| Grecians to have hair raising experience against Super U's 13:47 - Nov 24 with 2034 views | durham_exile |
Colchester travel to St James’ Park Exeter tonight for another difficult game. The Grecians are turning into our bogey team following our 3-1 defeat in the Play Off Semi Final second leg. Although we were close to a famous win when Kwame Poku had a chance near the end of the game which would have put the U’s through.
Still that is in the past as is Exeter’s defeat to Oldham at the weekend which handed them their first loss in 13 games. Matt Taylor wants his players to take out their frustration on Colchester, but the pressure is largely on the Grecians and their star Randell Williams.
SB has made much of the fact that we have yet to secure an away win this season. 4 draws and 2 defeats is a disappointing return so far, the draws coming at Bradford 0-0, Barrow 1-1, Walsall 1-1, and Mansfield 1-1 with the two defeats at Carlisle 3-2 and Newport 2-1.
Now the old maxim is win at home and draw away, but an Away win is worth no more points wise but psychologically, particularly tonight, it is worth significantly more. Especially as we have no game this weekend because of that pathetic game against Marine.
Now SB started on Friday night with the following team:
Gerken
Welch-Hayes Eastman Smith Bramall
Stevenson Pell Chilvers
Senior Poku
Brown
SB was using what is becoming known as “inverted wingers”.
Harriott replaced Poku on 61 minutes and then Mansfield scored their goal on 67 minutes. SB then made some positive substitutions Bohui and Folivi for Senior and Stevenson on 70 minutes and then Norris for Welch-Hayes on 80 minutes.
The team then looked like this:
Gerken
Eastman Smith Bramall
Pell Chilvers
Harriott Folivi Bohui
Brown Norris
The attacking line up was successful with Norris scoring a “Brownesque” goal on 85 minutes and then we could have won the match with Folivi close near the end. But SB would ordinarily not make such drastic changes in a game. The alternative of course would have been another dismal defeat.
Now a number of us on this site have been pleading for a second striker. Jevani Brown cut a forlorn figure on Friday because he simply had no support and was given little opportunity. Often receiving the ball and he usually had the attention of two or sometimes three Mansfield defenders around him.
So, what can SB do to offer more support, simple play a second striker but who. Jevani Brown must start and then who supports him. Either Chuck Norris or Michael Folivi. I favour Folivi who offers similar pace and trickery as opposed to the wily Norris who has experience but lacks pace. Chuck can be used in the last 30 minutes as an impact player.
Given that the defence is largely determined that leaves midfield and one winger.
Try as I can I cant get away from the midfield triumvirate of Stevenson, Pell and Chilvers. This means that SB cannot play his inverted wingers. But with Brown and Folivi he must choose between Senior, Poku, Harriott and Bohui.
When he is on his game, Harriott is the natural choice. Skilful and always able to create chances for others, he is often let down by his failure to stay on his feet. Courtney Senior is frustrating. He often plays well but takes on one too many defenders or gives the ball away cheaply or fails to track back or all of the above.
Kwame Poku is an enigma. His best game for the U’s was that thrilling victory at Salford last season when in horrendous weather conditions he scored an absolute scorcher and almost got a second shortly afterwards. He has in my view failed to push on this season and whilst he is talented, he needs to channel this energy far more productively.
Josh Bohui is one of my favourite players. Yes, he missed a penalty against Marine, but everyone was pants that day except Bramall. He would be first change if Harriott is replaced.
Brown and Folivi could be the ultimate striking partnership both young, pacy and have goals in them. We have lacked a strike partnership for years now. Norris is a real old-fashioned striker; he scores goals and has bags of experience. He also gets frustrated and often pummels the floor after hitting the deck or gives away cheap fouls when annoyed about a failure to convert a chance.
Paris Cowan-Hall is another player who has had almost as many clubs as Jack Nicklaus, but he has been unlucky with fitness. His best game was against Spurs when he kept Son in his pocket for most of the game.
Therefore, the following to start at St James’ Park in a 4,3,3:
Gerken
Welch-Hayes Eastman Smith Bramall
Stevenson Pell Chilvers
Harriott Brown Folivi
Subs:
George Cowan-Hall Sowunmi Senior Bohui Poku Norris
A look at the table:
Newport 12 28
Cheltenham 13 25
Cambridge 12 24
Carlisle 13 23
FGR 13 22
Exeter 13 21
COL U 12 20
Salford 12 19
Our game in hand is the Scunny game.
On Thursday we will find out which Tier we are going to be in and ultimately that will determine whether we can have 4,000 (T1) or 2,000 (T2) supporters at the JSCS. Colchester is likely to be tier 1, Co Durham could be Tier 3 where no supporters will be allowed. There is a massive difference and we do not know whether away supporters will be allowed into the stadia.
