Flexibility increases Cambridge United options for Colin Calderwood

Flexibility seems to be the optimum word for the current Cambridge United squad.

Colin Calderwood appears to have a range of options at his disposal, and it would seem to be just a matter of finding a way of making them fit together.

The versatility within the group means that multiple players can play in multiple roles, including the likes of Jevani Brown, Reggie Lambe and Harrison Dunk, to name but a few.

It means that the hand of the head coach has been strengthened, although not quite everyone falls into the category.

“I probably couldn’t see Gary Deegan playing centre forward, although he would give it a good go!” joked Calderwood.

“Around that, I would say there is probably more or less half the squad could play in one or two positions and that helps. It also clouds your mind a little bit so we have to keep a clear and simple strategy in what we’re doing.

“There is probably one defining factor and that is the ball. If you’ve got it, you can do X, Y and Z and if you haven’t got it you’d better do A, B and C.

“I think it makes it easier because you’re not stuck with a substitute that can only do one thing.”

Calderwood has a clear idea of how he wants to set the team up though, and then make changes around a core.

“What we’ve got to do, within simple guidelines, is have a flexibility that we can change numbers and formations in certain areas and make ourselves a different type of team, a different proposition to pose teams problems,” he said.

“We come against various formations, but we have more or less stuck to the same one throughout. Ideally, that would be my foundation all the way through.

“We can change around the edges but the centre of the team I don’t really want to change too much in terms of numbers in midfield and at the back.”