On Wednesday, it was announced that Neil Harris would be leaving Cambridge United only two months after being appointed in order to rejoin his beloved Millwall. Following Harris’ abrupt departure, the club have given assistant head coach Barry Corr responsibility of assuming the managerial role on an interim basis.

 

 It has been a rather dramatic couple of days for the former Us striker, having also recently become a father, but jokes that he is extremely “excited” to be simultaneously presented with these challenges. Although acknowledging his obvious lack of experience, Corr believes that he is firmly in the running for the position, refusing to concede the possibility that the club are exclusively looking for external candidates with Gary Rowett, Michael Duff and Gareth Ainsworth all being mentioned as possible long-term replacements for Harris. After overseeing a 4-0 thrashing of Fleetwood Town in caretaker charge earlier this season, some Us fans believe that Corr has already proven his managerial credentials and will be hoping that another impressive performance in the dugout this weekend against local rivals Peterborough United will result in the Irishman being given the permanent job at the Abbey Stadium. Corr, aged 38, stressed his desire to be a manager in the near future viewing opportunities like this as valuable learning experiences on his journey toward that goal.

 

 If there was any moment that could be used by the board to assess Corr, it would quite simply have to be in a Cambridgeshire Derby in front of a raucous Us crowd. And if there was any time to play Posh, it would probably be this weekend. Peterborough, managed by the eternal Darren Ferguson, are struggling for current form as they slip ever further away from the automatic promotion chase. A midweek semi-final victory over Blackpool in the Bristol Motors Trophy brings renewed optimism to the away side, but with no wins in 5 in the league, defeating Posh does not seem as ominous a task as it did in November when Cambridge were hammered 5-0 in the reverse fixture. 

 

 Corr insists that he remains unaffected by the opponent’s recent difficulties, and maintains that Posh will inevitably cause problems, especially when in possession of the ball for large parts of the game. However, he also believes that Peterborough’s style of play can be exploited so that many counter attacking situations can arise, and with the forward-thinking players that Cambridge have at their disposal such as Sullay Kaikai and Elias Kachunga, Corr is confident that chances will not be few and far between for his side.

 

Following Tuesday night’s 3-1 defeat against Bolton Wanderers, Corr confirmed that there are no new injuries among the squad. As a result, he is anticipated to stick with the same starting lineup for the upcoming derby match. This means that loanee Macauley Bonne will once again lead the line in place of the suspended Lyle Taylor, whom Corr considers a “significant goal threat and a massive asset” to the team.

 

Corr also called upon Us fans to rally behind the team and create a “positive atmosphere” at the Abbey Stadium. With the game expected to draw a capacity crowd, including over 1500 visiting supporters from Posh, it promises to be an exhilarating Cambridgeshire Derby. While Posh may still be considered favourites, Cambridge's potential for a 'new manager bounce' adds an intriguing element of uncertainty to the encounter.