I suspect that I will continue to be reliant on iFollow.
The weather in South Devon this evening will be 12 degrees Celsius and mostly cloudy but dry. The pitch will be better than Field Mill, where the surface was greasy, and the players footwear caused many slips and trips.
I reckon that we will prevail in a keenly contested game by 3-2. Cohen Bramall is overdue a goal and he will be supported by goal machine Brown and his strike partner Folivi.
Enjoy the game.
Up the U’s
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| Grecians to have hair raising experience against Super U's on 20:23 - Nov 24 with 837 views | durham_exile |
| Grecians to have hair raising experience against Super U's on 20:17 - Nov 24 by durham_exile |
Everest as well now
Scarlett for Senior
The team is now unrecognisable and the players will not have played this in training.
Welch Hayes should never have been taken off in the first place. |
I'm signing off for tonight.
This is embarrassing.
It's going to be a long 25 minutes. | |
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| Grecians to have hair raising experience against Super U's on 20:23 - Nov 24 with 837 views | gerry_us |
| Grecians to have hair raising experience against Super U's on 20:17 - Nov 24 by durham_exile |
Everest as well now
Scarlett for Senior
The team is now unrecognisable and the players will not have played this in training.
Welch Hayes should never have been taken off in the first place. |
Have an early night with an Ovaltine Peter.  |  | | |
| Grecians to have hair raising experience against Super U's on 20:31 - Nov 24 with 817 views | wessex_exile |
Hopefully this is our one spanking this season, but Folivi makes it 4-1 - the comeback is on!!! |  |
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| Grecians to have hair raising experience against Super U's on 20:32 - Nov 24 with 816 views | noah4x4 |
Scarlett has been a disaster.
Folivi now does what we know he can.
If we had started with Durham's selection we would still be in this. |  | | |
| Grecians to have hair raising experience against Super U's on 20:32 - Nov 24 with 815 views | wessex_exile |
| Grecians to have hair raising experience against Super U's on 20:31 - Nov 24 by wessex_exile |
Hopefully this is our one spanking this season, but Folivi makes it 4-1 - the comeback is on!!! |
Bohui on, someone let Durham know!!! | |
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| Grecians to have hair raising experience against Super U's on 20:43 - Nov 24 with 799 views | noah4x4 |
Hope Senior and Poku miss the bus home and have to walk. Might not see them again for two weeks. | | | |
| Grecians to have hair raising experience against Super U's on 20:48 - Nov 24 with 791 views | durham_exile |
| Grecians to have hair raising experience against Super U's on 20:43 - Nov 24 by noah4x4 |
Hope Senior and Poku miss the bus home and have to walk. Might not see them again for two weeks. |
Sorry guys I've just been staring into the abyss.
Slipping slowly into madness.
The irony is having made all 5 subs we are now down to 10 men.
Time for my medication | |
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| Grecians to have hair raising experience against Super U's on 20:50 - Nov 24 with 789 views | noah4x4 |
Must drop Gerrken.
This is shameful | | | |
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| Grecians to have hair raising experience against Super U's on 20:53 - Nov 24 with 783 views | noah4x4 |
Another poor clearance by Gerken results in sixth.
Disgraceful | | | |
| Grecians to have hair raising experience against Super U's on 20:57 - Nov 24 with 767 views | wessex_exile |
Just dreadful I'm afraid - big changes needed now  | |
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| Grecians to have hair raising experience against Super U's on 20:58 - Nov 24 with 760 views | gerry_us |
It's been coming; maybe things will change now! | | | |
| Grecians to have hair raising experience against Super U's on 21:00 - Nov 24 with 755 views | noah4x4 |
Positives
I didn't spend £100 travelling to Exeter.
I will be in bed by 11:00
Negatives
How long have you got?
If Marine wasn't the wake up call Cowling this was.
Humes and his cronies OUT! | | | |
| Grecians to have hair raising experience against Super U's on 21:03 - Nov 24 with 740 views | Leadbelly |
At least Trevor Kettle wasn’t to blame...for a change. |  |
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| Grecians to have hair raising experience against Super U's on 21:04 - Nov 24 with 738 views | Tommy888 |
Miles behind Exeter in every department!
Poor performance and the scoreline should have been even worse | | | |
| Grecians to have hair raising experience against Super U's on 21:06 - Nov 24 with 727 views | noah4x4 |
Could Halford do a job at right back? Scarlett was clueless tonight. | | | |
| Grecians to have hair raising experience against Super U's on 21:09 - Nov 24 with 716 views | Leadbelly |
| Grecians to have hair raising experience against Super U's on 21:04 - Nov 24 by Tommy888 |
Miles behind Exeter in every department!
