a bit more experience or tbe more experienced lads come back

Exactly who are the “plenty of players to come back”?

Off the top of my head we're missing:
Smith
Ejaria
Bindon
Wing
Ballard (not exactly coming back, but you get the idea)

Mukairo as well. 6 is plenty

[The Green Programme]

I actually quite enjoyed that game. Pace was exciting at times. We had our chances (they had more tbf), and fukk me WiFi should have started.

We are what we are. A very inexperienced team trying to build something.

Agreed - and still can’t believe Knibbs didn’t score - how was that not over the line???

[YorkshireRoyal99]

90 minutes spent hoofing the ball up to midget forwards playing against towering CBs. Can't think Morrison and Bennett will have many easier games than that this season. It's crazy how quickly we've defaulted back to type - or how quickly Selles has resorted to a tactic his predecessors kept trying with no avail. I can't think of more than 2-3 times we actually ran at anyone tonight, for the most part just turning backwards/sideways and passing - often missing the man and gifting possession away. Agonisingly low energy, soft, narrow, and, when we did get chances, could only hammer it at the keeper. Need a serious think about things over the international break, need to stop Bearwood breaking our players. You can't win in any division by sitting back, hitting balls and hoping for the best. Surely we should have learned that by now...

Probably doesn’t help that we started without a natural number 9 tonight. Not sure why Kelvin E didn’t start unless there was a fitness issue of sorts. Let’s not worry about running players into the ground if that’s the excuse either, we’ve played less than 10 games and now have a 2 week gap between fixtures. For a team struggling to score, doesn’t seem very sensible to put our only reliable goal scorer on the bench.

[windermereROYAL]

If one had gone in it would have counted, it was a foul after the keeper collected it
As for the club i despair, 296 days since our last away win and 2 points from 45.

[Hound]

Selles screwed the pooch. Madness resting Ehib going into a break having just signed a striker.

Can't believe we let Brophy get an assist.

We played like morons. Uh, let's hoof to Vickers v Bennett and Morro.

Fair play to Morro. Came and clapped us after the game. What a gent.

Our front two was never going to work and it didn’t. Vickers isn’t ready to start imo, talented as he is. Their full backs played well and it gave us few options. Looked a different story with Ehibhatiomhan on who they struggled to handle

[Sutekh]

Port Vale was worse...

[yuomi]

Port Vale was worse...

Agreed. But they're multiplying, and that performance was still utterly unacceptable,

[YorkshireRoyal99]

Yes and we all know this. Should have got a point and plenty of players to come back

It’ll be a tough season, certainly until they get a bit more experience or tbe more experienced lads come back

But yet this is what most of the fans wanted, a younger team. It’s just a shame they lack quality and maybe a bit of confidence at the moment. Too inconsistent, not just game-by-game but in actual moments in games as well. Needs to improve.

Yeah and rather than crying about it should realise that it’ll take time - not 2-3 games - to come together.

Don’t like the excuse but we’re missing big players as well in Wing, Smith and Ehib not being fully fit. Then Ballard, Mukairo, Ejaria who may or may not make a big difference

I thought we did ok. Made some chances, Cambridge didn’t really create a lot outside of set pieces.

Lack of quality on the ball at times was disappointing but I can’t say it’s a huge surprise

I thought we were passive throughout really, with a couple of spells where we threatened, but not much other than that.

They should have been in front inside 60 seconds and missed an absolute sitter from virtually a yard. The team that won was the one who created the better chances and eventually took one. Our best was the mass gathering in the box in the first half, which should have been a goal. But if both teams took their best chances tonight, we’d have still lost, it’s not as if we were unlucky.

Wing and Smith will be important, but there was enough, more than enough to deliver more tonight and beat Cambridge. I know people say give it time for them to develop, but lets just hope they don’t go the same way as Azeez seems to be heading at the moment.

[Snowflake Royal]

Selles screwed the pooch. Madness resting Ehib going into a break having just signed a striker.

Can't believe we let Brophy get an assist.

We played like morons. Uh, let's hoof to Vickers v Bennett and Morro.

Fair play to Morro. Came and clapped us after the game. What a gent.

Our front two was never going to work and it didn’t. Vickers isn’t ready to start imo, talented as he is. Their full backs played well and it gave us few options. Looked a different story with Ehibhatiomhan on who they struggled to handle

Vickers was actually one of the bright sparks when we played to his feet or in behind when he had a hope.

Mola deserves a chance, but after Exeter and Cambridge I still think Nesta is our best left back. Binden is better than Dean. Who once again just looked confused at what he was expected to do at least twice.

I think Selles has the shape and style all wrong.

[Greatwesternline]

Exactly who are the “plenty of players to come back”?

Off the top of my head we're missing:
Smith
Ejaria
Bindon
Wing
Ballard (not exactly coming back, but you get the idea)

Mukairo as well. 6 is plenty

If Andy Carroll was effectively exorcised from the club because he wasn't a for for Selles' tactics of playing on the press, and fast transitions, just imagine how little time Selles will have for Ejaria,
whose entire philosophy in life is to see how many times he can choose the most circuitous route towards goal with the ball at his feet.

[Snowflake Royal]

I'll be honest, I'd be surprised if Ejaria plays again.

[Royal Rother]

Haven’t read the rest of the thread and not sure what anyone else is expecting from this squad, but I was happy with what I saw tonight.

Particular mention for Abbey who was imperious throughout.

I think he will be our first £20m+ player.

[Orion1871]

Haven’t read the rest of the thread and not sure what anyone else is expecting from this squad, but I was happy with what I saw tonight.

Particular mention for Abbey who was imperious throughout.

I think he will be our first £20m+ player.

Nobody at this club is smart enough to get £20m+ from anyone, no matter how good a player is.