I am informed that I was just six months old the last time the U’s suffered nine league consecutive defeats (1954); so this is uncharted territory.

I would hate to be Mrs Dunne or Junior Dunnes today, as Joe will be weeping blue and white tears. But he should wipe his eyes, hold his pride and keep “giving it a go” with the backing of the fans and Robbie Cowling.

Please don’t resign Joe; this isn’t your fault; as the players are letting us down; and we can see that you are trying everything. Frankly, I don’t think any of the 3,100 “faithful” in attendance have any better idea than you what to do next, except keep trying new things.

Joe has inherited the worst mess possible, and like Harry Redknapp at QPR, Joe is probably not going to be a Messiah that heals the wounds of past managerial gaffs in just a single season. I am now fairly resigned to the likelihood of relegation and the need to allow Joe and Mark Kinsella proper and adequate time to rebuild.

Woody, having stupidly picked up a yellow card (‘unsporting behaviour’!) almost every other game this season had to sit this one out. Izzet and an assortment of others were injured. Joe Dunne hence had to hand the Captains Armband to young Josh Thompson making only his fifth start (plus two as a sub). Joe, I agree, you can’t trust ANY of the available senior professionals to put in an inspirational performance/shift. I think this action made a very telling statement. Let’s go forward with Joe as regards playing staff (even if it’s painful for a while) and not backwards

Geez, how we are missing injured Tom Eastman, and our problems at left back evidently continue. But what ghastly errors young Potts made for West Ham yesterday having been so unsure for the U’s at Crawley. The fact that Potts was recalled to a Premier League club to immediately play in the First Team suggests to me that Joe is pulling in highly rated young loan players, but it is our old guard that is letting us down.

John Ward got sacked after 22 games without a win. Joe hence inherited a bunch of misfits locked into long term contracts which means they can’t be offloaded unless somebody else wants them. This is not to say that they can’t play football, as individually they all can, but seemingly not as a team. Where are the bids Woody, Henderson et al? Nobody wants you, so get yours arses into gear and “bleed blue and white” like our manager.

Joe had got the team playing attractive passing football, and for a time (with the now injured loanees Craig Eastmond and Sanchez Watt) it miraculously worked. We even kept clean sheets in October. The wheels then come off after some unlucky injuries, and we can’t buy long term new players because of the 65% rule, and the need to offload the old to reduce the wage bill. So in come a fresh load of enthusiastic highly rated young loanees. Clifford, Porter and Samuel all played a major part yesterday, plus our home grown youngsters Wright and Gilbey. Yet Joe still had to change it as half time and revert to our old dogs Morrison and Sears to get us our goal.

Getting one goal has proved challenging, so we can take some solace that we did score. But we had fourteen shots on target scoring one; and the Irons just six, scoring with two. That perhaps sums it all up. We do get the chances, but we struggle to put the ball in the net. Where is our ‘fox in the box’ goal poacher? Is he playing too wide (e.g. Sears or Porter or the injured Compton)? That’s just about the only front running option that Joe hasn’t tried. Dominic Samuel doesn’t look like the solution if he is expected to retrieve and hold up balls hoofed forward by Cousins (as yesterday). Samuel simply isn’t that sort of player. Morrison (or Odejayi before him) can do that, but he can’t score goals. We didn’t see Samuel and Morrison together...... but now I am clutching at straws.

If Joe simply resigns, my guess he isn’t entitled to any compensation, as it would be his breach of contract. If he was sacked (perhaps by “mutual consent), I wonder if that causes an even bigger problem for the incoming new manager if Joe’s compensation payment is included in the playing staff bill (e.g. constrained by the 65% rule)? Knowing Joe, he is a man of such pride and dignity he may simply walk away without compensation, hence ignoring the financial consequences upon him.. ...

JOE DON'T. The real fans understand and are backing you - just as QPR fans are backing Harry Redknapp. Miracles can happen.

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