Poor performance and the scoreline should have been even worse |
Exeter had more shots on target than we had shots. Won’t win many games when that happens. | |
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| Grecians to have hair raising experience against Super U's on 21:10 - Nov 24 with 712 views | Fruitbat |
I appear to have saved myself a tenner and a lot of woe tonight. |  | | |
| Grecians to have hair raising experience against Super U's on 21:28 - Nov 24 with 664 views | gerry_us |
Hopefully Durham's medication worked.  | | | |
| Grecians to have hair raising experience against Super U's on 21:32 - Nov 24 with 654 views | wessex_exile |
| Grecians to have hair raising experience against Super U's on 21:03 - Nov 24 by Leadbelly |
At least Trevor Kettle wasn’t to blame...for a change. |
Though to be fair, he wasn't that good either... | |
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| Grecians to have hair raising experience against Super U's on 22:09 - Nov 24 with 600 views | thrillseeker |
| Grecians to have hair raising experience against Super U's on 20:43 - Nov 24 by noah4x4 |
Hope Senior and Poku miss the bus home and have to walk. Might not see them again for two weeks. |
They were not great but Ball has to take some blame for his team selection | | | |
| Grecians to have hair raising experience against Super U's on 09:03 - Nov 25 with 452 views | bwildered |
Had already left padlock and chain at another Essex location, so unable to get to Florence Park !
Well it has to be done .
Boudicca , William Gilbert, Steve Lamacq, Chris Morris, Dermot O Leary, Jules Hudson,Darren Day, Steve Ball ..... are boys took hell of a beating . [Post edited 25 Nov 2020 9:13]
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| Grecians to have hair raising experience against Super U's on 11:27 - Nov 25 with 404 views | durham_exile |
| Grecians to have hair raising experience against Super U's on 21:28 - Nov 24 by gerry_us |
Hopefully Durham's medication worked. |
Gerry when I woke this morning I suddenly had a feeling that i had dreamt it all.
Unfortunately not.
Just as well we don't have a game on Saturday.
Crawley next Tuesday.
In the meantime hope that you are not going into Tier 3. We are waiting in Co Durham to see whether we are Tier 2.
SB is just in Tiers after last night!
Up the U's | |
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| Grecians to have hair raising experience against Super U's on 13:03 - Nov 25 with 378 views | Moor_Pinot |
| Grecians to have hair raising experience against Super U's on 11:27 - Nov 25 by durham_exile |
Gerry when I woke this morning I suddenly had a feeling that i had dreamt it all.
Unfortunately not.
Just as well we don't have a game on Saturday.
Crawley next Tuesday.
In the meantime hope that you are not going into Tier 3. We are waiting in Co Durham to see whether we are Tier 2.
SB is just in Tiers after last night!
Up the U's |
As he should be Durham.
When will our chairman realise the the Tiptree gene pool is too small and ineffective to be a proving ground for football managers.
It hasn't worked for six years during which time we've had some decent players who - as now - are paralysed by over cautious tactics deployed due to managerial inexperience.
I'm sure Mr Cowling's got more important stuff to worry about than our frustration but we are standing still at best.
This latest recruit has just 18 games as our main, won 6, drawn 5 & lost 7.
I turned off at 2-0 having already predicted the hammering. It was overdue, Carlisle mauled us and the scoreline flattered the U's as did the FGR one let alone the Harrogate game which they should have won by some way. Without mentioning AFC Marine the U's have had this coming. You made the excellent point that with the subs on they would be unable to play due to the fact that we are set up as 4-6-0 and you're right. Several players are under performing - a management issue - Gerken, Smith and Pell among them. Senior, as you say, is 'undroppable'. But why?
There needs to be some strong lateral thinking before we play away again as well as some tough decisions made - by management that probably doesn't comprehend.
I'd agree with several posts from last night - drop Gerken, Poku, Senior and Pell. Give Brown some help, and let Sowumni give the underwhelming Smith a rest. Test all this against Maldon this weekend so there's actually a plan A.
So far this season there hasn't been, we've simply surfed the season and got away with 20 points.
We need to stop this constant pre match adulation of the opposition and how well 'so and so has got them playing' all done as a prelude to being able to deflect from our own limp efforts.
This is not respect for your opposition it's inexperienced clap trap which foretells the inevitable Colchester Caution which has been taking to the field for the last few years.
Let's get at the opposition and try to win football games. But I can't say that I believe this will happen until the internal culture changes. I f it does then the annual defeat to step four teams could stop too.
This season albeit in these horrid horrid times has only served to underline existing weaknesses. Midtable at best is all we can hope for I fear.
Want to be wrong!
But last night was a second embarrassment in too short a period for my liking.
Fans back v Grimsby..... How many? |  |
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