Andrew Bennett reviews last season, continuing with the month of January 2009.
January 2009: "A lot of us have played for horrible managers"
The transfer window creaked open and there were three immediate departures from the Abbey. Danny Brown was released by mutual consent and signed for part-timers Eastbourne Borough, where he had been on loan, despite offers from full-time outfits Chester City and Kettering Town. Steven Drench's loan ended and he returned to Southport with the unhappy memory of his one first-team outing at Telford. And Lee McEvilly made his transfer to Rochdale permanent.
Far more dramatically, however, came the breaking news on the 7th that the Scott Rendell deal had fallen through, with the Board deciding that it could not commit to paying Peterborough what they wanted, i.e. a £25,000 loan fee, a £25k promotion bonus, plus all of Scotty's wages for the duration of the loan.
George Rolls explained: "We had a chat among the Board at the time and agreed that it would be a good option, but we've thought about it long and hard since. The paperwork was due to be signed on Tuesday, and we admit we made a mistake by agreeing to it. It would have been easy to go ahead and sign it and have Scott stay with us, but we're way over budget for what we gave the manager at the start of the season. Because of how he was playing, it was why we said 'yes' at first, but when you actually work out the figures it's a hell of a lot of money and he wouldn't even have been our player at the end of it.
"There's no financial problem with the club, but we're being prudent in the current economic climate. We've messed Scott around and I'm sorry to him for that, and I'd like to apologise to the fans for getting their hopes up, but the club is bigger than one signing... We've got a competitive squad that we expect to get in the playoffs anyway. We've got Chris Holroyd, Danny Crow and Mark Beesley and we don't feel we need to go out and sign anyone else."
The FA Trophy game due to be played at home to Crawley on the 10th was postponed on the Friday due to the pitch being 'deeply frozen and unplayable with no prospect of sufficient improvement by Saturday afternoon.' It was turning into something of a bleak midwinter for the U's.
On a brighter note, Jez George and Matt Walker announced their intention to walk from Torquay to Cambridge to highlight the denial of United's and other ex-Football League clubs' scholars of any funding, inclusion in the League Centre of Excellence Games programme or participation in the FL Youth Alliance, plus no funding for the Under-9s to the Under-16s and no compensation rights for any of their young players.
Fifteen-year-old Jackson Ramm signed a two-year scholarship with Blackburn Rovers. Although they were not obliged to, Rovers agreed a compensation package with United, doubtless due in part to the Premier League club's secretary, our very own Andy Pincher. Ramm would train with the U's until the end of the season, then start his scholarship up North.
Left-footed midfield man Daryl McMahon joined United from Stevenage until the end of the season, having been out of favour there since November. Brabin introduced him: "He has a point to prove and his ability is certainly not in question. He's a fantastic footballer and he's the type of player we're looking for. He's signed until the end of the season and if he gets his head down, works hard and shows what a good player he is then we'll be looking to extend his deal."
United agreed with Histon that they could offer refunds to people who had bought New Year's Day tickets and could not now make the rearranged match. The South Stand would not be open for the rearranged Trophy match on the Wednesday in order to minimise costs, the club admitting understatedly, "We are anticipating a reasonably low crowd."
Scholar Sam Ives was added to the squad, and the thrilling prize of an away tie to Lewes or Havant & Waterlooville awaited the victors.
Wednesday 14th January 2009: Cambridge United 0-5 Crawley Town (FA Trophy 2nd Round)
Scorers: Weatherstone 10, Pittman 56,85,88, Quinn 90 | Att. 1,233 (away 25)
It may have been United's first game in sixteen days, but chilly weather, full-price admission and a fair dose of apathy towards a competition in which their side had no history to speak of kept the amber faithful away, not helped by the absence of most of Crawley's minuscule travelling support due to a minibus breakdown which meant they did not arrive until half-time.
Brabin fielded a strong line-up with only three changes to the team which had drawn with Stevenage, Challinor filling in for the injured Gleeson, Jardim replacing Pitt and Beesley partnering Holroyd up front with Rendell returned to the swampy north of the county. Crawley assistant manager and ex-U Paul Raynor warmed the bench as a player for the visitors at the grand old age of 42. Not that he has mellowed, mind...
After a low-key start a routine long ball from deep caught United snoozing and as everyone hesitated, Simon Weatherstone nipped through the statues to poke home from close range at the near post past a baffled Potter. The tone was set.
