Brief Synopsis!!! (Cambridge) | PASOTI
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Brief Synopsis!!! (Cambridge)

Mark Pedlar

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1) Josh Grant out as expected after limping out at Macclesfield on Tuesday. Bakinson the less than ample (according to PASOTI) replacement. Cooper also dropped, assuming Lowe has now spotted our vulnerability there and having McFadzean fit again.

2) More solid we may have been but we were also less creative and with Cambridge looking like they had come for a draw we needed someone to crack open the 2 banks of four which we were faced with. Without Cooper it was left to Edwards to try and open things up and we looked laboured and toothless.

3) Cambridge showed very little adventure in the first half and Palmer wasnt really involved apart from catching crosses. Cambridge were unlucky though as we got away with a very good penalty shout, as Canavan misjudged a bouncing ball and resorted to leaning on the striker who went down with the ref waving away the appeal.

4) We needed to show more quality in the final third. We managed to get the ball in occasionally but it was at awkward heights or out of control and we couldn't find a clean shot or header. Sarcevic probably had the best chance but he couldn't get over his header and it ballooned over.

5) The feeling at half time was that we needed Cooper on if Cambridge were going to continue their rigid defence. No changes at halftime and the same pattern continued at the start of the second. Cambridge lost their second player to injury.

6) Argyle had their best chance so far on 60 when Sawyer's cross couldn't be bundled home. Telford replaced Jephcott - bit unlucky I thought as Moore was having a poor game. The game was dissolving into a dour slog.

7) Cambridge came into a bit of a purple patch, they were seeing more of the ball without Jephcott to hold the ball up. Lowe made a double substitution with Hardie and Cooper on for Edwards and McFadzean with Moore moving wide right.

8 ) Argyle had another scramble from a corner but couldnt get a shot away. Telford hit a tame shot. Bakinson was brought down in the box - nothing doing. 1-1 on appeals. Sarcevic was brought down on the edge of box. Cooper shaved the upright from the kick.

9) Argyle dominated against a poor Cambridge team who looked like they came for a point from the off. That we couldn't find the killer ball was both telling and a concern.

Alex Palmer - 7
Gary Sawyer - 7
Niall Canavan - 7
Scott Wootton - 7
Joe Edwards - 7
Antoni Sarcevic - 7
Tareeq Bakinson - 7
Danny Mayor - 8
Callum McFadzean - 5
Luke Jephcott - 7
Byron Moore - 6

Mike Cooper - unused
Adam Randell - unused
Conor Grant - unused
George Cooper - 6
Joel Grant - unused
Ryan Hardie - 5
Dominic Telford - 5
 
Jan 17, 2017
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Cambridge played for the point and we were too slow going at them, giving them a chance to settle the defence before we moved.

Frustrating game and we need to find a way to win these matches.
 

up the line

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Got away with it big time today cos that was a stonewall penalty and red card (Canavan made no legitimate attempt to win the ball so double jeopardy wouldn't apply)
Argyle looked very sluggish against a very organised opposition...has Sarcevic run out of steam?
One where Hardie should have perhaps been on earlier for the ball into the channel as it was only going to be that or a run from Mayor that opened them up. Poor to only work the gk once in 90 minutes

Could have been far worse.
 
Jul 14, 2008
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It was a tired performance from Argyle. Unfortunately there is no let up in the Tuesday night games over the next few weeks. No idea what the ref was thinking by not giving them a penalty in the first half and a red card to Canavan but glad he got it wrong.
 

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Argyle looked decent today, just lacked that final pass.

Our forwards were not really involved but everything up to that point was encouraging.

Fadz, Sawyer, Mayor triangle was working well, Edwards was decent and Moore was his standard brilliant at everything he did in whichever position he played.

Our crossing was either too long or too short today. We needed a little more composure and were still lacking that player on the edge of the box picking up second balls from the crosses.

Bakinson’s first touch is still poor, as is his passing. He improved as the game went by buy Grant will replace him once fit.

Cambridge should have had a penalty and from where I was sat we should have had 2.

All in all, Cambridge will be very happy with a point. We will play a lot worse than today and win. We deserved the 3 points but the players should be proud of the performance today.

70% better than last match and we need to take this into the next.
 
Mar 14, 2009
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Argyle were lethargic today and unfortunately this allowed Cambridge to remain organised.

Lowe says we don't play back to front. Yet we continued to play a long ball to our non physical forwards.

Today, apart from a decent dribble by the Cambridge player on the right and a side foot where he should have scored, we ended up creating their other two other chances. Firstly, when Canavan let the ball bounce end of first half then panicked and looked to have given away a certain penalty. End of second half Sarcevic decided to run just outside our penalty area and was caught by a couple of Cambridge players. Fortunately, their player ran offside when played through.

