Fleetwood boss Simon Grayson warns: Quality and unity of Cambridge will test Town
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The Cod Army head coach knows what it takes to get promoted and squad togetherness is one attribute.
Cambridge also have a creative outlet in Wes Hoolahan, someone Grayson knows well.
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Hide AdHaving finished second in League Two last season, Cambridge have surprised many this time around as they sit 14th.
Grayson said: “They’re a team, especially early on in the season like most promoted teams, that have got momentum and know how to win games.
“They’ve got a togetherness. A large part of that team have been together from League Two last season. They’re playing regularly in League One now.
“We know it’ll be a real tough game because they have some players that are going to be a handful.
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Hide Ad“Their striker, Joe Ironside, is going to be a handful and (former Blackpool favourite) Wes Hoolahan I know.
“He still has quality, although I know he didn’t play last weekend through injury and whether he plays this weekend we’ll see.
“They have togetherness and spirit because you don’t get promoted if you don’t have those qualities.”
Town go into the game looking to convert their approach play into goals. They have the highest percentage of shots on target across the top four divisions, with only Leyton Orient matching their 46 per cent figure.
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Hide AdHowever, Grayson feels statistics don’t always tell the full story.
He said: “I’ve asked my analysts how many shots we’d scored from outside the box.
“I’d rather have the lowest shots on target but have scored a few goals off the back of it.
“We want to be positive, we want people to take people on, we want balls in the box, we want people to shoot from distance.
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Hide Ad“That percentage would be excellent if it was quite high in terms of shots that we had converted from that position.
“In that scenario, could you have played someone in differently or could you have taken the shot when it maybe wasn’t the right option?
“The only thing we say to players when they get to the top end of the pitch is to make better decisions – or make good decisions.
“If someone else is in a better position than you, make sure they get it rather than you taking the greedy option. Good decisions all over the pitch are big for everybody.”
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