Good luck with this. I actually have quite a few of your players on my current shortlist at Stockport County: Jayden Fevrier, Alistair Smith, Samson Tovide, Noah Chilvers and Owura Edwards. I might check out the Ihionvien fellow too, now you single him out as one of your top talents. Good luck mate.
Cowley: It’s a Process
Danny Cowley said that the development of the club from perennial strugglers will be ‘a process’ and called for the fans to ‘have patience’.
Speaking after his announcement to the media, Cowley said that there was a lot to do at the club, in terms of backroom infrastructure as well as player development.
“The vision is to develop good players that have an affinity to the club and to which the fans can have attachments because of that. This means we have to go through a process, building a scouting team, beefing up the coaching staff and setting targets, strategy and so on. This will not be an instant upturn, unless things progress faster than I expect.
“in the interim, we have players here that need to be assessed – both us on them, and them on us – to see if we fit the profile that each of us wants. There will be people who move on, and some new ones that arrive, but ultimately, we will all be pulling towards the same aim, with the same playing philosophy, and those that remain and arrive will enjoy the ride; this I can promise you.”
To the question of player movements, he said; “I expect some will move out in this window, and we have some latitude to bring in a few, much as happens with a club at this level. You’ll just have to wait and see.”
It’s clear that Cowley has a very specific set of ideal; it will be interesting to see if he can implement them, as the club has struggled on this front in the past.
Fans Unimpressed with the Squad
The Colchester United squad for 2023-24 is currently largely unchanged from last season's relegation battle. Apart from the two new signings announced, only Bradley Ihionvien, a striker from the academy, has been added to the permanent team this season so far. There are some promising loanees, including Owen Goodman from Crystal Palace and Jayden Richardson from Aberdeen, but the fans mostly expressed disappointment at the news.
"The owner really needs to get his hands in his pockets and find that dusty chequebook," said one. "All we ever get are freebies and promoted kids. How does he expect a different outcome this season, when the manager has the same failures to manage?"
"It's going to be another battle against relegation. We can't keep doing this, or else we'll finally drop through the trapdoor." Said another.
Manager Danny Cowley was more relaxed. "We have a good squad here. They just need some different systems to work with; that's all.
"I think we'll be fine. We might have scope for a couple more arrivals before the end of August. People need to have patience."
The Us Win the European International Cup
Amazingly, the Us won a trophy this July, when they finished top of the table in the European International Cup, hosted by Germany. The Us were surprised to be invited to the tournament, which Manager Danny Cowley was not going to turn down.
“It was a good way of getting minutes into the players’ legs, and to try out a number of formations and lineups. Winning the tournament too was just a bonus.
“It was great for the fans that made the trip, too. It’s not often that fans of this club get to see us play against European opposition.
Good wins against Exeter City and FC Koln showed how the team has developed in the weeks since Cowley arrived, but the defeat to Heidenheim brought the club back down to Earth.
“It’s good that we encountered some adversity, because that’s how you find out about the players’ character. Now it’s on to the season proper.” Said Cowley.
Encouraging Start for U’s
Unlike the last few years, which have been a struggle to stay in the Football League, Colchester United have got off to a good start in the league, with wins against what would normally be described as ‘better’ sides.
An opening day home win against Crewe Alexandra, in which Conor Wilkinson scored twice, set the tone and was followed up by an away win at Meadow Lane, home of the oldest professional club in the world – Notts County. Samson Tovide scored in both matches, underlining his importance to this side in the coming season. In both league matches, the U’s had less possession but did more with the ball, especially in the Notts County game.
What really caught the eye, though, was a 2-0 Carabao Cup win against League 1 mid-table side, Bristol Rovers. Goals from Arthur Read and Samson Tovide (that man again!) saw off the higher-status team, with Tovide delivering a man-of-the match performance for his goal and the hold-up play when the team counter-attacked, which was exceptional.
In the Goals: Samson Tovide
“It’s a good start, but that’s all it is,” said manager Danny Cowley. “We don’t get ahead of ourselves at this club.”
U’s fans will be forgiven for pinching themselves, though.