Argyle were pedistran. Lack of quality in their passing. It looked nice and neat but lacked any real penetrative play.

Argyle are crying out for a midfield orchestra. It doesn't appear Bakinson. He is too sloppy with the passing and gifts decent counter attacking chances. I wouldn't mind now seeing Randall ger a chance in the CDM role because Argyle don't look balanced to me as a side.

We have had numerous poor performances recently and this was another. I think the team is determined and comitted. Yet playing this style we need more players with more ability on the ball. Unfortunately, Lowe doesn't seem to want to change things tactically and if these type of performances continues then playoffs it will be.
 
Apr 4, 2015
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overall I think we looked tired, we sort of dominated but had no killer balls played in from out wide and didn't test them apart from once when telford had our one and only clear cut chance that I can remember. I was disappointed jephcott was taken off, I would've taken off bakinson, put Edwards in cdm, Moore rwb and gone 3 up top as we were struggling to work their defence whilst not much was coming back from them attacking wise. Cambridge were well organised and got what they came for, a point however they should've had a penalty as should we. Overall with Exeter losing it is a point gained as I think swindon and crewe will be very hard to dislodge from the top 3. A poor game that only livened up once Cooper came on from our perspective. Not a disaster by any means but maybe a missed opportunity to gain a bit more on Exeter, that game gets bigger by the week.
 

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A frustrating game of football ending in a rare 0-0 draw.

Cambridge came to Home Park to frustrate, slow the game down and get men behind the ball, we played well in the first half and had chances to score but lacked composure, we were very average in the second half and made Cambridge look better than what they actually are despite their four successive wins.
The game wasn't helped by a weak ref who should have given a penalty to each team and it was telling he never booked each opposition player for simulation.
As it was during the whole game there was only one shot on target that was from a Green shirt.

McFadzean and Bakinson came in for the injured Josh Grant and surprisingly Cooper and conditions were much better than last week but the game wasn't better.

Cambridge were content to sit deep, allow us to have the ball in our half and defend their 18 yard box.
Most of our attacks came down the left side with Mayor, McFadzean and Sawyer combining well, one cross from Mayor found Sarcevic who headed over from a very good position, he could have left it for Jephcott who was better placed behind him.

Moore had a goal disallowed for offside that was strangely given by the ref and not the linesman.

On the rare occasion Cambridge ventured forward they should have won a penalty after a long ball caught out Canavan which allowed Maris to get in front of him and with Canavan closing in Maris was bundled over and thankfully the ref didn't award a penalty although it looked nailed on.

We kept on probing and switching play, we needed more from Jephcott who was out-muscled by the big centre-backs.
Sawyer had a long range shot that took a deflection and flew over the bar.

0-0 at half-time.

Cambridge were a lot better in the second half and came out of their shell but we went the opposite way and struggled to find any momentum, energy and even urgency.
Sarcevic had another header fly over the bar when he really should have aimed it on target.

Cambridge should have scored when a low cross was steered wide. That prompted Ryan Lowe into action and Jephcott was replaced by Telford, although we aimed high balls at Telford and he suffered the same fate as Jephcott did against the big centre-backs.

Hardie and Cooper were brought on and McFadzean and Edwards were taken off with Moore moving to right-wing back.
A dazzling run from Mayor finished with him being fouled, Cooper stepped up and sent the free-kick into the box but no Argyle head could connect.

With time running out Bakinson went on a mazy run into the area, he was just about to cross when he was brought down and somehow the ref and linesman didn't give it. Bakinson was in a great position to cross and would have done so if he wasn't fouled.

The last chance was a Cooper free-kick that went just wide and Argyle finished with just one shot on target, maybe the first time that has ever happened at Home Park.

Sawyer was just immense, especially during the first half, we won his tackles and headers and surged forward into space to link up with Mayor and McFadzean.
Wootton had another good game, he's now a 7/10 solid player, Canavan had a few wobbles and nearly conceded a penalty.
Bakinson was an accident waiting to happen, he never looked in control of the ball but he did have that good run that should have been a penalty.

McFadzean and Mayor combine well although they do look for each other too much and we need need more end product, a cross or a chance created.
Cooper was more direct than McFadzean and produced crosses.
Sarcevic had one of his off days and perhaps we found out today that heading is not his best attribute.
Jephcott struggled in this game, he tried making runs that were not picked up by his team mates, a game to forget for him.
Telford was a surprise as the first sub, Hardie should have been given more time to win the game.

We were very lopsided in the first half with almost every attack coming down our left, this allowed Cambridge to shuffle over and get bodies in the way.
For a team that won four games on the spin I thought Cambridge were poor and only came to Home Park to waste time, spoil and frustrate.

