On The Spot

Will Jones tackles Roy McFarland - weekly!

Every week Roy McFarland gives an exclusive weekly interview to U's Net and answers a selection of questions from supporters. We do our best to ask every question but inevitably if they have already been asked or there are a lot of questions we have to pick the best or most topical questions. Please don't give up!

This week Roy McFarland looks back on the game at Cardiff City and John Taylor's historic hat-trick, and looks forward to the Easter weekend's matches against local rivals Colchester and Division One-bound Preston. As usual he also responds to the questions you want answered as U's Net reporter Will Jones once again puts him … "On The Spot".

Q. Looking back at the Cardiff game and victory, I don't suppose you could have dreamt it any better Roy?

I was confident in terms of us going there and getting a result. I saw that based on the way we have been playing and the way the players have approached the games in the last few months. The performances have been good of late. Having said that we struggled in the first half and found it hard and the only thing that kept us in the game was the fact that, as a team, we defended very well.

Cardiff missed two or three very good chances that you would expect them to score and then against the run of play we scored a goal. It was pleasing to come in at half time in the lead and not 2-1 or 3-1 behind, as we could have been. We got ourselves together and needed to play a lot more football in the second half and we did. It was no surprise to me that we went out and scored three more goals.

Q. Of course we can't talk of the game without mentioning the historic contribution of John Taylor. A hat-trick and his 100th goal for the club, you must be pleased for him?

John is the legend here and it was a big, important game for us. It was nice for John to get the hat-trick and the match ball and he will auction that and give the proceeds to the Children's hospital (The Special Care Baby Unit at Hinchingbrooke hospital) so that is lovely.

What hasn't been mentioned is Trevor Benjamin's contribution for those goals, which was very important. His final touch really gave John the chance.

Q. We have managed to score goals all season, but now the defence seems to be keeping quite a few clean sheets as well and we are the only side in the bottom half of the division who have a positive goal difference, that must please you?

I have always felt we could score goals, I have said that from the start of the season. The important thing was trying to stop them, and we have tried to do that and addressed it. We know Cardiff could have scored a couple of goals on Saturday but we still defended well, got our foot in the way and when they have got past the back four the goalkeeper has made a good save in the first half.

As a team we are prepared to work hard and chase for each other which is very important as it has given us the base to build on as we have always been able to score the goals.

Q. That result has moved us even further clear - six points - of the relegation zone. A lot of the fans are almost convinced we are up … do you agree?

It is never 'almost', we are either up or not. I have reminded the players of that. We have got ourselves in a position where we have a little bit of, in a sense, leeway but it is only because we have worked hard and the players and team have done well. There will be no complacency on my side and certainly not on the players' side.

Q. After the game there were some reports in the local press that Scott Eustace had been reported for 'lewd gestures' made towards the Cardiff City fans - leading to racist abuse. Have you further comment to make on that?

I spoke to David Teeme, their general manager, and there have been some problems. They are not going to report us to the FA or the League and as far as I am concerned that incident is now dead and buried.

Q. We have obviously had a very good run of form of late, Marc Joseph has surprised a few fans with the way a right-sided centre back has come in to perform so well a left-back attacking role. You must be overjoyed with the way he is playing?

I think probably Marc himself would be a little bit surprised, and pleasantly surprised. He has done well and has got himself involved going forward as well and almost scored a goal the other week. He has accepted it and got on with it.

The obvious thing at the time was to put Ian Ashbee in at left back but I felt he and Paul Wanless had been so strong and effective in the midfield that it was wrong to move him. Because of that we gave Marc a chance and he hasn't let us down. The players have had to chop and change due to injuries and suspension and they have just got on with it.

I think another good example has been Tom Youngs. Everyone in the football club knows that Tom would like to play up front but hasn't had the opportunity this season. We have played him in midfield, on the right, on the left and he has popped up and scored goals for us. For me as the manager it is lovely to know that wherever I ask the players to play they will do it and give it their best shot.

Q. Looking forward to the Easter weekend we have two important fixtures against Colchester and Preston. Looking at the Colchester game, we could move above them in the league table, that must be a good incentive?

They had a tremendous run earlier in the season when they won six games on the trot that took them well out of the relegation picture. Their form of late has dragged them back into it and now, we can drag them back into it by beating them as we would go above them on goal difference. If we beat them and the other teams win then they will be dragged right back into it.

