Up the Us

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.

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@CO88LER5 wrote:

Ruiz is expected to slot immediately into the first team starting lineup.

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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...

@JustinCase0110
That's going to be it for such transfers, and I expect them to move on at the end of the season, after which the squad will have the appropriate OVRs.
The money I get for them will help develop the side in due course, but even then it will mainly be in terms of improving the scouting network, not making outgrageous transfer purchases, which would simply not be something that a club like Colchester United could do.
All my scouting otherwise is aimed at the 'right' levels in terms of OVR, etc.
The history of Leagues 1 and 2 in the UK is that the predominant transfer activity is free players; usually signed for 1 or two seasons, because the clubs cannot make the financial commitment for long-term contracts, in case the signing doesn't work out. So in that respect, these two fit that mould. Obviously, they are higher OVR than you would expect at this level, but these two (and some others I didn't take from the freebies list) always seem to be left "on the shelf" after the windows have closed in all the careers I have done so far in EAFC24 and I therefore thought the story of 'desperate to find any club' story would fit.
These were just opportunist at this point, bearing in mind the state of the club and the objectives I was set, and definitely done only because of the potential to get a decent fee next summer.
That's part of the problem with this game; sometimes the objectives simply don't match the club we are managing; I wish they did.

Dallison Goes Posh

Tom Dallision is the latest player to depart from The U’s.

The veteran defender has signed for Peterborough United, as “The Posh” made an offer of £260,000 that the U’s simply couldn’t ignore.  Dallison’s contract was up at the end of the season and was not likely to be renewed under Danny Cowley’s revolution, so to get a fee for the player at this point was deemed too good an offer to turn down.

Dallison will depart in January, when the window opens.

It will leave the club short in the defensive area, increasingly so depending on what happens with loanee Riley Harbottle after his injury, but needs must.

“We are not a rich club, so when an offer like this comes in, and it means the player is improving himself, we simply cannot turn it down.”, said Cowley.

“It’s now up to the scouts to find solutions, or me to do so from within.”

I made a few similar sales in my save. Elderly players who didn't have a future in the club anyway. For instance Croasdale, who was just sent off in your save.

A part of me would prefer them leaving on a free come end of season, being the more realistic way to go about your business in League Two (I think).

But with all the moaning and extreme expectations for game time, now I prefer doing it like this; Getting rid of the player ahead of the window, giving me more time to prepare for a potential replacement.

Clean Sweep of Clean Sheets

In a demonstration that the defence is improving, the U’s embarked on a run of clean sheets, with shut-outs in three league matches, and a 4-0 roasting of League 1 Carlisle United in the Bristol Street Motors Cup.

The extended training sessions held by the coaching staff seem to be working; at least for the time being, and it’s something that is welcomed by the defenders.  “It’s our job, after all,” said Diogo Monteiro, the youngster bought from Leeds in the summer.  “We’ve been doing a lot of work, understanding more when to tackle and when to just stand your ground.

“I think we went in too early in the past, so now there’s more of a balance.”

Samson Tovide was the main man up front, scoring in all three league matches as he increased his total tally by five, scoring the only goals in the two 2-0 wins, and a goal against Harrogate that was bracketed by Chilvers’ brace.  Tovide is becoming quite the up-front asset; almost a guarantee of at least a goal in every match he plays, which is something any club wants, at any level.  It can’t be long before higher level clubs come calling; indeed, there seems to be an increase in the scouts attending many of Colchester’s matches, these days.

The win over League 1 side Carlisle United in the BSM Trophy was a comprehensive dismantling of a higher-level club, which demonstrates how far Cowley has brought a team that has struggled so often in recent years. 

The U’s possession stat was Manchester City-like, at 68%, whilst they rained 10 shots on the goal of the Cumbrians, made almost twice the number of passes and even out-tackled the higher-division side.  This might be a minor trophy competition, but Carlisle did put out a strong team.

The U’s topped their group; something they have never done before in this trophy, and another indication of the club’s development under Cowley.

Goodman: Loan Recall on the Cards?

In a recent press conference, the Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson sent a warning to Colchester United regarding goalkeeper Owen Goodman’s position.  In the conference, he was asked about Goodman’s playing time, following the U’s acquisition of Nediljkoj Labrovic.

“We know that they have signed a quality goalkeeper, who is obviously going to be the top man.  We still expected that Owen would get a good number of games, and it seems he has been playing some matches and acquitting himself well.  Whether it’s enough for us, in terms of developing him, we’ll make a judgement on in January.”

When asked about the comment, manager Danny Cowley was typically candid.  “Owen gets playing time, but obviously we share out the games, especially bearing in mind the midweek games.  We want to protect our players and reduce the chances of injury through overplaying.  You might be unsurprised to know that Ned wants to play every game, and gives me ear ache whenever I rest him.

“If Palace are not happy about that, so be it, but we are also here to develop our players, too, as well as theirs.”

So, a clear and honest statement from the manager, but if Palace are not happy about their player’s match time, what about the other loanees?  Will we see an exodus of players in January, which might well impact the promotion push?

Carabao Cup Progress

Colchester United have now equalled their best-ever League Cup campaign, after a 4-1 victory over QPR at Loftus Road sent them into the last eight of the competition.  The only time Colchester ever reached such a stage was in 2019-20, when they lost 3-0 to Manchester United at Old Trafford.

The U’s played a counter-attacking game against QPR, their ability to score evident from the four different scorers.  Samson Tovide set Rangers’ nerves on edge in the 13th minute from such a breakaway goal.  Jayden Fevrier and Cameron McGeehan put the U’s 3-0 up before QPR finally broke through the U’s improved defence on 63 minutes, but Harry Anderson made the tie safe 7 minutes later, to seal a famous victory and the second win over Championship opposition this season.

Their reward for winning the tie is a quarter-final match at the Amex Stadium, which will be a stern test for anyone, let alone a League 2 side.

Elsewhere, the U’s had a comfortable 3-1 league victory at home to Sutton, which meant that they finished October on top of the league, one point ahead of Wrexham.  Crucially, they are 7 points ahead of Bradford City, in 4th, and therefore comfortably in the promotion places.

Samson Tovide now leads the League 2 scoring charts, alongside Bradford City's Alex Gilliead, both on 10 goals.

Takahashi Promoted

The first academy promotee of the Danny Cowley era has taken place, as Satoshi Takahashi has signed for the first-team squad.  The youngster (16) is a right-winger and will compete with Jayden Fevrier for games.

Satoshi is of mixed Japanese-English descent and was one of the first players brought in by Cowley’s scouts.  He was recruited locally, originally as a right-back, but the coaches at the club soon realised that he should be playing much further forward.  Since that change, he has impressed, scoring 6 goals in academy matches, and making 8, earning him a call up to the first-team.

“We’ve been really happy with Satoshi’s progress,” said Cowley.  “He’s quick, skillful and direct and has been causing the opposition all kinds of problems.  We can’t wait to see what he’ll make of the professionals in League 2.”

“I am happy to get the call up,” said Takahashi.  “I’ve wanted to play professional football since I was five, and now it’s come true.  I want to make my family proud and to help this club get higher up the divisions.”

Takahashi has a strong affinity with his father’s country and likes to be flagged as being ‘from Japan’.  “I would like to play for Japan one day.” He said.