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JM takes his inconsistent U’s to Vale Park today for another key game in the battle for Promotion from League Two. Inconsistent because after their long unbeaten 16 game run, they have recently defeated Swindon and Plymouth but inexplicably lost to Cambridge and Grimsby.
It is this puzzling dilemma that most concerns me as a Colchester United supporter. Looking purely at League Games, we have played 33 games, won 13 drawn 13 and lost 7 with a GD of +16 and 52 points.
We lost 5 out of the first 14 league games and then have only lost 2 out of the last 19 games (but of those disturbingly have lost 2 out of the last 3 games).
We now embark upon the first of 13 cup finals with 7 Away games and 6 Home matches. In total we will have played 56 League and Cup games this season.
Our magnificent Carabao Cup run will have garnered £1M in the coffers. The transfer deals brought in almost another net £1M after the Brown transfer. So, it has already been a successful season, but if we fail at the last and languish in the basement league for another season it will have been a failure.
The 13 “Cup Finals”
Port Vale A Salford A Cheltenham H Carlisle A Scunny H Crewe H Newport A Mansfield H Bradford A Northampton A Oldham H Walsall A FGR H
They will of course determine our fate this season. Colchester must still strive for one of the top three positions. The Play Offs are a lottery and we can do without squeaky bum time in April/May.
Table:
Swindon 33 63 Crewe 32 61 Exeter 32 60 Plymouth 31 57 COL U 33 52 Northampton 32 52 Cheltenham 31 51 Bradford 33 51 Port Vale 33 51
Today we travel to another promotion contender Port Vale at Vale Park Burslem. John Askey’s side have only lost one of their last six games but will be without three players today all serving suspensions. James Gibbons the second of a two-game ban, Mitchel Clark the first of a three-game ban and talisman Tom Pope a one game ban for two yellow cards in their win on Tuesday at FGR. Ill discipline could cost them for this big game today against the Super U’s.
However, forget all about the players who will not be playing, it is the XI that take to the field that need concern us. Port Vale, like Cambridge and Grimsby have all hit form as they take on the Super U’s. Frankly there are no easy games and we will have to play superbly well between now and FGR (last game) to garner sufficient points to achieve a top three position. We probably need 30 points from 13 games, a tall order but 82 points should be enough for third position.
JM is still frustrated by the fact that Paris Cowan-Hall is out. Tom Lapslie has now picked up an injury playing against the Farmers U23. He says that one or two other players are carrying knocks. Worrying times indeed.
We now know what our best starting XI is:
Gerken
Jackson Eastman Prosser Bramall
Pell Comley
Harriott Stevenson Nouble
Robinson
But it is the optimum use of those from the subs bench that will ultimately determine our success or otherwise:
JM must use all his 18 squad players and probably two or three other fringe players. It was unfortunate that we failed to bring in another striker or a replacement for Jevani Brown despite stating that we would.
The weather in Burslem today will be 10 degrees Celsius with rain and a stiff breeze (the Start of Storm Dennis). The pitch will drain well (it was laid on tons of crocks from the pottery factories) and it is big at 114 x 77 yards. The last time I went to Port Vale it was also very wet and we prevailed 2-1. I believe we will do the same today in similar conditions.
Safe journey to those travelling and enjoy the game.
Today is all about three points and getting our promotion wagon back on track.
Up the U’s
Durham_exile
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He who would Valiant be, Super U's to prevail at soggy Vale Park on 17:24 - Feb 15 with 699 views
He who would Valiant be, Super U's to prevail at soggy Vale Park on 17:15 - Feb 15 by GOSBTS
I'm usually quite optimistic but that is the only saving grace I can find from today too. Let's just hope we turn things around at Salford next week before a big game against Cheltenham.
I am normally optimistic and approach U's games through rose tinted specs.
But this is hard to take.
Every season we have a wobble and it always comes at the worst time Last season we then put in some impossible results MK Don's and Lincoln notably only to be undone by a Newport 87th minute equaliser at Morecambe.