Q. Then on the Monday there is an all ticket game at the Abbey when we entertain the champions-elect Preston North End. There should be a good crowd and a cracking atmosphere.

Preston will be the Champions, they are one of the best outfits we have played against this season. Having said that we were unlucky to lose there earlier in the season at the death but it was purely our own fault as we gave the ball away cheaply. Overall we handled Preston quite well and our football was good. For me these are the types of games I would like to play every week. We will get a good gate and a good atmosphere. What a great game for us to play at this period.

Q. Have you set a target for the two games, or for the rest of the season, to keep us up?

I would honestly say that if we could get another four points that would see us remain in this division. That is the minimum not maximum requirement.

Q. Have you any injury problems going into the games?

Sadly the only one I have is John Taylor who took a knock in training this week. That is quite sore but typical of the man if there is a chance of him playing, he will.

Will Jones

Mark Slater of Stevenage asks: The introduction of Lionel Perez on transfer deadline day was a masterstroke and is undoubtedly one of the reasons we are looking like staying up now.

Lionel is a keeper who dominates his area whilst Shaun and Ise are both shot-stoppers, will you be looking at signing a keeper with similar strengths for next season?

Yes, it would be nice to sign Perez, wouldn't it? Sadly I don't think that could happen but I would love to think it would. He is a cracking lad, tremendous in the dressing room and the lads love him. I wouldn't say he was the catalyst, but he has played a major part in our success since we signed him on deadline day.

Nick Hall of Waterbeach asks: If you could sign any player in the world who would it be and why?

That is a tough one. I always like players that can score goals, and I just wish we had a midfield player who could maybe score a few more goals than we get at the moment. There are quite a few about that I like but probably one player I would want in my team would be Roy Keane.

Stuart Nichols of London asks: Even when we were promoted, our defence seemed to have some difficulty with consistency. It has been similar this season. Is this an area where you are putting in a lot of work in with players?

Yes, we have and the players have responded and worked hard. I have tried to make them all realise that it isn't just the back four and the goalkeeper who need to work in those areas but the whole team. The best thing for me is that the players have responded.

David Stroud of Cambridge asks: A couple of weeks a snippet appeared in a Sunday Newspaper saying that you wanted to move to a higher division club, this was followed by the reporter on the Nationwide League Extra programme saying that come the Summer you will be looking for a job with a higher division club. What was the basis of these rumours & more importantly is there any truth in either?

Nothing to do with me, I had nothing to do with that and I don't know where it came from. All I will say is that I would love to manage at a higher level, preferably the Premier League, but I am happy here. I have been here over three years and it has been hard but enjoyable work with very limited resources. When you do have that, in a sense, it does make you work that little bit harder.

It has taken a bit of time to convince the supporters as well as the football club as to what we are trying to do but I can honestly say that if I left this football club tomorrow I would leave it stronger than when I joined.

Paul Stephen of Nottingham asks: Would you say that the departure of Martin Butler has been better for the club or worse?

It's better for the football club because of the money, and no other thing. It has helped us survive and we are in a reasonable healthy position at the moment. A time will come soon when the same situation will occur and therefore we will have to sell another player.

I would say, off the top of my head, the next player to leave this club for a lot of money will be Trevor Benjamin. That is life in our division and at this football club. If and when he goes we will wish him the best of luck as we did Martin. Cambridge United won't die when players leave the football club it is my job to get replacements of equal quality … that is what I am paid to do.

Matthew Faiers asks: How do you live your life away from Cambridge United?

A lot of my time is taken up by the job in terms of scouting so our evenings aren't, in a sense, always our own. I do like a game of golf.

And finally Julie Mansfield of Cambridgeshire asks: Last season there was talk of United doing a pre-season tour of Scotland, it didn't happen but it was said that it could be on for this year. Do you know yet if that will go ahead?

You will have to speak to Graham Eales as he is the man who organises our Scottish tours. It didn't work out last season, but we will have a chat and see if he can fix it for us. There was a strong possibility of that happening last season but it didn't so we stayed in and around here. We are trying to get some games organised for the pre-season as I do like us to play good opposition.

If you would like to have your question asked next week, please follow this link and complete the form. Whenever possible the answers will be available every Thursday night.

As ever, we would like to thank Graham Eales for the opportunity to put these questions to Roy McFarland, and the manager for his co-operation.

If you have any comments about this regular feature, either for Will or myself or for Roy or Graham, please use this e-mail address: feedback@cambridgeunited.com