Up the Us

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.

A lot of stuff happened since I last checked in here. Quite a good streak of clean sheets there, just what you needed to take the final step to the top of the table. Now it's just about staying there.

Resounding win at QPR, that's quite a margin against a team from a superior tier.

Japanese fellow looks good, showing great potential. Fun little backstory with him being half-English, plus goals etc for the youth team.

Takahashi Dream Debut

Satoshi Takahashi celebrated a dream debut as he scored a hat-trick in the 5-0 demolition of Crewe Alexandra in the FA Cup.  He also supplied a killer pass for the first of Matt Jay’s goals, in a 10 out of 10 peformance that not only secured him the match ball, but the man of the match award, too.

In all, Takahashi managed six shots, cutting in from the right wing, as the Alex’s defenders simply had no answer to his quick feet and deadly accuracy in front of goal.  In the dying minutes, he even made a key tackle to prevent a cross and thus help with the clean sheet.

Danny Cowley decided to play the young winger within a couple of days of promoting him.  “Satoshi was ready; we could all see that, and he’s had a fantastic start.  Obviously, he won’t perform like this every time he’s on the pitch, but he’s certainly given me things to think about.”

Walsall await in the next round of the Cup, which the U’s will be hoping to navigate successfully, in the hope that they will secure a money-spinning tie against big opposition in the 3rd round.

Two victories in the league, including braces scored by Tovide (in the Bradford game) and Wilkinson (in the Crawley match) continued the trend of wins and free-scoring that has been a feature of the U’s this season.

Strong debut by the Japanese, and your team certainly is in fine form.

@JustinCase0110
Couldn't believe it really. It was a bit like the Charlie McNeill first game I had in his first St Etienne save which got deleted.

It's been a bit of a good run, which must result in a dip at some point, especially with the number of games, what with the cup runs.

Late Show at Stanley

The U’s produced a late show at the Wham Stadium, with three goals in 9 minutes at the end of the match to win 3-1 against Accrington Stanley.

The U’s had trailed from striker Matt Lowe in the 51st minute, and were well off the pace, until a couple of late substitutions turned it around.  The U’s had rested players in advance of the FA Cup second round match against Walsall and it almost cost them, until Matt Jay and Owura Edwards came on, both of them providing goals that secured the points.

Colchester then won their 2nd round tie against Walsall, running out relatively comfortable winners at the Bescot Stadium, despite the 36th-minute red card for centre-back Diogo Monteiro.  Olav Petersen was the saviour with a brace near the start, and at the end, of the match.

A routine win at home against Barrow completed the month of November, leaving Colchester 4 points clear at the top of the chasing pack.

Conor Wilkinson continues to lead the scoring charts for the division, level with Samson Tovide and AFC Wimbledon’s Lebanese international, Omar Bugiel.  Samson Tovide is the clear scoring leader for the team overall with 16 goals, whilst Noah Chilvers is the assist king with 12 in total.

As a historian I can appreciate this team and location: Colchester before was Camulodunum, the first city (and capital) of Roman occupied Britain and responsible for the Legend of Camulod(unon), which became: Camelot. That always brings that funny Knights of the Round Table-song by Monty Python to mind.

It's definitely Up for the Us -what I understood from the intro: League 2 up to League 1 happened before, Championship is a rarity and anything better would be unique. You have your work cut out then. Can they conquer English football in the same way the Romans conquered most of the Island before? Wait and see...

Tovide proves to be just as profilic as expected. Your defensive improvements seem to continue with only 1 conceded from the last three. 21 from 20 games, that's a great improvement from the start of the season. Good job getting to the 3rd round of the FA Cup, an important achievement given the difficulties to keep your board happy, if you don't complete the cup objective.

Cruel Penalty Shootout

The U’s exited the Carabao Cup on a cruel penalty shootout, after an entertaining 2-2 draw at the Amex Stadium.  The U’s gave a good account of themselves all in, forcing a shootout after extra time, which was settled when Ellis Iandolo’s shot was well saved.  The left-back had to be consoled after the match.  “It’s unfortunate, but that’s how penalty shootouts go” said manager Danny Cowley.  “Ellis can hold his head up high.  Someone has to miss, or have a shot saved.  At least he didn’t miss and made their goalie work.”

Predictably, Brighton had most of the possession, but both sides’ defences did so well that only 3 shots were made by both sides by half time, and only a 7-8 ratio by the end of extra time. 

“Colchester are a good side; they gave us a hard game” said Brighton manager Roberto de Zerbi.  “They have players that can play at a higher level than they are.  Congratulations to them.”

