Inside Futbol
·8 October 2025
Cambridge United ‘Easily The Best’ In Key Area Believes Ex-EFL Man

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·8 October 2025
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Former EFL star Adrian Clarke believes that Cambridge United boss Neil Harris has organised the team well, making them one of the best defensive teams in the division, but thinks they are not easy on the eye.
Together with Gillingham, Cambridge United are the second-best defensive team in League Two, having conceded just ten goals in eleven matches.
Heaping praise on manager Harris for having given them that defensive organisation, Clarke insisted that though Cambridge United are not pretty, they know how to do the job.
Citing examples from Cambridge United’s game against Crawley Town, one they won 3-1 on 4th October, Clarke insisted that the U’s still managed to finish the job despite enjoying just 28 per cent possession.
And Cambridge United are a side that are on the rise and will do better, according to the 51-year-old.
“For my money, Neil Harris has organised them really well“, Clarke said on What The EFL (46.36).
“They aren’t pretty, they do boom it – look at the stats, they beat Crawley at the weekend with 28 per cent of the ball.
“Over a third of their passes were classified as long and they only made 103 accurate passes.
“They scored three goals, they effectively scored a goal every 34 successful passes, which I think is pretty efficient.
“What I think Cambridge are, is maybe the best defensive team in the league. They aren’t giving up many chances at all. They have faced fewer shots by quite a long way.
“The opponents aren’t getting into their box.
“Opponents have had 151 touches in Cambridge’s box this season, which is 40 less than the second-best team in that department.
“Easily the best and they are keeping teams at arm’s length and numbers do back them up.
“They have let in one goal or fewer than one goals in ten of their eleven games.
“Only once have they conceded twice, they conceded three times against Swindon.
“A really, really good defensive team, Cambridge and they know what they are doing. They feel like a team on the rise.”
Cambridge United are currently placed just outside the playoff zone, equal on points with sixth-placed MK Dons, but trailing them on goal difference.