'They'll be very good' - U's boss Bonner on 'tough' Town test

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The U's sit 10th in League One after their first 11 games, having won five, lost five and drawn one.

They started strongly, beating MK Dons, Exeter, Burton and Lincoln City in their first seven league games to sit in the top six.

But they've stumbled a bit since losing 2-1 at Cheltenham on September 13. They followed that by taking a 3-0 home thumping from Barnsley, won 2-1 at Morecambe but then lost 2-0 at the Abbey to Derby County on Saturday.

Thus, they arrive in Suffolk having lost three of their last four league games, scoring three goals but leaking eight over that run.

They've struggled with the better sides too - of their wins, only Exeter City (11th) are in the top half of the table.

Portsmouth (fourth) walloped them 4-1, while Barnsley (fifth) beat them 3-0 and Derby (eighth) won 2-0 on Saturday.

Town certainly qualify in that top team bracket, and will be looking to make a similar statement tonight.

Boss commits

U's boss Mark Bonner was a top target for Championship side Rotherham after Paul Warne left to join Derby County last week.

And Bonner revealed that he had spoken to the Millers about the job - set to be filled by Exeter's Matt Taylor - but decided to stay at the Abbey Stadium.

He said: "I’m here, I’m staying here, I’m not going anywhere, that’s the story.

“There’s nothing really for fans to worry about if they were. My job hasn’t changed. I’m really enjoying my time here. I think we’re midway through a bit of a project, and we’re not quite where we want to be yet.

“I’m well aware of the amount of work we’ve got to do yet, and not kidded on by our current position in the league table.

"We’ve got a brilliant month ahead of us, and that’s what we’re really focused now on performing and delivering and getting ready for. I look forward to seeing everyone this morning and cracking on."

Bonner on Blues

Having committed his future to the U's, Bonner is under no illusions as to the test ahead tonight.

He said of Town: “You know you’re in for a tough night, but it’s really hard not to be excited about it, because what a game to go and play in.

“I think the players loved it last year when they went there, we’ll have 2,000 away fans there, it’ll be a brilliant atmosphere, so bring it on, let’s see what we can do.”

He added: “They’re a possession dominant team, they dominate the game often with seven players in their attacks.

“They try and build from the goalkeeper with six, they try and disconnect you as a team. They love attacking in wide areas at the minute, against back fours particularly, but have lots of bodies centrally and two number tens that want to play through you.

"They’re very fluid in the way that they play, no-one knows whether they play 4-2-3-1, 4-3-3, 3-4-3 or 3-4-2-1. They’ve got huge variety in how they play, it’s more about spaces and principles rather than systems.

“They’re very well coached and they’ve got a good understanding in that sense, and they’ve got excellent individuals. In all of those areas, they’ll be very good.

"We have to try and find some weaknesses that we can exploit, and do them really well, but we’ll have to be incredibly well organised in order to handle what they’ve got.

“It’ll be a tough night if they play at their very best and they find their top tempo, but our aim is to try and disrupt that as much as we can, and to try and carry our own threat, and see if we can get some control of it.”

Jack Lankester should face his former club for the first time tonight (Image: Cambridge United)

Familiar faces and ones to watch

Tonight should be the first time that Bury St Edmunds boy Jack Lankester faces Town since he left Portman Road last summer.

The oft-injured 22-year-old didn't feature in either game with the Blues last season, but has started the last three for Cambridge in the No.10 role, scoring in their win at Morecambe.

He'll be desperate to make an impact tonight. Former Town loanee Paul Digby, who's gone on to become a U's favourite, will also be keen to make an impression.

The 6ft 5ins 27-year-old is the heartbeat of Bonner's side, playing in one of the deep midfield roles in the U's 4-2-3-1 system.

In terms of danger men, forward Sam Smith is the U's leading scorer, having bagged four goals so far this season. Joe Ironside and Harvey Knibbs have three each.

Shilow Tracey is their leading provider with three assists, while Adam May has created most chances so far with 15.