Cambridge United vs The Owls. Official Matchday Thread.

[pauli]

         

 

 

TODAY’S OPPOSITES

 

How about a cup run to go with that promotion campaign?

 

We had Oxford last season so this time we get to play against the other posh university town, Cambridge. Hooray Henry. By Jove!

 

After the second world war, the U’s were unable to field a complete team. The royal family were forced to step in and the then princess and future queen Elizabeth donned their goalkeepers jersey. 

 

 

This was Cambridge’s most successful period, winning the old division one a total of 8 times and the FA cup 5 times. In 7 of those 8 seasons, the U's did not concede a single league goal. Opposition strikers were terrified of knocking one beyond the reach of Her Majesty, fearing they would be summoned to the Tower and spending a lifetime in a damp dungeon or even worse, to lose their heads on the executioners block.

 

Elizabeth eventually became disillusioned with cowardly centre forwards and transferred to Reading FC, where she was converted into and still plays as a winger.

 

 

Since then, the U’s have languished in obscurity and had long spells outside the professional divisions. At one point, their head office was in the tap room of the Dog and Pheasant pub, which also doubled as the dressing room for their opposites!

 

     

IMPORTANT THINGS THAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

 

Venue: Abbey Stadium, Cambridge.

Kick Off: Tuesday the 9th of August at 19:45.

 

Matchday Apparel: Away shirt, monocle and top hat.

 

Matchday Drink: Sixteen pints of Pimms.

 

Matchday Pie: Cucumber and quails egg sandwiches with the crusts cut off.

 

Matchday Song: Cowgirl by Underworld…

 

 

 

 

MATCHDAY FACTS

 

 

Cambridge manager Shaun Derry will probobobarbly be without striker Adam McGurk. The striker has a knee injury which is expected to keep him out for the next two weeks. Medy Elito, who joined the U's from Newport in June, is looking to make his first competitive start for the club after coming on as a substitute against Barnet on Saturday. Elliot Omozusi (foot) and Barry Corr (knee) are both sidelined due to injury.

 

A quick turnaround means Carlos Carvalhal is likely to ring the changes for Sheffield Wednesday.With promotion the main goal this season, he could leave out several of the players who started the campaign with a 1-0 win over Aston Villa on Sunday.

 

Striker Steven Fletcher is a doubt after requiring stitches on a head injury sustained in the first half against Villa. Marco Matias is close to a return and could feature, while Liam Palmer, Gary Hooper, Lucas Joao, Jose Semedo and Atdhe Nuhiu are all pressing for starts having been on the bench at the weekend.

 

Head To Head

 

 

 

KING CARLOS’ WORDS OF WISDOM

 

“You know that when you are starting a season and doing the first game, it is normal that the players will be more tired than they will be after three or four games. It is impossible to recover between Sunday and Tuesday.

 

 

We want to win on Tuesday and we will try to win with the players from the squad that didn’t participate. We are not complete yet and that is the reality. But we have a good squad to start the competition in the Championship. We will be going to the Cambridge to try to win the game of course but I will not take risks to lose players for one or two months, absolutely sure.”

 

MINTYNESS

 

We are not here to enjoy a nice glass of Pouilly-Fumé while watching the boat race. We are here to fight!

 

 

[ReginaldD]

A little underwhelmed about this game though I can see Matias seeing the top corner through his monacle and putting the decisive shoot into the cod catching paraphernalia.

[Morepork]

I'll take a cup run to go with a great season of football and humour on the OMT, thanks Pauli.

[Andrew_Owl]

Wildsmith 

Palmer O'Grady Lee Helan

Buckley Semedo Melo Matias

Joao Nuhiu

 

3-2 Wednesday 

Joao Nuhiu Matias

[marcx666]

awesome as always. 3-1 one to us, LM to score first from Bristol Cities training ground

[cognacbarnowl]

Hopefully the lads can give Cambridge a lesson in , "The football philosophy of King Carlos and The Owls". And if ER indoors has any sense left she'll grab a blue and white scarf and become our newest supporter.

