Cambridge boss Mark Bonner hit out at the “hopeless goals” his side gave away during Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at Northampton.
There was nothing in a goalless first half but United fell apart after the restart when a defensive mix-up allowed Kieron Bowie to break the deadlock.
Sam Hoskins added a swift second, his 10th of the season, and that proved too much for Cambridge to come back from despite Gassan Ahadme scoring late on.
Cambridge have just one win in their last 12 League One games and are now 16th in the table.
“The first half was fine and we chased it well enough at the end but we gave the game away with two hopeless goals in a five-minute spell at the start of the second half,” said Bonner.
“We were OK and had a couple of half decent chances, both teams did, and defensively we were doing OK but it doesn’t matter because we’ve giftwrapped a game that we should never have lost.
“The goal just after half-time is a hopeless goal to give away. We looked vulnerable and they caused us problems when they played forward.
“The goal gives them a leg up and they score another one quickly, they outplay and outrun us in that moment and Hoskins has the quality that we don’t have in that part of the pitch and it becomes a difficult task for us.
“The boys came on from the bench and gave us everything they could to try and help us but we couldn’t find the quality we needed to get an equaliser.
“We turned the ball over too cheaply and we have a lot to do because the result isn’t good enough, our form isn’t good enough and the goals we’re conceding aren’t good enough.”
Having now won back-to-back games, Northampton have leapt up to 15th in League One.
“The second half was much better,” said manager Jon Brady. “We needed to be more purposeful with our forward runs.
“I thought we dominated the ball in the first half and we dominated in terms of chances but I felt we could have played with more purpose and break their back-line a bit more.
“We started to do that and the second goal, where Patrick Brough underlaps, gets to the byline and cuts it back for Sam to score, that’s what we really wanted and we felt we could hurt them in that way.
“We got a bit of fortunate with the first goal when Kieron chases a lost cause and the goalkeeper makes a mess of it, but it was down to Kieron’s persistence and pressure.
“We didn’t finish the game how we wanted to finish it and Cambridge threw caution to the wind but to get three points and to jump up a few places in the table, that’s the most important thing.”
Van Dijk: Netherlands overestimated themselves ahead of Euro 2024
Virgil van Dijk believes the Netherlands may have overestimated their qualities ahead of Euro 2024, having scraped through Group D in third behind Austria and France.
A 3-2 defeat to Austria in their final group game saw Ronald Koeman's Oranje pass up the opportunity to top a difficult pool and instead finish as one of the tournament's best third-placed teams.
That could end up benefitting the side as they have landed on the opposite side of the draw to Germany, Spain, Portugal, France and Belgium.
The Oranje were given a 5.1% chance of winning the tournament by the Opta supercomputer before a ball was kicked, but their hopes are now estimated at 7% ahead of their last-16 tie with Romania.
The team's performances have been fiercely criticised by the Dutch media, and Van Dijk says internal expectations may have been too high.
"Maybe we overestimate ourselves," Van Dijk told reporters on Friday. "A lot had to be said and we had to analyse a lot.
"Things went completely wrong against Austria. It was very bad. We have talked about many aspects, now we have to show it.
"It was not the tactics where things went wrong. It was mainly the will to win, to win that second ball.
"You don't have to talk about that with the coaches, the players must do that among themselves. So, we have talked about that, with harsh words."
Van Dijk's own performance was criticised following the Austria defeat, and the Liverpool man knows more will be required as the tournament progresses.
"I can completely understand the criticism," he said. "I'm not stupid, I also know that I can do better and that it should be better, and that's what I'm working on.
"I didn't play my best game against Austria. It does affect me, I also think that things overall can and should be better. The whole team didn't run, but I look first at myself. I could have brought much more."
Mbappe, Musiala… Mikautadze... Ronaldo? The Golden Boot contenders at Euro 2024
The Euro 2024 group stage is behind us, having provided fans across the continent with their fair share of thrills and spills.
From the emergence of Austria and Georgia as surprise packages to the below-par performances of England, France and the Netherlands, there has been plenty of intrigue.
Now 16 teams remain and the knockout bracket is locked in, and most of the continent's leading marksmen – including Kylian Mbappe, Harry Kane and Cristiano Ronaldo – will still be dreaming of lifting the trophy on July 14.
Adding the Golden Boot alongside team success would make it a dream tournament, but the established continental stars face competition for that honour from a few breakout stars.
With the likes of Georges Mikautadze, Jamal Musiala and Niclas Fullkrug staking their own claims, who will finish top of the scoring charts?
We delve into the Opta data to assess the runners and riders, as well as those bigger names who have struggled so far.
THE FAVOURITES
Kylian Mbappe (one goal)
Mbappe endured a dreadful time at the delayed Euro 2020 tournament three years ago, and things have not gone much better this time around.
At Euro 2020, he failed to score and missed the decisive penalty as France exited in the last 16 versus Switzerland.
Only Alvaro Morata (six), Gerard Moreno and Kane (five each) missed more big chances (as defined by Opta) than Mbappe (four). His 14 total shots amounted to 1.7 expected goals (xG), with only Moreno (-2.25) and Dani Olmo (-1.86) underperforming their xG figures by a greater margin.
