Cambridge United hope to emulate Fleetwood Town’s long-term trajectory by beating them at The Abbey

In many ways, Cambridge United can aspire to be like Fleetwood Town.

The Cod Army are based in a Lancashire town of just over 25,000 people, yet find themselves in the third tier of English football amongst giants such as Sheffield Wednesday and Sunderland.

This hasn’t always been an easy ride. While Fleetwood were initially founded in 1908, they’ve been reformed four times, the most recent coming in 1998. It would take them until 2012 to escape non-league and reach the promised land of the EFL.

Their upward trajectory didn’t stop there, however. Fleetwood spent just two seasons in League Two, winning promotion to League One via the play-offs in 2014. They’ve remained there ever since, finishing in the top six twice and securing four top-half finishes.

They’re a constant reminder that even the smallest clubs can maintain their place above where they’re expected to be.

By all accounts, nobody expected Cambridge to be playing League One football this year. Even fewer people expected them to be in 14th place after seven games. However, the U’s will be judged on their final league position, and more importantly, their longevity in the third tier beyond this season.

For now, the focus turns to Saturday’s match between themselves and Fleetwood at The Abbey. Just three points separate them, with Fleetwood sat in 17th place on eight points. For a side that was originally tipped for relegation by the bookies, the Cod Army aren’t going down without a fight, and their recent results are further proof that they can maintain their League One status.

Simon Grayson’s side are undefeated since 17th August, with their exceptional 4-2 win away at Rotherham United the pick of the bunch from their recent results. A 3-2 win at home to Cheltenham Town, coupled with draws against Plymouth Argyle and Sunderland, have shown that Fleetwood aren’t here to make up the numbers.

Neither are Cambridge, for that matter. The U’s secured their first-ever win at Fratton Park in their last game, beating Portsmouth 2-1 in a thoroughly impressive performance. It’s arguably the biggest scalp that Mark Bonner’s side have claimed so far this season, setting them up for an easier run of games over the coming weeks.

With a home tie against Gillingham and a trip to Crewe Alexandra on the horizon, both of whom are struggling for form, Cambridge are presented with a golden opportunity to climb into the top half of the table ahead of the next international break.

Fleetwood, however, will likely provide a bigger threat. Much of that emanates from Callum Morton, who is widely regarded as the best player at Grayson’s disposal.

The 21-year-old is now in his third EFL loan, having failed to make a senior appearance for parent club West Bromwich Albion so far. An impressive short-term stint at Northampton Town was followed up by an injury-hit spell at Lincoln City, but Morton is finally making his mark in League One with the Cod Army.

His strike partnership with academy graduate Gerard Garner has troubled even the best teams in the division, with both scoring against Rotherham and Sunderland. Their attacking strength is highlighted by the fact that Grayson’s side have the tied best shots-on-target percentage in the entire EFL.

? Best shots-on-target %s (top 4 tiers; 2021/22):

4⃣6⃣%: FLEETWOOD (33/72), ORIENT (39/85*)
4⃣4⃣%: Blackburn (34/77), Boro (38/87)
4⃣3⃣%: Spurs (20/46), B’mouth (38/89), Lincoln (40/94)
4⃣2⃣%: Cheltenham (38/90)
4⃣1⃣%: Man Utd, QPR, Harrogate

* on target/total#FTFC #LOFC pic.twitter.com/El7iHXVoQP

— playmakerstats (@playmaker_EN) September 23, 2021

But if anyone can nullify their front line, it’s Cambridge.

An uncharacteristic 5-1 mauling at home to Lincoln has left a blemish on their record, but the U’s defensive performances have been otherwise exceptional. Bonner’s side have kept clean sheets against Bolton Wanderers and Burton Albion, while significantly limiting Portsmouth’s opportunities in front of goal last time out.

This defensive strength arises from the centre-backs, Lloyd Jones and Conor Masterson. The pair have played together in Liverpool’s youth academy, and have formed one of the best partnerships in the division at the heart of the Cambridge backline.

There’s been a slow improvement down the other end too, with the U’s maintaining their record of scoring in every league game this season. This has taken Joe Ironside’s tally up to five, making him the tied third top scorer in the entire division.

While Morton is a standout name on Fleetwood’s team sheet, Wes Hoolahan is undoubtedly the star in Cambridge’s side. However, it looks increasingly likely that 39-year-old will miss out on Saturday’s game after picking up a chest injury that also ruled him out of the win at Portsmouth. This will likely see Bonner stick with the 4-3-3 formation that proved so effective at Fratton Park.

That being said, the U’s will have to change their approach if Fleetwood stick with their five-man defence for the trip to Cambridgeshire. The hosts have rarely played against a side adopting wing-backs, with the last time being in the 2-1 defeat at Accrington Stanley. In that game, they failed to nullify the threat from wide areas, conceding from two crosses into the box.

Ex-Cambridge man Bradley Halliday has been played as a right wing-back for Fleetwood this season, but the 26-year-old will miss the clash against his former side after undergoing knee surgery. Max Clark, who has had two spells on loan at The Abbey earlier in his career, may be given the nod to start over Danny Andrew on the left.

The hosts have predominantly played possession-heavy sides who look to dominate the pattern of the game from the very start. Fleetwood won’t do this, averaging just over 45% possession from their seven league games this season. Instead, they will likely focus on quick counter-attacks, with a reliance on Morton’s hold up play to support runners into the final third.

If Cambridge can limit his time in their penalty area, they stand a good chance of taking the points on Saturday afternoon.

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