Cambridge United v BRFC Match Day Thread....

1-0 Cambridge, tactics paying off for them....

Couple of tame shots from Sinclair

2-0

Awful game, awful performance, awful result

Barton has been tactically out-thought. It's not been pretty but Cambridge deserved this just by sticking to their game plan.

We had 61% of the possession...whoop de do.

As I've said before, if you're going to play the modern tippy tappy game you need midfielders willing to work hard to make space and create options. Our midfield are far too static.

Very, very disappointing.

Cambridge now second in the league

At last Birmingham City won T Ashton Gate!

Interesting results from the games involving the other teams we've played this season, in what we thought was a tricky start:

Portsmouth held to a goalless draw home to Cheltenham.
Barnsley lose 3-1 home to Oxford.
Charlton lose 3-2 home to Port Vale.

Early days but Cambridge, Oxford, Stevenage, Exeter, Lincoln & Port Vale all in the top 9.

Could be an open season, going on results so far.

Andy Mangan reflects on missed chances after Bristol Rovers' 2-0 defeat at Cambridge United..by Daniel Hargraves.

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Bristol Rovers coach Andy Mangan

Bristol Rovers coach Andy Mangan has credited Cambridge United after the U's inflicted Rovers with their first league defeat of the campaign as Mark Bonner's side won 2-0 thanks to two late goals in a scrappy affair.

After a tight first-half, the Gas were still finding it difficult to break down the low-block of Cambridge, who defended excellently and were more than content to allow the visitors to dominate possession.

Speaking to BBC Radio Bristol, Mangan said: "I think credit goes to Cambridge to be honest because they've come with a game plan and it's worked, We spoke to the lads yesterday that they're the second-best counter-attacking team in the league because they sit and they get ready to press to feed off of your mistakes. Unfortunately, we haven't taken our chances."

Rovers' best chance of the game fell to last season's star player Aaron Collins with the affair still goalless. Unfortunately, he was unable to convert with the miss highlighted as a potential moment where a different result could be reflected on.

However, the coach backed his player, saying: "I think we've got players in the team who can score. Azza's obviously our talisman and someone we think the world of here so we've got to be better in all departments.

"He takes that responsibility on every day and he's going to have to be responsible for us again next Saturday. But I thought we had opportunities, we just never really got going properly today.

"For starters, I think you have to hit balls diagonally over the full-backs which we tried to. Aaron Collins got in a few times, the pitch was really sticky as you can see. I don't think they watered it. Again, that's something we have to be better at. We've got to move the ball quicker, we've got to get it on the outside so we can pull them apart. Then you can go through the middle of them.

"It's all areas of our development that we need to work on. We're a new group and I think we've seen today there were areas that were weaker and areas that we need to improve."

Having played games in midweek back-to-back, Rovers now have a week out of action before a run of three consecutive home games across the league and EFL Trophy with Wycombe Wanderers next up.

Fair play Andy Mangan. Honest. Backed his players. Gave credit to the opposition. Identified tactical weaknesses and how to improve. 
Note to Barton, that's what creditable post-match comments look like. 

He did an interview that popped up on my free Twitter feed. Not sure for whom though. Kuwait Morning Post maybe...