This year, a nasty collision with Austria defender Kevin Danso left him with a broken nose and forced him to miss France's second Group D match against the Netherlands, but he returned – donning a protective mask – to score from the penalty spot in their 1-1 draw with Poland.
That was his 13th goal for France at major tournaments (one at the Euros, 12 at World Cups), with only Michel Platini (14) netting more. With many backing France to go far despite landing on a stacked side of the bracket, that figure is certainly within reach.
If France are to go all the way, they will have to overcome Belgium in the last 16 and could face Portugal in the last eight and one of Germany or Spain in the semi-finals.
They are now fourth favourites to win the tournament, according to the Opta supercomputer, with some big-game performances from Mbappe required.
Harry Kane (one)
Like Mbappe, Kane has one goal to his name at the end of the group stage, having netted England's opener in their 1-1 draw with Denmark on matchday two.
Also like the France captain, Kane has endured a difficult tournament, starved of service in an England team that has been jeered by their own fans despite topping Group C.
Only Scotland (0.95) and Serbia (2.11) created a lower xG figure than the Three Lions (2.19) in the group stage as they toiled to five points, but a seemingly kind path through the knockout rounds has them installed as favourites once again.
Kane is a player who tends to grow into tournaments, and Gareth Southgate will be hoping his skipper does so. Kane has scored six goals in his last six appearances in the knockout stages of major tournaments for England (two in two at the 2022 World Cup, four in four at Euro 2020).
His seven goals in tournament knockout stages overall are also the most of any Three Lions player in history.
The mood around the England team has not exactly been buoyant thus far, but with the draw opening up, do not sleep on Kane's chances of firing them to glory.
Jamal Musiala (two)
Germany made a flying start to their home tournament with a 5-1 rout of Scotland and a 2-0 victory over Hungary, with Bayern Munich man Musiala scoring in both games.
They found things more difficult in a 1-1 draw with Switzerland on matchday three and are sure to be tested by Denmark in the last 16, but if Julian Nagelsmann's men are to prolong their encouraging run, Musiala will be key.
One of just six players with multiple goals to his name at this stage, Musiala has also completed the second-most dribbles at the tournament with nine, behind only Belgium's Jeremy Doku (13).
Of the six players to net more than once, only Slovakia's Ivan Schranz (two goals, 0.39 xG) has scored his goals from a lower xG figure than Musiala's 0.48, with both of the German's strikes being rasping finishes into the roof of the net.
Playing for the team whose total of 5.1 xG is the best at the tournament, Musiala should get plenty more chances to add to his tally.
Niclas Fullkrug (two)
Musiala is not the only home favourite in contention to top the goalscoring charts, though, with super sub Fullkrug proving the direct route can be an effective option with two goals in just 73 minutes of action off the bench.
Having found the top-right corner with a brilliant strike against Scotland, the Borussia Dortmund man spared the hosts' blushes on matchday three, as his stoppage-time leveller ensured they pipped Switzerland to top spot in Group A.
His goals have come from just three shots worth a total of 0.54 xG, and it will be interesting to see whether those figures are sustainable should he force his way into Nagelsmann's starting lineup.
A recent poll of 138,000 supporters conducted by German newspaper BILD found 90% of respondents wanted to see Fullkrug start the team's first knockout match.
Cody Gakpo (two)
The Netherlands have not exactly impressed so far, sneaking through Group D in third place following a 3-2 defeat to an inspired Austria team.
However, like England, they have landed on what appears to be the weaker side of the draw, boosting their hopes of going all the way.
The Opta supercomputer gave Ronald Koeman's Oranje a 5.1% chance of winning the trophy before a ball was kicked, and that is now up to 7% despite their struggles, due to Romania, Austria and Turkiye being the other teams in their quarter of the draw.
The fact they could reach the last four without playing a knockout game against any established heavyweights could see them put forward a Golden Boot contender in the shape of Gakpo.
The Liverpool man has two goals to his name already, also winning more duels (23) than any other player at the competition.
He could now become the sixth Dutchman to score three or more goals at a single edition of the Euros, after Marco van Basten (five in 1988), Dennis Bergkamp (three in 1992), Patrick Kluivert (five in 2000), Ruud van Nistelrooy (four in 2004) and Georginio Wijnaldum (thee at Euro 2020).
Georges Mikautadze (three)
None of the big names mentioned above are leading the way in the Golden Boot race, though, with that honour going to a surprise name.
Georgia's Georges Mikautadze, who plays his club football in France for recently relegated Metz, has three goals to his name.
His last two goals – against Czechia and Portugal – have come from the penalty spot, with his first being a clever sweeping finish against Turkiye on matchday one – his country's first goal at a major tournament as an independent nation.
Perhaps crucially, Mikautadze has also recorded an assist, meaning he has twice as many total goal involvements (four) as any other player at the tournament.
Assists are used as a tie-breaker in scenarios where two players are level in the Golden Boot race at the Euros, and it is not far-fetched to suggest he may already have done enough to claim the prize.
