10 Conclusions from 2025/26
One key takeaway from each of our pod and website contributors
To wrap up this season’s content, we’ve asked all of the UTAS podcast and website contributors to send over one conclusion from the season. What was the main thing that they came away with when reflecting on the season? And is that something that can help us next season as we look to take on a very different type of challenge in League One?
Normally, these articles are for Coconut Tier members only. But as it’s the last of the season, we’ve opened this one up to everyone so you can see what you’re missing out on if you’re not subscribed. You get an article like this every week, as well as extra pods, etc etc. Here’s some other end of season stuff that we’ve posted recently which you get access to:
Change is good - Jordan Worland
McFarland, Bonner and now Harris. Three times I have seen United promoted from the fourth tier and each time, the manager has made a mid-season tactical change away from a formation that they started the season with, and the result has seen a significant upturn in fortunes in the league table. In the 2020/21 season, the change was driven by the question of how to best position one Wesley Hoolahan, whereas for Harris in 25-26, the reasoning was less luxurious. Travelling with a reputation, perhaps unfairly, of only playing a back 4, Harris’ decision to move to a back 5 was driven by necessity rather than luxury, as injuries and player unavailability racked up. Harris has spoken this post season about how the mid-season change in formation peaked at Barrow and the team and morale didn’t look back after that.
Having endured months of Monk’s philosophy over formation approach, which resulted in both poor performances and minimal points return, change was needed. With the departures we’ve already seen this summer, there is some doubt in mind as to whether we stay with a back 5, but for now, the success of 25/26 to me will be a marker in tactical and formation pragmatism that Neil Harris played.
Clean sheets actually are a platform to build on - Tom Walker
I’ve spent the last five or six years joking about it, but this is basically what won us promotion. 33 goals conceded is pretty insane, regardless of level. Sounds really basic, but if you don’t concede, you can’t lose, and that really is the platform we built our season on. Hopefully it’ll translate pretty well up the pyramid, too. Next season will be all about 0’s into 1’s, and keeping clean sheets will be pivotal to that.
Home is where the heart is - Jules Roberts
United ended the season as the best home side in the fourth tier. Bromley might have gone the whole season unbeaten and ended on the same points return at home as us, but even though we lost twice at the Abbey we still came out on top with a goal difference of +28, 8 goals better than the champions. And unlike a lot of good things that we saw this year, this wasn’t something that got better in the second half of the season, it was something that defined us all season long. Oldham came to town in September and did a job on us, Grimsby were flying when they repeated the same trick in April, but apart from that it has been a total fortress. And that’s something that we’ll need even more next season, making it a place that is really hard to come to and pick up points.
The club is in an incredible place, on and off the pitch - Matt Caspell
The club has never been in better shape commercially and off the field as it is right now. Posting revenue of £9.2 million is remarkable, and shows how far we’ve come. When I first started watching United in the early 00s, our revenue was usually between £2-3m. While our losses have also grown, we can see this as investment overseen by hugely trustworthy individuals in Paul Barry, Mark Green, Alex Tunbridge and co.
The Abbey is bursting at the seams, which is great to see and really adds to the matchday experience. I’m maybe being naive, but it feels for once tangible that we will be able to move and develop a modern facility in Cambridge East. The matchday experience has never been better than it is right now, we are making the most of what we’re able to do at The Abbey.
We feel like a club with upward momentum right now, on the pitch and off, and I’m loving it.
Defence is the greatest form of attack - Jack Swindlehurst
Even with our catalogue of late goals conceded and the classic end of season wobble, we secured that final automatic promotion by only conceding 33 goals across 46 games. That’s 11 less than anyone else in the league and up there with the best across the whole of the football league. Coupled with a fantastic clean sheet record and especially defenders contributing heavily to our goals, our defence was really the key to this season’s success in every respect.
It’s become enjoyable watching Cambridge United again - Owen Kiernan
After two seasons flirting, and one season fully in bed with relegation there were times when it felt like going to the Abbey was a chore. The constant injuries, late goals, aimless crosses to no-one and repeated mistakes meant 3pm on Saturday was a time to endure, not enjoy.
I’ll admit I was sceptical about Harris and Bonner returning, but with Neil’s tactical nous, and the feel-good factor Bonner brings to the place this season has (mostly) been a joy. Yes, we made hard work of it, and yes the squad needs a lot of improvement if it’s going to become comfortable in League One, but we all know that it’s the fans that make the club, and if we can recapture the spirit of 2021/22, then we should be in for many more enjoyable years ahead.
Football fans still don’t know the rules - Matt Ramsay
Even with the delight of finishing third, the continuing reactions to Kell Watts thigh passes will be a feature of the season which will be spoken about in years to come. We’ve seen it enough times to know what’s coming: the South Habbin realising that Jake Eastwood has picked up a backpass, only it’s not a backpass, it’s a thigh pass, often an entirely unnecessary one, designed to prompt a reaction from opposing fans and draw knowing cheers from U’s supporters.
You’d think people would know the laws of the game they spend their lives watching. United go into a different division in 26-27 and you know what that means, a whole new batch of fanbases to mock for their outrage at Kell Watts doing his thing.
All superstitions are nonsense - Matt Gooding
Throughout the campaign I have tried wearing various combinations of replica shirts and different pairs of yellow trainers (I own a lot of trainers, don’t judge) to matches, and all have coincided with periods of good and, eventually, bad results. As much as we all like to think our various pre-match routines and rituals can have a bearing on results, thankfully it seems having a competent manager and a well-organized team is a much better formula for success.
Trust in the coaches - Ben Griffis
The key conclusion for me is that I fully trust Harris and his coaching staff’s ability to notice problems, diagnose them, come up with a solution, and then implement everything on the training ground. The first 10 or so games were a little rocky and landed us mid-table due to various issues. Harris and his team effectively addressed the issues and the players translated everything onto the pitch. The team ended up having the best defence in the EFL and went on a long unbeaten run. All of that is not an easy task and takes coordination and work from so many different parties.
Paul Barry and Mark Green got it bang on the money - Freddie Owers
In a footballing era where it is seemingly impossible to come across any sort of praise for a club’s board or ownership, I must say we have it extremely lucky as supporters of Cambridge United, and that is no more so summed up than by Barry and Green’s decision to appoint Neil Harris and Mark Bonner just over 18 months ago.
It seemed a gamble at the time, with Harris’ recent exit as U’s manager still lingering over him, and Bonz having no previous experience as a DoF, but the combination of recruitment and management of the side since the summer has left me feeling that literally no better decision could have been made.
It played out to perfection; players adopting a fighting attitude that seemed almost alien to fans after the previous couple of years, and signings being made with a clearer vision than we have seen for a while of exactly where and how they will help the team.
It led to us having a team that was enjoyable to watch, and is an incredible depiction of the simple fact that intelligence and strategy in football goes much further than throwing money around to mask governance inadequacies. It’s going to be an exciting summer.