It did not take long for the touchline histrionics began, and when Michael Malcolm went down clutching his ankle but no foul was given and the U's rightly played on, Crawley's charming boss Steve Evans and Raynor starting ranting and raving and Brabin got involved until Greg Reid calmed it all down.
United were on top in terms of possession but could conjure up no end product, their crossing mostly shoddy, best effort coming from Carden, a shot well saved by Simon Rayner. Come the second half their level of performance dropped even more and when a dreadful pass from Carden was intercepted, Jon-Paul Pittman strolled unchallenged onto Malcolm's through ball for a comfortable second.
Crow and Pitt replaced Holroyd and Jardim but United remained resolutely mediocre. The evening took an even more unpleasant turn, however, on 70 when Malcolm fooled ref Naylor with a pathetic, blatant dive which not only gained his side a penalty but cost Challinor a second booking and inevitable dismissal. Unfortunately Malcolm's actions seemed to sum up the entire attitude of his club, which takes its cue from its manager.
The cheat did not prosper this time, however, as Potter made a fine save from Malcolm's spot-kick. United tried gamely to rally, but their pushing forward left them vulnerable at the back and they were caught out three times in the last five minutes to make the scoreline more convincing than either side deserved.
Poor United passing and another Crawley breakaway set up Pittman for a fine curled third, Ives got on for a mercifully brief debut, an unmarked Pittman completed his hat-trick from another break, then with almost the last touch Adam Quinn nodded home a free-kick to complete the scoring and a night to forget for United. Dorchester, Histon twice... could we not just gracefully withdraw from this wretched competition for good?
Brabin had plenty to say afterwards: "...I'm certainly embarrassed about the result... We can't take anyone lightly and I know it's making excuses but I feel it's important people know that we are down to the bare bones and three players have had injections to play a game. It is hard and I challenge any team to be in that situation - that's how serious it is at the moment... We did play well in patches but we had no conviction in the final third and didn't look like scoring, we were bullied all over the park, and defensively we were at sixes and sevens, which is not like us at all."
Evans was ebullient: "This is a fantastic place to come and I've got friends and family who are Cambridge United through and through. They wouldn't have left early and they'll know that was a fantastic performance."
Brabin commented: "Crawley have gone one way with two massive signings and they already have a big squad. I know [Steve Evans] cries poverty but they're one of the big spenders in this league. It's not all about money but you have to attract quality players and financially you've got to compete, and players are going to Crawley instead of Cambridge.
"Certainly we enquired about the two players they've signed this week but it would have been unrealistic for us to sign them with the sort of wages they're paying. If I was a player with ambition I would have wanted to come to Cambridge United, but that's what we're up against."
Saturday 17th January 2009: Cambridge United 4-1 Woking (BSP)
Scorers: Crow 3,22, Beesley 66, Willmott 83, Sole 90 | Att. 2,696 (away 101) | League position: 5th
Points behind Burton Albion: 18
Something radical was needed to get United's stuttering season back on track, and Brabin had the answer: wing-backs. With Challinor and Gleeson suspended and Carden injured, wingers Jardim and Willmott were dropped. Coulson came in as a third centre-back, McAuley and Tonkin were the wing-backs, new boy McMahon joined Farrell in a middle two, and Beesley was link man in the hole between them and front two Holroyd and Crow.
Woking are usually obliging opposition, and United got off to the perfect start when Beesley set Crow up to cut across the keeper and blast impressively into the net from fifteen yards. The U's looked up for it and everyone looked comfortable in their new position, with a supply line of fine fecundity, and they doubled their lead when Tonkin's overlap found Beesley, he fed Crow again and his second goal was even better than his first, an athletic half-volley that left keeper Eastwood no chance. Happy days were here again.
McMahon was unlucky to be denied a debut goal when his shot cannoned off the inside of the post on the half hour and he also curled a free-kick just wide. If anything United attacked with even more intensity in the second half, both wing-backs testing Eastwood with good shots, and the inevitable third came when McMahon's free-kick fell to Beesley in the D and he capped a fine display by coolly passing it into the net.
Even Coulson advanced to crash a long-range Exocet narrowly wide, but goal number four was somewhat fortunate, Willmott's pacily whipped free-kick from the touchline soaring over a crowd of bodies in the box to fly into the net at the far post.
