Cambridge v Pompey: The Opposition View
They went eight games without a win in the league, but in that time there was a good EFL Cup win at Sheffield Wednesday and they were unlucky to lose to Wolves.
It took a scrappy win at Newport County to kick-start things and, from there, they won four games on the bounce.
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Hide AdShaun Derry has had to work hard to win the fans over. He was replacing quite a character in Richard Money before him.
In relative terms, he was quite a long-serving manager after arriving in the October of 2012.
He was there for three years and in that time won the FA Trophy and Conference play-off final.
So he was always going to be a tough act to follow.
If you are getting results on the pitch, though, you are going to be liked by the fans - and it’s certainly picked up.
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Hide AdIt’s a funny league. A defeat and you are worried because United are 19th, but a couple of wins and you are right up there. There’s not a lot of points between them and the play-offs.
James Dunne has become one of the first names on the team sheet.
He came in last season and added some steel. He helped tighten things up at the end of last season.
Dunne reads the game well and has become an important player.
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Hide AdHe’s one of those who seems to crop up in the right place at the right time.
He makes tackles and interceptions and has become an important player.
With Adam McGurk, we’ve not been able to see the best of him yet.
He got injured against Aston Villa in pre-season and ended up missing the first eight games of the campaign.
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Hide AdHe came on as a sub last weekend on the left of the attacking three and did a good job.
There was a lot of tracking back from him and he worked hard. He kept the ball well and did his bit for the team.
Uche Ikpeazu is one to look out for going forward.
He made a few decent cameo appearances and has now become a fans’ favourite.
He’s a big bloke and a handful. You aren’t sure what he’s going to do next. Sometimes it looks like he isn’t either!
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Hide AdHe gets the better of defenders, though, and you have to keep an eye on him.
Defender Leon Legge is a huge fans’ favourite and has taken on the captaincy.
Players with pedigree arrived in the summer and most people are aiming for the top seven.
After nine years out of League football, being in League two is something for United to cherish, though.