Can't believe your fans being unimpressed, when you've actually signed a Croatian national team goalkeeper to your League Two side.
I'm curious about the Swede though. Where did he come from?
@JustinCase0110
According to Wikipedia, he's played 4 internationals in 3 years, so he's clearly a backup. It's unlikely that the average U's fan would know who he is; they would just see another free transfer coming in. Interestingly, he's a free agent and he never gets picked up during a transfer window, which I find bizarre.
The "Swede" is actually labelled as being from Iceland; my mistake.
But he's fictional, from the look of it. I can't find any reference to him at all as a real person.
I only signed these two because I had to meet a critical objective. I'm determined not to get fired after the end of the first season, after the game deleted my ASSE career.
Signature Carabao Cup Win
Colchester United made a bit of history for themselves with an away win against Sheffield United in the second round of the Carabao Cup. It was the first time the U’s had beaten a top division side away from home in a competitive match. The score, 3-2, was the same as the famous February 1971 FA Cup win over the then all-conquering Leeds United, but that match had been at the cramped Layer Road ground, whereas this was at the expansive Bramall Lane stadium. Colchester twice came from behind against Sheffield United and stole the win in the dying seconds, when Cameron McGeehan burst between the two centre-backs and slotted home man of the match Noah Chilvers’ through ball.
“We never give up; that’s one of the traits we have dummed into the players this year,” said manager Danny Cowley. “Long may it continue.”
Wilder congratulates Cowley
“Fair play to Colchester,” said the Blades’ manager, Chris Wilder. “They played a wonderful match, defended really well and took their chances. They have some budding good players in that side; they really should be playing at a higher level.”
The U’s shared possession with the Premiership side, indicating how far the training has improved the ability of this collection of players. They even managed more shots than Sheffield, showing that they more than held their own.
Colchester’s reward for the win is an away tie against Championship side Bristol City. The U’s have already despatched local rivals Bristol Rovers this season, so it will be interesting to see how this one goes.
In the league, Colchester’s fine form continued, with wins over Walsall, Gillingham and Grimsby Town and a battling draw against the highly physical AFC Wimbledon side.
“We are doing really well,” said Cowley. “We have a system, now, and all the players know what their place is in it. We even have plans B, C and D, which we also work on regularly.
“There will be bumps in the road, but we have definitely got off to a good start.”
August Movements At The U’s
As the window progressed to a close, Colchester United saw one departure and three arrivals.
Veteran striker John Akinde joined FC Hermannstadt for £100,000, as Danny Cowley continued his cull of fringe, older players.
Meanwhile, three under-20’s joined the club:
- Diego Monteiro, 18, joined from Leeds United in a £400,000 deal. The centre-back will join the defence roster
- Kevin Abrefa, 19, joined from Reading for £370,000. The right-back will also join the defence.
- Finally, Pablo Viudez, 18, joined from Defensor for £600,000. The right-winger will compete with the likes of Jayden Fevrier for a starting spot.
Danny Cowley announced himself satisfied with the arrivals. “We have acquired some strong developing youngsters, who we are confident will fit in to the team structure here. We are excited to see how they develop in the coming months.
“I am also pleased for John [Akinde]. He wants to play regular football and that simply wasn’t on offer here, to the extent he wanted, so this move abroad is good for him. We wish him all the best in his new adventure.”
Tough Match Against Morecambe
The U’s eventually saw off a highly competitive Morecambe side, after going behind, at Camulodunum. The 2-1 home win came after a formation change to 4-5-1 at half-time, as the U’s failed to compete in the first half with a side still smarting from their first-ever relegation last season.
The U’s eventually prevailed with goals from the club’s top scorers, Conor Wilkinson and Samson Tovide, but the team had a real scare.
That win puts Colchester four points clear at the top, with three points separating the next 6 teams; it is shaping up to be a competitive league.
Conor Wilkinson leads the scoring chart at this early stage.
What a great read mate. Nice details with the historical references to 1971 and Morecambe's inaugural relegation. Kudos for bringing these details to the table.