Sole stole a scant consolation for the visitors at the death, but the day belonged to United, perfect therapy after the trauma of Wednesday. Bring on the rest of the season.
Brabin beamed, "I thought Mark Beesley was outstanding, and Phil Bolland, who tried to take all the blame after Wednesday's game, was a real rock and was outstanding too. But I could go through the whole side because the lads were fantastic and I was made up with the character they showed."
Beesley returned the compliment: "A lot of us have played for horrible managers but he's a good manager and he treats us like men and that's how you want to be treated. We let him down big time on Wednesday and we owed him that performance today."
The feelgood factor continued on the Monday when Scott Rendell rejoined on loan until the end of the season. For real, this time. Rolls agreed a loan fee of "significantly less" than the original £25,000 with the backing of the Board, confirming, "People can give us stick for pulling out, but now we've got him back for a lot less money and it's all being underwritten by the directors because there's no playing budget left."
A pleased Brabin reacted, "I'm made up that the board have shown a bit of faith in me and made this Rendell deal happen..."
Barry Fry sighed, "Scott made it clear the only club he wanted to join on loan was Cambridge so the three other clubs interested was not really an option. We have concluded this deal mainly because of the association that Paul Carden has with the football club. Scott will stay at Cambridge until the end of the season and we wish him well."
Thursday 22nd January 2009: Wrexham 2-0 Cambridge United (BSP)
Scorers: Brown 25, Louis 60 | Att. 3,103 (away 115) | League position: 5th
Points behind Burton Albion: 18
United next faced a run of three televised games out of four, and the first of those was against one of the form teams of the moment, a Wrexham side rejuvenated under Dean Saunders; they had lost just once in their last thirteen games, while the U's were winless in their previous ten league games away from home.
Brabin paid no attention to the maxim about not changing a winning team by making some radical surgery to the side which had looked so impressive against Woking. Out went McAuley, Coulson and Holroyd, in came Gleeson, Willmott and Rendell, and the formation was amended to a 4-3-3 with Willmott included in the midfield three but also expected to provide width at the same time.
It did not take long to see that this line-up would not work. With no width everything was played through a crowded middle of the park, players got in each other's way, nothing was created and young Robbie just looked lost. Mercifully Wrexham were unimpressive for a so-called form team, but nonetheless they took the lead with a goal as untidy as the match so far, Jon Brown's speculative shot deflecting off Tonkin's shin to spin past a wrong-footed Potter.
There was no improvement from the disjointed visitors and the hosts grew in confidence, but the 'spectacle' was mediocre in the extreme. Brabin finally recognised the error of his ways on the hour, replacing Crow with Jardim and going to 4-4-2, and wouldn't you know it, Wrexham doubled their lead almost immediately.
The second goal was even messier than the first: Sam Williamson crossed from the left, Tonkin could only head it upwards, Hatswell's second header only reached the edge of the box and Fairhurst fired it back in; Williams tried to control, Hatswell stuck his foot in but could only deflect it off Bolland's shins to the lurking Louis, who had the simplest task of tucking home past the helpless Potter from eight yards.
United's response was unconvincing, Farrell, McMahon and Jardim unable to create anything for the front two, and the card count mounted as things got increasingly tetchy. Twelve minutes from time Potter made a superb tip onto the bar from Brown's screamer, and on 84 Jardim missed an absolute sitter when sub Holroyd's pinpoint cross set him up for an easy header which he nodded well over the top.
That summed up a feeble muddle of a performance from the U's, who subsided to defeat against a thoroughly ordinary Wrexham team. And Brabin's radical change of tactics remained inexplicable.
He could only say afterwards, "We didn't hurt them enough in the final third... We started the second half quite brightly, but they took their chances and at the end of the day I didn't think we deserved anything from it."
Next up came the club AGM. Fans' Elected Director Brian Attmore revealed he would be standing down at the end of the season due to increased work commitments, and Paul Barry paid tribute: "During the dark days he became acting chairman, and Brian has worked very diligently and harmoniously on various relationships: the VP Club, the Supporters Club, United in Learning, CRC, FITC to name a few. I fully support what Brian has done and, very importantly, the integrity with which he has done it."
