John McGreal takes his shattered charges to the Globe Arena this evening to take on the Shrimps of Morecambe. The Bard enjoyed the Globe and penned all the world's a stage in his play As You like It. Well if the world is a stage and life is a play then the U's need to Play up and Play the game.

Frankly things couldn’t get much worse for the U’s at present. Here’s the irony though the target still remains at 24 points from the remaining games. So mathematically we still have a chance (albeit ultra slim) of securing the 75 points, but let’s be totally honest unless JM is prepared to play his best team, we have no chance whatsoever of challenging for the top seven, rather we will closer to the bottom seven.

Jim Bentley will be purring after his Shrimps devoured the Grecians on Saturday. They also play at home to Lincoln on Saturday and so Bentley will be looking for back to back home success tonight against this lack lustre Colchester side who are largely now playing for pride.

We are advancing backwards big style with an awful run since THAT win against Coventry, when I thought that we would be nailed on for the top seven. We have regressed since last season and frankly have not looked the part for much of the current campaign.

Given that our home record had improved so much I was incensed to read that JM was looking forward to playing Away because the WHCS was putting too much pressure on the team. What tosh that is.

JM needs to play his best team every game and stop this almost sycophantic approach to players like Drey Wright who seems to be able to play abysmally and still be picked for the next game. Although we could lose a number of our best players in the Summer, Wright will still be there in August. He has lost pace, an inability to take on and beat defenders and JM constantly plays him out of position. Is that down to Wright or has JM played the football and confidence out of him?

Stevenson sadly is the Luke Shaw of Colchester. A very talented youngster who will be playing for Wolves in the top division next year, yet JM doesn’t play him. JM says that he doesn’t want to over play Dickenson but then he is injured in training (was Emile Heskey training with the squad I wonder).

Yes, I’m angry, no make that very angry. The fans deserve better than the dross served up at present. I am seething when I see the results and the defeats to teams that must be laughing at our plight. Crewe, Barnet and Yeovil, sorry but it is a joke to be continually losing to such teams. But maybe we are just as bad. After all we cannot finish the chances being created and then concede sloppy goals.

Fortunately, 51 points is on the board which means that we cannot suffer the ignominy of relegation, but we are likely to lose Walker, Prosser, Vincent-Young, Guthrie, and Dickenson this summer plus of course all the loanees.

JM now has nothing to lose, let us see some fight, passion, commitment and enthusiasm from the team tonight in Lancashire.

I would love to see JM play the following side in a 3,3,4 formation:

Walker

Eastman Prosser Kent

Vincent-Young Comley Stevenson

Senior Mandron Ogedi-Uzokwe Dickenson

Subs:
Barnes Jackson Rooney Shodipo Szmodics Murray Wright

Take the fight to the opposition, play without fear and let’s see what they can achieve.

Nine games 27 points, perhaps with some of the top six to play we might fare better.

JM must get rid of his siege mentality because we are always better playing forward and looking to win rather than eking out a point here or there.

Morecambe A
Stevenage A
Luton H
Forest Green A
Accrington H
Notts Co H
Lincoln A
Swindon H
Exeter A

Given that we have to win 8 from 9 as things stand let’s give it a real go and attack, attack, attack, attack, attack!

I actually feel marginally better having got some of this anger off my chest, but can we play with resolve tonight and some belief which appears to have dissipated since Christmas.

Morecambe weather is looking to be dry and bright today with 3 degrees Celsius tonight and continuing dry. The pitch will be bumpy because the surface wasn’t great last season when the two points dropped that afternoon ultimately cost us seventh spot.

Can tonight kick start the most unlikely of revivals for the U’s to take to Stevenage Borough on Saturday.

Safe journey to the travelling faithful.

Up the U’s

Photo: Action Images

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