Forum | 11th time lucky for super U's at the People's Pension Stadium by durham_exile

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11th time lucky for super U's at the People's Pension Stadium 12:11 - Feb 20 with 1416 views

"If it wasn't for a really disappointing couple of goals on Sunday, then we win the game." - Steve Ball

A bizarre quote and one that sums up the Head Coach, confused, unclear and lacking in credibility.

Anyway, I promised myself that I would not be too negative in my preview today. So, let us dwell on the positives.

So instead of saying that we have not won for 11 games, let us say that we have 5 draws out of the last 7 games. Also, those draws have been against Mansfield, Orient, Stevenage, Cambridge, and Cheltenham all teams that have been on decent runs or are well placed in the table.

Cambridge 29 49

Oldham 27 34
COL U 27 33
PV 28 32
Scunny 26 32
Stevenage 29 32
Southend 28 34
Barrow 26 23
Grimsby 27 21

The return of Big Frank has been a massive boost for the squad. His goal against Mansfield was masterful and Brendan Wiredu is also a very useful addition to the squad.

In Pell, Stevenson, Wiredu, Lapslie, and Chilvers we have a very effective midfield, but SB is not able to play them all in the same side.

Harriott, Brown and Nouble must play preferably together and upfront.

In defence Welch-Hayes, Eastman, Smith and Clampin look the best four with Doherty left back and Junior Tchamadeu right back cover and utility player Sowunmi who can play in a number of positions.

Then we have Gerken and George as Goalkeepers. I bitterly regret the loss of Ethan Ross who would make a superb number one, but that ship has sailed.

We have to mention Courtney Senior (now with 137 appearances and 14 goals though nothing this year). He has regressed massively and should spend time on the bench and in the U23s to see whether he can recreate the promise that he initially showed at the club. I want the lad to do well, but when a side is struggling, and we are, then there is no room for passengers.

Poku is an enigma. He can be brilliant, last season at Salford was his best game ever in a U’s shirt, but he fails to strike that form on a regular basis.

Paris Cowan-Hall is the forgotten man, he was outstanding against Spurs and kept Son in his pocket all game. I know that he has been injured but SB has ignored him. Versatile he can play defence, midfield, or even up front. What is going on here?

Marley Marshal-Miranda is often on the bench and plays midfield, but I do not know enough about him to make a qualified judgement.

Then the two imponderables Josh Bohui and Michael Folivi. SB does not use them to best effect and in fact they are very much on the periphery of the team.

Samson Tovide is the player that excites me. Young, untried but plenty of potential. Get him into the team soon even as the famous 8-minute substitute.

Quite frankly these players should not be 18th in the league. The fact that they are is down more to crass stupidity from SB rather than failings on their part.

There have been too many 4,6,0 or 4,5,1-line ups where a lone striker is isolated or exposed to two or three defenders and marked out of the game.

Many people have made this season one of survival. That frankly is rubbish. We wasted a golden opportunity with the FA Cup to make 250K and that set the standard of indifference and incompetence.

Four teams will be promoted and two relegated, it is that simple. Barring miracles, we have lost any chance of promotion and so we are in a relegation scrap. Ultimately Barrow and Grimsby will go down (Southend will escape) but in 18th place, we are too close for comfort.

Victory today could see us rise to the dizzy heights of 12th in the table. That is simply not good enough. We have 19 games to play and we still need 20 points to be mathematically safe. 40 points would see an unlikely top seven position but let us be realistic 40 points from 19 games is not going to happen. 5 successive failures to get out of the basement league that is poor by any standard. Yes, no team has a divine right to promotion, but we are advancing backwards under the current regime.

Tony Ashby has left the club this week and the silence has been deafening. Will he be replaced as a Director of the Club?

Hayden Mullins joined the club with a pedigree of knowledge and experience, is he actually allowed to get involved at any stage.

50 years since that game against Leeds and 15 years since Parky took us to the promised land.

2021 is looking like our lowest position finish since we went out of the league. A grim prospect.

As a man who is of the glass half full persuasion, I am looking for the positives and today we must look to win the game at the 12th attempt. A clean sheet must be the aim and then to score a priceless away goal to win the match.

I would look to start with the following XI:

Gerken

Welch-Hayes Eastman Smith Clampin

Stevenson Pell Lapslie

Harriott Brown Nouble

Subs:
George Sowunmi Doherty Wiredu Folivi Oteh Chilvers

Sadly, I will be wrong in my selection, but that is why SB is the Head Coach and me simply a supporter.

Weather in Crawley West Sussex 14 degrees Celsius and dry with sunny intervals. Almost sub-tropical in fact.

Colchester to win by 1-0 with Jevani Brown restored to the team getting the all-important winner. He should not have been dropped in the first place.

I have spent £250 on games this season with three “free games” after winning weekly codes. At least I have watched every game and would have already spent more actually attending about 12 games when travelling expenses and game day spend is considered.
Of course I have also spent £120 on club merchandise this season.