The ref was a curious one, marking out free-kicks with 8 and then 9 steps, is that supposed to be yards? He failed to clamp down on the time wasting by Cambridge, especially the keeper although late in the game he did have a word but it was too late by then.
Each team should have been awarded a penalty.

Frustrating, although the first half performance was excellent.

Man of the match - Sawyer.

Palmer 6, Wootton 7, Canavan 6, Sawyer 8, Bakinson 5, Edwards 6, Sarcevic 6, Mayor 7, McFadzean 5, Jephcott 5, Moore 6. Subs - Telford 5, Hardie 6, Cooper 7.
 
Jul 3, 2013
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We were lucky the ref bottled giving them a definate penalty which would have seen Canavan sent off.
Thought Cambridge defended exceptionally well today and limited us to only a couple chances, Sarcevic should have scored that header from Mayors cross and Telford should have done better with his shot from the edge of the box after a delightfull turn, apart from that just the odd bobble around the box came our way.

I was also suprised that Bakinson was not taken off and Edwards pushed into the middle with Moore out right, even if Bakinson played his best 20 minutes for a while at the end.

Mayor and Moore the only 2 players who were on their game today, the rest were lethargic and just waiting for somebosy else to make something happen, Palmer a spectator or Sweeper throughout the game as they had a few pretty awfull shots from distance now and again.
Edited to add - Canavan was actually unlucky with his far post header that was nodded off the line.
 
Aug 11, 2013
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Don’t think anyone can improve on PL2’s synopsis. Thought Cooper was v unlucky to be dropped today and I prefer Moore to Edwards at wing back.

Needs a freshen up but not sure where from?
 
Sep 2, 2008
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Not a good game to watch at all. Cambridge set up not to lose and to possibly nick it at a set piece as demonstrated by sending their big boys up every time they were given the opportunity to pump the ball into our box. We were not clever enough to break them down and if truth be told we were lucky to not concede the penalty. Too many players seem happy to let the ball bounce which is absolutely crazy. If you're defending, letting the ball bounce gives the attacker more time to get closer to you; if you're attacking, it gives the defender more time to get back into position. Take the extra step and get on to it before the bleddy thing bounces! Canavan should have walked for his challenge. The ref bottled it. Bakinson seems to think that the good performances he had when he first joined us is enough to get him a start now. He is far to complacent on the ball and should have been booked for his comical afterthought of a dive when in a good position in their box. He should have been taken off and Joe Edwards slotted in as the holding midfielder. Sarce's first touch was woeful as was that of Telford and Jephcott. All in all a very poor show by us. We could not break them down and ran out of ideas far too soon. Thought we might have gotten something when Cooper came on as his early balls into the box did have Cambridge twitching. Unfortunately though, it was not to be. The only good thing that I saw from todays game was bringing Mayor over to the right hand side to play a bit. He got some very dangerous crosses in and seemed to have a bit more space. I've been saying for ages that teams probably drill their right hand side to double up and defend against Mayor as he always plays on the left. I'm pretty sure the left hand side of opposition teams don't drill to defend against him.
 
Dec 8, 2019
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Credit Cambridge for their defensive performance, they were well drilled and did their task well.
I thought we played some really good stuff but also some very predictable stuff. I'll dream tonight of palmer to Wootton to Edwards then down the line.
Penalty observations from block 8, I can hear David Artell now complaining about the Cambridge one, crikey it was blatant.
I thought the ref also got our appeal correct as well. Bakinson didn't help there with 3/4 steps after the very minimal contact.

Overall, a point gained on the autos from the sort of game I expect us to lose and the actual performance was really quite alright despite the 3 long recent away days and the massive effort against Crewe.
 

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I’m a little perplexed.

Whilst I’d admit it wasn’t a master piece of football it certainly wasn’t as bad as some are making out.

Maybe the standards have gone up that much?
 
simon1argyle":s13w8o85 said:
Credit Cambridge for their defensive performance, they were well drilled and did their task well.
I thought we played some really good stuff but also some very predictable stuff. I'll dream tonight of palmer to Wootton to Edwards then down the line.
Penalty observations from block 8, I can hear David Artell now complaining about the Cambridge one, crikey it was blatant.
I thought the ref also got our appeal correct as well. Bakinson didn't help there with 3/4 steps after the very minimal contact.

Overall, a point gained on the autos from the sort of game I expect us to lose and the actual performance was really quite alright despite the 3 long recent away days and the massive effort against Crewe.

I agree with this. Cambridge are not the poor side some have suggested. You don’t win your last four games by a fluke. They came to do a job and did it effectively. Should also have nicked it with two very clear chance. Bakinson just wasn’t at the races.