Spain great Fernando Torres won the 2012 award with just three goals, although five of the last seven editions of the European Championships have seen a player win the Golden Boot with five goals or more (Antoine Griezmann netted six in 2016).
If the continent's big names continue to misfire, Mikautadze could mark a breakout tournament with an individual honour.
THE OTHER CONTENDERS
With teams facing four more games if they are to reach the final, plenty of other players are not yet out of contention, even if they struggled in the group stage.
Alvaro Morata (one)
Morata made a flying start to the tournament as he slotted home Spain's opener in their impressive 3-0 demolition of Croatia on matchday one, but he has not scored since then, being rested for their final group game against Albania.
La Roja's success has been built on a solid defence, as they are just the second team to win all three of their group-stage matches to nil at the Euros, after Italy at the 2020 edition.
However, they are now expected to go far, and their skipper should get plenty of chances to add to his tally.
That being said, he has only converted one of his eight shots, so that conversion rate will certainly have to improve.
Cristiano Ronaldo (zero)
While Portugal topped Group F with a game to spare and could afford to rest players for Wednesday's 2-0 defeat to Georgia, Ronaldo has endured a frustrating time of things in front of goal.
He failed to score in the group stages of a major international tournament for the first time in his career, with this his 11th competition with the Selecao, who he has now played for on 50 occasions at major tournaments (a European record).
Still the European Championships' all-time leading scorer with 14 goals, his seven assists are also now the most on record (since 1968) at the competition. He will be keen to add to both of those tallies in the knockout rounds.
Romelu Lukaku (zero)
You could argue Lukaku has been both wasteful and unfortunate. He has failed to score from 10 shots totalling 1.67 xG at Euro 2024, with Antoine Griezmann the only player with zero goals from a higher underlying figure (1.84).
The Belgium man has also seen three goals ruled out following VAR checks, either for handball in the build-up or for offside. But for the technology's interventions, he would be level with Mikautadze at the top of the charts.
His chances of winning the Golden Boot have been made that much tougher by the draw, with France up next for the Red Devils after they finished second in Group E.
Christoph Baumgartner (one)
Ralf Rangnick's Austria have been one of the stories of the tournament, pipping France and the Netherlands to top spot in Group D to land on the more favourable side of the draw and leave fans dreaming of a run all the way to the final.
Only Germany have scored more goals (eight to six) or created a higher cumulative xG figure (5.1 to 3.84) than Rangnick's high-pressing side, and they could entertain again when they face Turkiye in the last 16.
With one goal and one assist, RB Leipzig attacker Baumgartner is the only Austrian with multiple goal involvements at Euro 2024, an instinctive finish against Poland demonstrating his coolness in front of goal.
Watch out for his team-mate Marcel Sabitzer, though, who scored a fantastic goal in Austria's 3-2 win over the Netherlands last time out.
Marc Guehi praised the influence of fellow England defender John Stones during his time at Euro 2024, labelling his defensive partner as "a big brother".
England secured top spot in Group C following their 0-0 draw with Slovenia in Cologne, setting up a meeting with Slovakia this Sunday for a place in the quarter-finals.
Guehi, who started every group game for Gareth Southgate, seamlessly slotted into England's back four in the absence of recent tournament veteran, Harry Maguire.
The Crystal Palace defender has performed well in Germany, putting his displays down to the influence of Stones in the Three Lions' camp in Blankenhain.
"I'd say credit to him. Not only is he a fantastic player, he's a top person, someone that I think everyone in the squad gets along with," said Guehi.
"And he's constant, I'd say, almost like a big brother, putting his arm around you, taking care of you, do you know what I mean?
"But yeah, I'm going off him in a way. He's leading it, he's orchestrating things, and I'm just learning off him every single day, so it is a joy to play with him."
Much was made of England's defensive options heading into the Euros, with Stones' long-term defensive partner Maguire not named in the final 26-man squad.
With the absence of the Manchester United defender, Southgate's centre-back options ahead of the tournament had made just 36 appearances for their country, with Stones having achieved more caps (75) than Joe Gomez (15), Guehi (11), Lewis Dunk (6) and Ezri Konsa (4) combined.
"Yeah we get the information quite often to be fair, especially after the games," Guehi said on the pre-tournament talk of England's defence being a weak link.
"Almost as an incentive, I guess to carry on to make sure that standards remain high, but yeah, like I said, it's definitely a collective, it's not just the back four, for sure it's the entire team that are playing a part in this."
In recent major tournaments, England have been renowned for their defensive stability and have kept two clean sheets at Euro 2024 so far.
Across the last two European Championship tournaments, England have kept more clean sheets than any other side (seven in 10 games). All seven of those have been achieved with Jordan Pickford in goal.
The only shot stoppers with more clean sheets at the tournament are Spain’s Iker Casillas (9), Netherlands’ Edwin van der Sar (8) and Italy’s Gianluigi Buffon (8).
"Yeah I'd say I'm not particularly used to Jordan to be honest, I think it's a bit of a shock at first, but actually, when you look back on it, he's fantastic," Guehi said.
"Constant communication, constantly making sure that you're staying alert and you're awake in the game. Like you say, his clean sheet record speaks for itself. He's honestly a top goalkeeper."
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