Come on the U’s give me and the rest of the faithful something to cheer today.

Enjoy the game.

Up the U’s

[Post edited 20 Feb 2021 13:12]

Durham_exile

11th time lucky for super U's at the People's Pension Stadium on 19:32 - Feb 20 with 493 views

Leadbelly

11th time lucky for super U's at the People's Pension Stadium on 19:00 - Feb 20 by noah4x4

I have vehemently supported past managers on this board for 16 years usually against the tide of opinion. However, fans have suffered from a diabolical lack of leadership from one failure who incredibly was rewarded with promotion to Director of Football. Appointing his cronies to team management continues his failed philosophy.

Today, our winless record was extended to 12; but shots on target 2. How do we hope to win when we can’t score goals? We are fortunate that Barrow, Southend and Grimsby have been as poor. But can I remind folk that we lost to Southend, drew with Barrow and have to travel to Grimsby. The return fixtures are six pointers and two of these have a game in hand. We are in a relegation scrap however we might dress this predicament and Humes and Ball are solely responsible. Confidence in the dressing room must be rock bottom and new management is the only way to change that. More of the same brings just that, the same.

Scoring goals is the biggest problem. Only three teams have scored fewer than Col U and currently occupy three of the four places below us. Barrow have actually scored one more than us, having played one game fewer.

We don’t present a goal threat often enough nor do we seem capable of sustaining attacking pressure, regardless of personnel or formation.

Exeter, Forest Green, Carlisle and Newport are our next four opponents. Unless something changes very soon the winless streak could easily be 16...more than a third of the season.

Poll:

Safe standing at football; yes, know or don't know?

11th time lucky for super U's at the People's Pension Stadium on 00:10 - Feb 21 with 414 views

mfb_cufc

11th time lucky for super U's at the People's Pension Stadium on 19:00 - Feb 20 by noah4x4

I agree with all you say noah, but the biggest problem with the club is Cowling. He is the one who gave Humes and Ball their jobs. While he owns the club we have got many more years of this rubbish, because he is too stubborn to change.

mfb

11th time lucky for super U's at the People's Pension Stadium on 08:37 - Feb 21 with 394 views

burnsieespana

Not sure mfb I agree with the last part of what you say.
Since RC came in he has given shed loads of money to young up and coming Manager's like Lambert and Hoofroyd, when that failed he changed to an experienced Manager in Ward, then when that failed fell back on the fans favourite Dunne (which I always thought a bad move) and it was only when that failed he arrived at the current system apart from flirting with Keen (who again I thought was a poor appointment) so he has, in my humble view shown flexibility and a preparedness to change so far from stubborn.
Yes, I would agree he is slow to react but we are not alone and we have to accept this season is about survival for us as a club. SB was a wrong appointment and I guess a mixture of loyalty and the cheap option and the first resonates with me.

[Post edited 21 Feb 2021 8:41]

11th time lucky for super U's at the People's Pension Stadium on 10:45 - Feb 21 with 362 views

gerry_us

Finish this thread how it started...

"If it wasn't for a really disappointing goal on Saturday, then we draw the game." - Steve Ball

11th time lucky for super U's at the People's Pension Stadium on 12:15 - Feb 21 with 350 views

wessex_exile

11th time lucky for super U's at the People's Pension Stadium on 10:45 - Feb 21 by gerry_us
Finish this thread how it started... "If it wasn't for a really disappointing goal on Saturday, then we draw the game." - Steve Ball

I still don't honestly believe we're in serious danger of relegation - still ten points clear despite an utterly dreadful run of form. Mind you, I'm not liking the look of the next few fixtures, but surely we have to get out of this rut at some point? However, Robbie is a businessman first and foremost, so I'd be amazed if he wasn't already starting to consider alternatives to Ball.

	Up the U's
Poll:	How will we do in 2016/17
Blog:	Knees-up Mother Brown #24

11th time lucky for super U's at the People's Pension Stadium on 12:58 - Feb 21 with 342 views

mfb_cufc

11th time lucky for super U's at the People's Pension Stadium on 08:37 - Feb 21 by burnsieespana

[Post edited 21 Feb 2021 8:41]

After Cowling got his fingers burnt with Lambert and Hoofroyd he went down the internal route with Ward. That was when he brought this philosophy in of wanting all the clubs teams to play the same system, and the start of the club being self sufficient, by reducing what funds he put into the first team, and putting into the academy instead. That was 9 seasons ago, and ever since then all we have had is internal managers (except for Keen, who we are lead to believe was sacked because he wanted to do things different). In those 9 seasons we have gone from finishing 8th in League 1 to 20th in League 2. That is what I call being stubborn with a philosophy that is not working, especially as we have had, and still have, decent players in that time.

I will finish with a quote from Cowling when John Ward was sacked. He said "So much of Colchester United is better than it has ever been, but sadly that is not being reflected in first team results." Those words perfectly describe were we are today.

mfb

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