[Kalamunda]

Brilliant Pauli. Nuhiu hat trick. Student Grant misses a penalty for them. 4 nil to the Owls.

[themaskedowl]

Wow Pauli, so much awesome in one small space. Careful or you're likely to become the nidus for a supermassive black hole. Great song choice and I'm off for a mega brown and white thing, even though it's just gone 9am. 

 

Morning all, hope you're keeping well. Always want a win but to be honest, I'm not too invested in this one. Will take it as it comes. 

 

 

 

Oh, who the flip am I kidding. Lets just smash them anyway!!!! Get right in there!!!! Woot!!!!

[Rogers]

Can see some of the youngsters that played pre-season getting in the squad for this. Might even see young Hirsty come on for big Dave.

[Guest domSWFC]

Wouldn't be too fussed if Cambridge beat our kids 4-0. It's a long season and the cup could just be a distraction. 

 

But saying that, it would still be nice to see us win, with second string team, with all the first team in bed at home wrapped in bubble wrap. 

[Ronio]

Morning all,

 

Nice one Pauli.  

 

Will be interesting to see who starts, as there will be plenty of players on the sidelines wanting to make an impression.  

 

I'm going for a 4-1 Wednesday win, a brace from Joao, with Matias and Vermijl the other scorers.

 

LETS DO THIS!!

COME ON WEDNESDAY!!!

[Rogers]

This is a stark difference to the Villa - Cambridge thread on VillaTalk - they want to play Elphick, McCormack and the rest of the first team, just to get a win under their belts.  Lets hope they don't get any injuries hey!

 

2-1 Wednesday, tough fought out win.

[aeroswfc]

COME ON WEDNESDAY!

[KivoOwl]

Wildsmith

 

Vermijl--Semedo--Thorniley--Helan

 

Sougou--Melo--Palmer--Buckley

 

Nuhiu--Joao

 

Subs - Kean, O'Grady, Penney, Murphy, Stobbs, Hirst, Rodney

 

0-3

[kevtheowl]

Can't see anything but a comfortable Wednesday win.   UTO 

[jamiejohn]

Had some great days at Cambridge in the 80s hope it is another tomorrow 

[Guest Kagoshimaowl]

With the sides that some of you are suggesting, we will lose.  Not time to play the kids.

 

 

 Wildsmith

 

Vermijl

Lees (he's a machine, he can handle it)

Semedo

Helan

 

Buckley

Melo

Palmer

Matias (if fit)

 

Hooper

Joao

 

Subs: Kean, Thorniley, Sougou, Lee, Bannan, Stobbs, Nuhiu

[Mr. Tom]

Nice one again Pauli.

 

In coldly pragmatic terms I couldn't give a flip about this result, or really this cup, given our clear priorities and the fact we already face another 45 more important games this year. However at this early stage of the season, confidence is key and I think there's value - even though we'll be 95% represented by the B team - in not making our solid opening day performance look any kind of fluke. Would like a quiet but forceful win, ideally a clean sheet but certainly two clear goals if not. Hope the emerging and squad players get a real boost from it.

 

If I had to put money on a result, 3-1 Wednesday: João, Buckley, Helan. (Not sure Nuhiu will play, his shoulder looked knackered on Sun.)

Edited August 9, 2016 by Mr. Tom

[Utah Owl]

FFS Pauli how many times do I have to tell you? Get that sodding tank off the bloody pitch!

 

Great OMDT as per usual.

 

The one and only time I saw us play there was in 1984 when Wilko's team won, Bannister and Varadi got the goals (had to look that up in the archive, memory playing tricks because I was sure we won 2-0 but the record says 2-1 - senility beckons!).

 

Come on lads a nice cup run like last year again please!

[Guest Kagoshimaowl]

I think if we change all eleven and we lose, Carlos should be criticized.  I'm fine with changing the eleven as there is only 48 hours between games.  However, the kids should not be thrown in.  Why can't Lachmann, Lewis, Dielna and Bus play in this competition?  We are paying them after all and they will be better than untried kids.  Ridiculous if you ask me!!  I want us to try to win every game with the best possible eleven available!