Western Morning News (Saturday)
Schey’s focus is on beating Cambridge
EIGHT points from their last four games will be good enough to guarantee Plymouth Argyle automatic promotion from League One.
But the only target that Steven Schumacher is interested in is trying to win against Cambridge United at Home Park today.
Schumacher does not expect it to be easy to do that against a side who are managed by Mark Bonner, who was on the same UEFA Pro Licence course as the Pilgrims’ boss.
Read More: Argyle injury updates ahead of League One clash against Cambridge
Argyle have been in very good form of late, winning seven of their last nine league games, and are coming off their dramatic 2-1 come-from-behind win at Shrewsbury Town on Tuesday, but 21st-placed Cambridge are fighting hard to escape relegation.
The U’s had gone four fixtures without defeat, winning three of those matches, before losing 2-1 at home to Wycombe Wanderers on Tuesday.
Table-topping Argyle are one point clear of Ipswich Town and two ahead of Sheffield Wednesday in what has turned out to be an incredible race for automatic promotion.
As it stands, eight points from the final four matches will secure a top two finish for the Pilgrims, but Schumacher is not interested in that.
Schumacher said: “The target is just to try and win the next game. That’s it, don’t worry about anything else. The points total that we might need could be different.
“We will just and try and focus on the next game, try and win against Cambridge if we can, and we know if we do that then that gives us a better chance of getting promoted.”
Bonner has been in charge of Cambridge since January 2020 and since then the U’s have an unbeaten record against Argyle of three draws and one win.
The Pilgrims went to the Abbey Stadium in December and had to fight and scrap for a 0-0 draw on a rapidly freezing pitch.
A win for Cambridge in the rematch at Home Park would be a huge boost for them in their battle against relegation, and in striker Sam Smith they have someone who has scored a goal in each of their last five games.
Schumacher said: “They are playing well, they are in good form. I know they lost the last game but they had a brilliant win just before that in the derby game (a 2-0 home defeat of Cambridgeshire rivals and playoff hopefuls Peterborough United).
“I’m expecting another tough game. I think Mark has a real organised team. I think he enjoys the challenge of coming up against us.
“He always does well because they are comfortable not having the ball. I think he understands that we probably shade the possession against them normally when we play them.
“They are comfortable out of possession because of how well organised he has got them, and he knows with his forward players that he has got they have got a threat on the break.
“They have got some really good players and they are also not bad from set pieces as well. It feels as though I keep saying the same thing but that’s the challenge we are going to have to try and overcome.
“That’s why I was really pleased with Tuesday because it might be a similar type of scenario,” added the Pilgrims’ boss.
Schumacher admitted patience could be needed on and off the Home Park pitch tomorrow as Argyle try to clinch what would be three precious points.
He said: “They (Cambridge) are a hard team to play against. The way they defend, they are really organised. They get really compact in front of their box and the distances are always good between their lines so it’s hard to find space.
“They have got a threat when they break, as it has shown a few times against us, so we have got to make sure that we are aware of that and be mindful of it.
“What we can’t do as a team is get frustrated and then be putting balls in areas that we don’t need to.
“I would call on the crowd to stay patient as well. It’s that type of game and if the crowd gets edgy and nervous then that can effect the players.
“If we get the first goal and we are on top of the game then Cambridge have to slightly change what I’m guessing Mark’s plan will be.
“But if they get the first goal then we just might have to be patient, like we showed on Tuesday, and find a way to get back into it and win it if we can.”