In the league, the U’s continued their fine form, winning all three matches before Christmas, to stay on top of the division. 

Samson Tovide scored three across all four matches, including a brace against Brighton that only adds to his growing reputation.  Other notable contributions came from Satoshi Takahashi, as the youngster grabbed a goal in the MK Dons and Newport games, to underline his growing capabilities.

Squad Developments

Tom Hopper will move to League 1 Port Vale in January after the U’s agreed a £200,000 sale to the potteries club.

Hopper is not seen as a long-term squad member and his contract was up at the end of the season, so a fee at this point is seen as a good piece of business.  “We wish Tom the best at his new club

Meanwhile, it is understood that Lincoln City are on the brink of recalling midfielder Alisatair Smith, citing a lack of games, despite him being one of the most often seen players on the pitch this season.  “It’s ridiculous, really” said manager Danny Cowley.  “Al has played a lot of games for us, so what do they want us to do – risk him getting injured?

“This is why I don’t like loans and we won’t be looking in that market very often whilst I am here.”

Finally, midfielder Arthur Read is out for 4 weeks after spraining his knee in the Brighton game.

Good run in the League Cup. A quarter final isn't bad, and going out on pens in the end is probably the most honorable way to do it. 

Long-Range Strike Sinks Wrexham

A long-range strike from Diogo Monteiro completed a 3-1 win at Wrexham, in the battle of the top two.  The centre-back was lurking outside the penalty area when a clearance from a corner fell to him.  One touch and he hit the ball, scoring in the opposite top corner of the goal and leaving the goalkeeper completely stranded.  It was an amazing strike and the first goal Monteiro had scored for the U’s.

“Quite remarkable,” said Manager Danny Cowley.  “We haven’t seen him do anything like that before.”

The match also marked Alistair Smith’s first and likely only goal for the club, as he is likely to be recalled by Lincoln City in the next few days.

The U’s then beat Forest Green 4-2 at home in a hard-fought match, and then lost to Crawley Town; the first time since mid-September, at home to Stockport, that Colchester had failed to score in a match.

Loan Recalls Decimate the Squad

As expected, three of the six loanees have been recalled by their parent clubs on January 1st, makihg a sizeable dent in the U’s squad at a critical time of the year.

Crystal Palace have recalled goalkeeper Owen Goodman, who had played 16 games for the club. 

Lincoln City recalled Alistair Smith, despite his 19 games. 

Stevenage recalled Harry Anderson, who has played 10 games in the last 2 ½  months.

Fans were not happy with the development, citing the club’s inability to buy replacements.  “Where are we going to get bodies?  We don’t have that kind of money, and Danny has said he’s not happy with the loan system.”  Said one disgruntled supporter.

On top of the loan departures, striker Tom Hopper and centre-back Tom Dallison left the club, having already signed for new clubs.  This depletes the squad still further in the middle of what has been the most promising season for Colchester united for years.

Cowley refused to be drawn on the subject of replacements.  “It’s weird that players are recalled to sit in the reserves; I can only think they’ll be loaned out again, but who knows?  As for replacements – we don’t have much money, but I think we’ll be alright.”

The usual issue with loan players. I do like the idea that you need to play loan players to keep the loan as an arrangement that makes sense for all parties involved. But the threshold for expected games is just too steap for my taste. A loan player practically needs to start every game to be certain not to be recalled on January 1st.

Kids Promoted

Colchester United have gone some way towards filling the gaps left by the departures by promoting two academy players.

Edward Forster, 16, has been promoted to the goalkeeping department.  The English youngster has been impressing in academy matches, and in training, and is expected to push Tom Smith for the backup slot to Ned Labrovic.

“Edward has a good future ahead of him,” said Danny Cowley.  “He’s a good shot-stopper and very alert to what’s developing in front of him.”

Centre-back Borja Giraldo, 18, was amongst the first players recruited by Danny Cowley’s youth scouts, and will effectively replace the departed Tom Dallison.  The Mexican was also an early signing.

“Borja is being called up a little earlier than we would like, but needs must,” said Danny Cowley.  “He is ready, though, based on his under-21 performances.

“We have a lot more where these boys came from, on the development path.  I’d like to hold some of them back at this stage, though, as a season second-half promotion push is really quite intense.  In an ideal world, we’ll see quite a few appear in the squad next summer.”

[Editor's note:  I don't normally call up a player until his OVR is 60 or more, but this is something I can't avoid this time.]