It was revealed that so far in the financial year to date, the club was £60,000 in profit, but the current year-end estimate was a loss between £50-200k depending mainly on whether the team reached Wembley again. Norman Gautrey reviewed the ten key objectives he had set last year, some of which had been achieved, others were on course, and some seemed as far away as ever, although on the subject of getting back the freehold of the Abbey, Norman said "We're as far forward as we've ever been."
For all United's good progress, therefore, there was still an awfully long way to go, which made it all the more surprising that it was left until after the AGM to announce that Norman and his wife Anette were to leave the club to pursue a long-held ambition to travel. A statement was made: "The Board of Directors would like to express their appreciation for the work Norman and Anette have done in helping to streamline Cambridge United and bringing the club up to date with management finances. They will be missed but the Board will move on and continue working to take the Club forward."
United had a new chairman, George Rolls, and vice-chairman, Terry Baker. The new head honcho stated, "The key thing for me is continuity and stability and we haven't had that. I think we need to get a board of directors who are going to be here long-term and we need a manager who is going to be here long-term because I think all successful businesses work well when there's stability and continuity in place."
Paul Barry said, "He is the closest I've seen to a young Reg Smart."
Brabin had been thinking about the season so far: "When we play our normal game we play some good football and at times we can out-football teams to death. But a lot of teams - and top teams too - are going to scrap and we've got to be prepared to sacrifice a bit of football at times and roll our sleeves up and fight and scrap a bit more. We're still in a good position so we're not negative about it, we've got loads to play for and we're confident we can push on."
Which is best - out-footballing teams to death or scrapping a bit more? There's only one way to find out: FIGHT!
Thursday 29th January 2009: Cambridge United 1-1 Oxford United (BSP)
Scorers: Carden 72, Murray 9 | Att. 3,774 (away 259) | League position: 6th
Points behind Burton Albion: 21
For United fans, Saturday football was becoming something of a distant memory as the Setanta cameras came to town again. Brabin plumped for his favourite formation, 4-4-2, Pitt replacing Beesley, with Carden restored to the engine room after injury in place of Farrell and Coulson standing in for the suspended Hatswell.
Oxford were another team on a run of good form under a new manager, Chris Wilder having inspired them to five consecutive wins, although they needed the points after having been deducted five for fielding Eddie Hutchinson while incorrectly registered. Those of you with long memories will recall that the lanky midfielder had been so out of favour in pre-season that he had turned out a couple of times on trial for our very own U's.
Those U's got off to a sluggish start against a lively Oxford outfit, and it was no surprise when Adam Murray drove home a James Constable cross unchallenged to give them an early lead. The goal was just the wake-up call United needed and they began to play their belated way into the contest. Crow missed a golden chance to equalise on 14 when a Carden shot was deflected to him a mere five yards out, but with only keeper Turley to beat, he slid his shot against the foot of the far post.
Bolland produced the saving tackle of the season on the half hour when he gave chase to Constable as he broke clear down the middle and stretched out a telescopic leg to dispossess him with pinpoint accuracy just as he was about to pull the trigger. Craig Nelthorpe then caught United cold again but was foiled by an excellent reaction save from Potter.
An underperforming U's side continued to huff and puff but with no sign of a breakthrough, Challinor replaced Pitt and Willmott pushed forward in a 4-3-3. And this time the change seemed to work, Willmott having a shot well saved by Turley, the keeper then producing an even better stop to foil McMahon.
Two cracking efforts; but Turley could do nothing about an even better one from Carden, who netted his first goal for the U's when he received the ball 30 yards out, cut inside, then unleashed a stupendous blockbuster into the far top corner that a dozen Turleys could not have stopped.
The transformation was complete. The two sides slugged out a hard-fought draw and after such a poor first half showing and a rousing revival in the second, it seemed more like a point won than two points lost. The question remained: what was United's best line-up? Answers on a postcard to G.Brabin...
Gary was pleased overall: "I wish we had started better in the first ten minutes, especially when they scored their goal, but I was made up with the character of the lads. We rolled our sleeves up, which I keep asking for from them, and that's the best we've played in front of the cameras."
Challinor was in line for a recall: "We signed Jon for everything he's good at and when he came in it was like a breath of fresh air, but then he went off the boil a bit. It happens sometimes with players, especially when there isn't enough competition for their place and they can take their foot off the pedal a bit, but we had a chat with Jon and he's responded."
Andrew Bennett
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