Good start for Colchester too, a free scoring side in League Two. However, as usual your defence could be better, conceding the joint most goals in top 8 of the league.
Chilvers: “I’m Loving This Season”
Noah Chilvers is a very happy man this year. He has turned in a number of high-quality performances already this season and, despite the competition in the number 10 role from summer signing Olav Petersen, is still getting lots of game time. From his five starts so far, he’s contributed 2 goals and 4 assists, which is slightly better than his Icelandic competitor, who has 1 goal and 4 assists from six appearances.
Chilvers has been at the club for a long time – joining in 2017 as a schoolboy – and is exactly the kind of home-grown talent that manager Danny Cowley appreciates. “Noah is the epitome of a local club hero. He’s come through the ranks here and is certainly one of the fans’ favourites this season.” As an Essex boy - he hails from Chelmsford, the county town – he’s even more appreciated by the North Essex crowd.
That is quite some turnaround from last season, where the fans turned on him as the club struggled in League 2 yet again. He was targeted as lazy and “thinks he’s better than he is”. Well, this season, he really is beginning to show his quality, and he attributes a lot of that to the manager. “The gaffer has introduced a level of structure and style to the team we’ve never had before, The way we play gives me and Olav the freedom to roam and make chances for the strikers, and it's really working.
“I’m loving the whole thing this season – how we play, the results we are getting, and my part in it.”
A happy player usually means a better player; long may it continue.
An Arrival and a Loss
Some slight squad adjustments after the transfer window has closed will affect Colchester to different degrees.
On 7 September, the U’s signed central defensive midfielder Edmund Addo (23) on a free transfer. The Ghanian international found himself surprisingly without a club after the transfer merry-go-round closed and the U’s manager swooped with a 2-year offer that at least gives the player a chance to play.
“Edmund is a quality signing for us, just as we need to beef up our defensive capabilities,” said Manager Danny Cowley. “We don’t know why the window didn’t work for him, but it’s a good thing for us. We are looking forward to seeing him play a big part for us.”
Meanwhile, on-loan centre-back Riley Harbottle broke his toe in the match against Swindon Town and will be out for 3 months. “It’s a big loss for us at just the wrong time, but we’ll have to deal with it,” said Cowley.
Harbottle (23) is on loan from Scottish side Hibernian and has been a key part of the defence throughout August. It is hoped that this injury, and the lay-off that follows, will not affect the U's chances of holding on to him for the second half of the season.
First League Defeat of the Season
A Colchester old boy delivered the goal that sealed Colchester’s first league defeat of the season.
Tranmere striker Luke Norris (30, left) spent three years at Colchester between 2018 and 2021, making 83 appearances and scoring 20 goals.
Second-placed Tranmere became the first club to prevent Colchester from scoring in the league this season, and then Norris popped up in the 95th minute to deliver the deadly blow. Predictably, he was roundly booed by the travelling fans. "Typical Norris," said one after the match. "Not very prolific for us, then goes and does that."
In the other league match, Eddie Addo scored on his debut, as Colchester comprehensively beat Swindon Town 3-0. Addo impressed from the subs bench and had his manager purring. “This is what we have signed him for,” said manager Danny Cowley. “He has to work on his fitness to last a full match, but when he came on, he shut down their attack routes, then showed great composure for his goal.”
The U’s also got their BSM Trophy campaign off to a good start, beating League 1 side Oxford United by 0-2. The win, coupled with Oxford’s previous defeat to Carlisle United, the other group member, means that Colchester have already qualified for the knockout rounds.
Defensive improvements, eh? Three games and only one conceded, only in 5 minutes extra time. Funny how all your goals are second half goals too, keeping these games locked up tight for quite some time. Makes for an even better feeling when finally breaking them down IMO.
Funny story with the former player scoring against you. I love these little coincidences. Need to know about them though, wasn't aware of this player myself. And I might also run into a few former Stockport County players myself, without always realizing their previous history with the club.
Transfer Coup at U’s
Colchester United have pulled off a coup with the signature of Mexican international Marcel Ruiz on a free transfer.