Progress in the FA Cup and a Hat-Trick

The U’s despatched bottom of league 1 side Stevenage in the FA Cup 3rd round.  Goals from Edwards, Chilvers and Tovide turned the tie around, after Stevenage scored in only the 5th minute.  The club’s reward for that victory is a 4th round tie at premier league Nottingham Forest.

Colchester also progressed in the BSM Trophy, defeating Barrow 2-0, representing the furthest they have ever gone in this competition.

In the league, away wins against Stockport and Swindon kept the U’s at the top of the table.  At Edgeley Park, Samson Tovide hit a hat-trick to further burnish his growing reputation.

So, at the end of January, the U’s have a narrow lead over Wrexham, with the rest of the division slipping way behind these two searing pace-setters.

In the scoring chart, Samson Tovide enjoys a 2-goal lead over Crawley’s Danilo Orsi, whilst Colchester players are beginning to annexe the leadership of the assists chart, with Chilvers and Petersen fighting it out over top spot.

More loan departures

Centre-back Zach Mitchell has been recalled by Charlton Athletic and right-back Jayden Richardson by Aberdeen, in the latest blows to Colchester United.  Mitchell isn’t quite such a big issue, as most of his 13 appearances were from the bench, but Richardson was one of the core starters in what fans call the “first, first team”, and had only missed a few games this season.

This leaves only centre-back Riley Harbottle at the club; the loanee from Hibernian who has only just returned from a 3-month layoff.  Whether he’ll be recalled is something that fans will be watching closely, as he was a core starter before his injury, and has slotted back in since he returned.

How the U's will cope with a reduced squad and a lot of games to come is going to be interesting to see.

Dean Breaks U’s Transfer Record

Colchester United have announced their first, and possibly only, signing of the January window, and it’s a big one.

Striker Max Dean (19) has been signed from MK Dons for a fee rumoured to be around £600,000, plus defensive midfielder Gene Kennedy (21).  The transfer fee paid breaks Colchester’s previous purchase record, when they signed striker Steven Gillespie from Cheltenham Town in the summer of 2008, paying £400,000 at the time.  He is some way from being Colchester’s record transfer deal, when they sold Greg Halford to then-Premier League club Reading for £2.5 million in January 2007.

“Max is a really good young prospect and we are looking forward to seeing what he can do for us,” said Manager Danny Cowley.  “He’ll also push Samson (Tovide) and Conor (Wilkinson) on to greater things, I think, so it's going to be like signing three strikers.”

When asked about his record price tag, Dean seemed remarkably relaxed.  “I didn’t know that, but it’s not my thing to get excited, or fazed, by such things.  In any case, I guess inflation means that I’m probably not as expensive as Steven was.  I’m just here to play, score and help this club have success.”

Kennedy was finding it difficult to get into the first team on a regular basis.  “It’s a good move for Gene.  He had too much competition here from Marcel Ruiz and Eddy Addo, and so he’ll get more playing time at Dons, I’m sure,” said Cowley.

“We aren’t likely to do much more business in this window.  We have a squad capable of meeting the challenges ahead and I want to reserve our money for next summer.” Cowley added.

U’s in 5th Round of the FA Cup

For the first time since 2003-4, the U’s have reached the 5th round of the FA Cup – one step away from the quarter-finals, which they only ever achieved once in the same year that they beat the all-conquering Leeds United (1970-71).

A totally unexpected victory against a struggling Premier League Nottingham Forest included a memorable second hat-trick this month from Samson Tovide.  The U’s were 3-0 up at half-time from two of Tovide’s goals which bracketed a strike from Olav Petersen, then Tovide made it 4-0 almost from the kick-off for the second half.  A 74th minute strike from Giovanni Reyna threatened a comeback, but it didn’t materialise, as the U’s celebrated their best run in the cup for 20 years.

Tovide scores his Third

“We had no answer”, said Forest’s manager Steve Cooper.  “I put out a decent side which should have won, but these guys are high-energy and relentless.  Fair play to them.”

In the other two matches, the U’s plotted a route through to the BSM Trophy semi-finals with a win over Swindon, only 3 days after drawing with them, and a crushing victory at the Racecourse Ground, against arch-rivals Wrexham.  Max Dean scored his first and second goals for the club, as the U’s ran riot.

“We’ve had a good series of cup runs this season,” said manager Danny Cowley.  “Hopefully, the extra games won’t tell on us later, but the whole club and city are enjoying the excitement.

The U’s have an East Anglian derby against Norwich in the 5th Round of the FA Cup.  Should be a fascinating match-up.

4:1 win over a Premier League side, nice one - that's one of those magic things in Cup football, well: at least in England and Germany, all other national cup tournaments often seem a formality for the big guns.