Cambridge vs Tranmere

[Tranmerewhite]

Must win game for us.

We’ve been very erratic of late and gifting an awful lot of goals away. That said if players can build on the performance they put in versus Stevenage we I’ll have a good chance here.

Our away form this season as a whole is still dire, but we essentially have a new team since January so that may change in the run in.

Backing us for a solid but unspectacular away win.

 

[SVH]

We are top of the form table and our home record is good. I'm expecting a tough game here and will go for a score draw. 1-1.

 

[Vanni]

We also added some much needed new faces to the squad, and this has helped a lot. This is only my opinion of course, so please don't shoot me fellow U's fans, but the recent upturn in fortunes is mostly due to these new players and not because Calderwood is the messiah or something. I've always believed that it's the players that make the biggest difference and not the manager and the coaching staff (see Derry the Clown's first season here for a perfect example of this)

I'm only mentioning this because I need to get it off my chest. Quite a few U's fans are comparing Calderwood to his predecessor Dunne and I find this most unfair to the latter, as Calderwood doesn't have the problem that Dunne had, namely a lack of decent players on the bench.

Anyway, back to this game and it's going to be a toughie. It's true that Tranmere don't have a decent away record but they're still in the hunt for a play off spot so I'm sure they'll be looking to get all 3 points and not just the one. They do seem to concede quite a few though, and we've finally started scoring ourselves, so I can see goals in this one.

I'm going for a 2-2 draw but something is telling me it;s going to be a 3-2 win for Tranny.

 

[valefan16]

Cambridge’s front three caused us more problems than any other side has away from home all be it didn’t often test the keeper they were very impressive.

 

[Crewelad87]

We are top of the form table and our home record is good. I'm expecting a tough game here and will go for a score draw. 1-1.

Which form table is that? Most I've seen have us and Bury top.

 

[Tom_CUFC]

We were top of the 5 game form table after last weekend, but you usurped us after winning midweek.

News of Tranmere being poor away is good, as we have become excellent at home, 20 points from our last 9 with only one defeat to Lincoln, so we should be optimistic. Calderwood has tightened the defence right up, though goals are still generally at a premium (the exception to all that being the 3-2 win against Northampton) so we have to hope that continues for us to keep this good run going, not sure I back us to score 3 again.

1-0 Cambridge.

 

[Boz]

This is a very difficult game to call. The hosts on a decent run. Rovers have made some signings too, who look fairly decent. However, I’m unsure the 4411 formation we used at home v Stevenage will work as well on our travels, but with Nelson and McNulty both out, options at the back are limited and I think Mellon will stick with the same formation.

 

[Back in the DHSS]

Hopefully it’s the Tranmere team that played exceptionally well second half against Stevenage that turn up and not the one which struggled against Northampton and for 48 first half minutes against Stevenage.

 

[Habbinalan]

We also added some much needed new faces to the squad, and this has helped a lot. This is only my opinion of course, so please don't shoot me fellow U's fans, but the recent upturn in fortunes is mostly due to these new players and not because Calderwood is the messiah or something. I've always believed that it's the players that make the biggest difference and not the manager and the coaching staff (see Derry the Clown's first season here for a perfect example of this)

I'm only mentioning this because I need to get it off my chest. Quite a few U's fans are comparing Calderwood to his predecessor Dunne and I find this most unfair to the latter, as Calderwood doesn't have the problem that Dunne had, namely a lack of decent players on the bench.

Anyway, back to this game and it's going to be a toughie. It's true that Tranmere don't have a decent away record but they're still in the hunt for a play off spot so I'm sure they'll be looking to get all 3 points and not just the one. They do seem to concede quite a few though, and we've finally started scoring ourselves, so I can see goals in this one.

I'm going for a 2-2 draw but something is telling me it;s going to be a 3-2 win for Tranny.

