With their days in League One looking increasingly numbered, Neil Harris has encouraged his Cambridge United side to play with some ‘freedom’.
Last week’s 1-1 draw at Barnsley – where the U’s were pegged back in second-half stoppage time – has left Harris’ men 12 points from safety with only eight fixtures remaining this term.
Yet while the situation may look bleak, the United boss is determined to get his players to release the shackles during the final few weeks of the campaign.
Cambridge United head coach Neil Harris. Picture: Simon Lankester
“You saw last week that we’re scrapping. Everyone can see that the team is fighting and hopefully people can see signs of positivity to come in the future months and into next season,” said Harris.
“But we’re desperate to pick results up at the moment. I’ve got something in my mind that I want us to achieve between now and the end of the season – I want the players to get to that.
“You saw at Barnsley, a team playing with passion and drive to want to win a game, but also a little bit of freedom as well.
“We’re in a difficult situation and we’re trying to take the fear away from the players. It’s difficult for us, so let’s go out and enjoy ourselves and go out and show me – but not just me – show your peers and show the fanbase that you’re a good footballer, a good player and that you’re fighting to earn a contract here or somewhere else –and go out and play like that.
“We did that at Barnsley and that has to be our approach for the next game and the one after that.”
Cambridge’s first chance to heed their manager’s advice comes tomorrow afternoon when Northampton Town will be the visitors to the Cledara Abbey Stadium.
The Cobblers are a couple of places above the drop zone and will make the journey down the A14 on a run of just one victory from their last six outings.
Nevertheless, Harris is expecting a tough afternoon – and a ‘completely different game’ to the one that unfolded at Oakwell last weekend.
He added: “It’s only one win in six but every game they’re involved in is tight. It’s an extremely difficult opponent to play against.
“It will be a completely different game to what we saw at Barnsley last week. It’s a team that doesn’t concentrate on making 500 passes in their own half, they’d much rather play in the opponents’ half.
“It’s a different sort of challenge for us and on a pitch that is not conducive to playing attractive football at the Abbey unfortunately, we know it’s going to be a tight game, a scrappy game and we’re going to have to be really good on the basics in football because Northampton make it like that.
“Then we’ve got to make sure we come out on top in both boxes – that will be vital – and even on a difficult surface, that we have real moments of quality as well.”
Harris has no fresh injury concerns for the game, with none of those currently sidelined expected to return.