Durham_exile
0
He who would Valiant be, Super U's to prevail at soggy Vale Park on 17:25 - Feb 15 with 697 views
He who would Valiant be, Super U's to prevail at soggy Vale Park on 17:15 - Feb 15 by GOSBTS
I'm usually quite optimistic but that is the only saving grace I can find from today too. Let's just hope we turn things around at Salford next week before a big game against Cheltenham.
I'm always optimistic, after 50 years following the U's, I have to be. Mathematically, of course we can still get in the top three, but 9pts adrift, and probably 12pts once the game in hand is factored in, it isn't very likely now. If 80pts is going to be enough, we have to win nine and draw at least one of the last 12 - not impossible mind you...
Trying to remain optimistic, but it is getting harder! Especially reading the suicidal Facebook pages!
How we didn't score from the consecutive corners we had in the first half, I will never know. Especially Pell hitting the ball in the one place that the defender was standing in.
Normally when we don't take our chances, the defence stands firm and we hold them to a 0-0. However, this can't happen every game and so when our two best performing players of the season have off days, this is the outcome!
Durham stated in his post match preview that we lined up with our best XI versus Grimsby and the only change to that team on Saturday was Senior (who I would have started for Nouble), so we can't blame the manager for the starting line-up or tactics. So do we blame him for the motivation instead or do the players have to have a long hard look at themselves?
Prosser said midweek that after the Grimsby game, the players have had another "wake-up call", what now after the Port Vale defeat???
A defeat can be accepted by most fans, as long as the team shows effort, commitment, a game plan and create chances. Saturday we didn't show any of this and that is the most disappointing thing.
Play-offs are still in our own hands. As McGreal always says "it is about what we do". Let's dust ourselves down and go to Salford and play with the chains off and go for it! Go out there and entertain! If we lose having gone for it, I won't care. Keep doing it and the wins will come. Normally, I would settle for a point at Salford and a win versus Cheltenham, but I don't see any reason why we can't win both!!
He who would Valiant be, Super U's to prevail at soggy Vale Park on 19:25 - Feb 16 by ghughes11
Trying to remain optimistic, but it is getting harder! Especially reading the suicidal Facebook pages!
How we didn't score from the consecutive corners we had in the first half, I will never know. Especially Pell hitting the ball in the one place that the defender was standing in.
Normally when we don't take our chances, the defence stands firm and we hold them to a 0-0. However, this can't happen every game and so when our two best performing players of the season have off days, this is the outcome!
Durham stated in his post match preview that we lined up with our best XI versus Grimsby and the only change to that team on Saturday was Senior (who I would have started for Nouble), so we can't blame the manager for the starting line-up or tactics. So do we blame him for the motivation instead or do the players have to have a long hard look at themselves?
Prosser said midweek that after the Grimsby game, the players have had another "wake-up call", what now after the Port Vale defeat???
A defeat can be accepted by most fans, as long as the team shows effort, commitment, a game plan and create chances. Saturday we didn't show any of this and that is the most disappointing thing.
Play-offs are still in our own hands. As McGreal always says "it is about what we do". Let's dust ourselves down and go to Salford and play with the chains off and go for it! Go out there and entertain! If we lose having gone for it, I won't care. Keep doing it and the wins will come. Normally, I would settle for a point at Salford and a win versus Cheltenham, but I don't see any reason why we can't win both!!
C'mon Col U!! Believe in yourself!!
Ghughes I totally agree that we could win both upcoming games.
The problem is that we are having our once a season wobble.
Looking at past results there is always a dodgy spell normally encompassing 6 games.
I have said before our inconsistency is the only consistent part of our game.
I believe that the Grimsby line up was the best XI and unlike you I would have started Harriott for Senior at Port Vale.
We have limited options from the bench now, we failed to improve the squad in January which was a mistake.
The automatic places have now gone only the play offs remain and if we fail to achieve promotion we will lose Bramall Stevenson Harriott etc.
Grim times unless we get our act together starting at Salford. I genuinely wonder if the club really wants promotion, I am not convinced they do. UTU's
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