Looking forward to this afternoon's match, even though I'm hoping for a point/points rather than expecting. Disappointed that the Sumo god who is Steve McNulty will not be gracing the Abbey turf but it might make Jabo even more effective as the lynch pin to our attack that he's been in recent games. I agree with Vanni - the main difference is available players rather than Calderwood being a significantly better manager/coach than Joe Dunne. However he had a big part in getting those new faces in and he has certainly stiffened (or added some luck to) our defending. That said, they'll probably get a sterner test than they've had at the Abbey since Bury went into their shells for the second half back in November.

I also think 2-2, with Alex Jones getting more time off the bench and his first goal.

 

[Tranmerewhite]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1096801395955716101

Something in the water in Cambridge?

Of course the ducking goalkeeper isn’t going off the pitch for treatment.

 

[Vanni]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1096801395955716101

Something in the water in Cambridge?

Of course the ducking goalkeeper isn’t going off the pitch for treatment.

Sadly, we do have a handful of numpties (all have an IQ of about 50) that choose to sit in the vicinity of the press box. If I were to guess I'd say they only sit there so as to make their valuable insight known to radio Camb's listeners. The exact same thing has already happened at least once this season but I can't recall who we were playing against.

As for the game, I thought it was a snoozefest as the two sides were more focused on not losing the game than to trying to win it. I don't hold it against Tranmere for doing so, as they were the away side after all, but I was disappointed we didn't push on more. Or rather that Calderwood didn't believe enough that we could win it. I thought the changes he made around the 60th minute reflected this perfectly, though he was correct in taking Brown off as he was poor today.

 

[Tranmerewhite]

Sadly, we do have a handful of numpties (all have an IQ of about 50) that choose to sit in the vicinity of the press box. If I were to guess I'd say they only sit there so as to make their valuable insight known to radio Camb's listeners. The exact same thing has already happened at least once this season but I can't recall who we were playing against.

As for the game, I thought it was a snoozefest as the two sides were more focused on not losing the game than to trying to win it. I don't hold it against Tranmere for doing so, as they were the away side after all, but I was disappointed we didn't push on more. Or rather that Calderwood didn't believe enough that we could win it. I thought the changes he made around the 60th minute reflected this perfectly, though he was correct in taking Brown off as he was poor today.

We have been too gung ho away from home this season. Being pragmatic away from home seems to be the best way to pick up points in this division. We'd have another 5-10 points if we had been playing that way all season.

 

[SVH]

Let's be honest, Davies is a nonse. He deserved all the abuse he got for that performance today. Good keeper but why fake injury and cry like a baby if he got flicked by a player.

As for the game Tranmere disappointed me. I read Mellon wanted to win but all you lot did was slow the game down and time waste. I don't think our keeper has had save to make all day but overall a point each was probably a fair one. Tranmere won't make the play offs on that showing.

 

[Boz]

Wasn't at the game, but it sounds like Scott Davies' first half saves ensured Rovers came away with a point, so no need to be abusive about him.

Mellon picked an attacking formation to start, as opposed to our recent 532, but when he replaced an attacking full-back Caprice with a more defensive one Buxton around the 80th minute, you get the impression Micky had settled for a point.

 

[RLC]

Let's be honest, Davies is a nonse. He deserved all the abuse he got for that performance today. Good keeper but why fake injury and cry like a baby if he got flicked by a player.

As for the game Tranmere disappointed me. I read Mellon wanted to win but all you lot did was slow the game down and time waste. I don't think our keeper has had save to make all day but overall a point each was probably a fair one. Tranmere won't make the play offs on that showing.

Davies was clearly genuinely injured on two occasions when he was caught by your forwards. I am not claiming they were deliberate fouls, but he was obviously hurt and needed treatment.

As for the game itself, I thought Cambridge edged the first half and we dominated the second. We did not have many efforts on goal, but Norwood had two gilt-edged chances, the first when he was denied by a last ditch tackle by a defender, the second when he took his eye off the ball after a brilliant pass by Perkins.

I did not think we slowed the game down at all. We struggled to get our passing game going at times due to Cambridge's constant harrying and pressing, and the interventions of a useless referee, but still played the better football through midfield.

If we win at Port Vale on Tuesday, it was a very good point.