The Midfielder (23) was not picked up by anybody in the transfer window, having decided to relocate to the UK for family reasons. The player has one Mexican cap at senior level, having played a small number of games in the under 20s and under 22s for his country.
Ruiz has signed a 2-year deal, which gives the club the chance to get a transfer fee, should he attract interest from higher divisions, now he will be playing in this country.
“It’s a deal that suits us both,” said manager Danny Cowley. “We get a fully-developed, quality player for at least two years, subject to whether or not he attracts interest later, and Marcel gets the shop window he was looking for.”
“I am really pleased to be here, and grateful to Colchester for giving me this opportunity. I am here to help them move up the leagues and will give my 100% at all times.”, said Ruiz. "I can see that this club is progressing, being near the top of the league and the first objective is to get promotion to the next level."
Ruiz is expected to slot immediately into the first team starting lineup.
Tight at the Top
Colchester United are well in the mix in the title race, sitting second in the table behind ‘Hollywood’ Wrexham; the team owned by Ryan Reynolds.
The second half of the month started with 2 draws; first against against Stockport County and then Forest Green. Stockport forced a goalless draw at Camulodunum, despite Croasdale being sent off in the first half-hour, and actually could have won the match near the end.
That was followed by an entertaining 3-3 draw at Forest Green, where the lead see-sawed and the fans were treated to a dramatic finale. Forest Green took the lead in time added on, only for the U’s to get an equaliser just a minute later.
The U’s then hosted Championship side Bristol City for the 3rd round of the Carabao Cup and upset the form book by running out 3-1 winners. Tovide’s opener in the second half was cancelled out by City’s Cornick, only for the U’s to find another gear and score twice more.
Wrexham then called at Camulodunum and the fans were treated to another 3-3 draw against the “Hollywood” side. Rhein’s opener for the visitors was cancelled out by two goals in 8 minutes from Bradley Ihionvien, then Arthur Read put the U’s 3-1 up on the stroke of half-time in the top of the table clash. However, Wrexham came back in the second half with a brace that kept them two points ahead of the U’s as the month ended.
@CO88LER5 wrote:Ruiz is expected to slot immediately into the first team starting lineup.
Well, why shouldn't he? 75 OVR, I think, compared to the 61-62 average in the rest of the squad.
Him and Labrovic are both far too good for League Two football, so you're building a squad for a rapid rise.
Mate, I'm finding it hard to see the scorelines in your screenshots from the Match Stats. The scoreline is in the upper right corner, but it's hard to see what it says. Just a heads up.
U’s Second-Best in September
The U’s sit second in the table at the end of September, with only Wrexham above them, despite embarking on a run of one defeat and three successive draws in the league.
It’s a remarkable turnaround from the last three seasons, which have seen Colchester struggle to stay in the Football League. Fans are ecstatic at the experience of looking down instead of up, especially since a significant proportion of the squad is the same one that has struggled in recent times.
“It just goes to show the difference a good manager can make.”, said one fan before the Wrexham game. “Who’d have thought we’d be rubbing shoulders with our visitors today? Yes, it might still go pear-shaped, but we’re enjoying the ride.”
Part of the upturn is reflected in the scoring charts, where both Conor Wilkinson and Samson Tovide have plundered 8 goals across all competitions this season.
Tovide in particular has done well, bearing in mind that three of his goals have come against higher-league opposition in the Carabao Cup. Meanwhile, Conor Wilkinson leads the scoring chart in League Two, in which matches all his goals have come.
“Our system is working.”, said Manager Danny Cowley. “We press well, counter-attack quickly and have the ability to switch formations during matches, as the circumstances require.
“Yes, we’ve not won in the league for the last 4 matches, but that’s more about the quality of the sides we’ve been facing, plus the distraction of the Carabao Cup. We’ll get back on track soon enough; I am confident of that.”
@JustinCase0110Okay; thanks.
I think it's because I shrank them. I'll change it now.
Much better. Good run to find yourselves second in the table. And your attacking players seem to do well.
Unfortunate to give away a 2-goal lead vs Wrexham though. That must have been irritating...
