Colchester United celebrate 80 years (1937-2017) this season. Exciting times ahead and with the promise of a strong campaign to build upon last season.
The Summer has seen considerable arrivals and departures.
We have bid farewell to Chris Porter (Crewe), George Elokobi (Orient), Richard Brindley (Barnet), Dean Brill, Matt Briggs, Lloyd Doyley and last but by no means least Macca Bonne to Orient.
Opinion is divided on Bonne’s departure. I am firmly of the belief that he was never given a real opportunity at the club and that his face simply didn’t fit. I will maintain a Bonne watch this season and anticipate that he will score 20 league goals for Orient.
On the arrivals front we have Ryan Jackson from Gillingham, Rene Gilmartin from Watford, Cole Kpekawa from Barnsley and Mikael Mandron from Wigan.
It is the ongoing injury situation that fills me with the most regret. Frankie Kent, Kurtis Guthrie and Brennan Dickenson are huge misses for the Super U’s and we desperately need all three back. Dickenson will not be back this side of February 2018 but perhaps Kent and Guthrie will return within one month.
So, who does JM have within the squad for our first league game of the season at the Wham Stadium (the Crown ground) against Accrington Stanley.
GOALKEEPERS
Sam Walker, Dillon Barnes and Rene Gilmartin (also GK coach)
DEFENCE
Tom Eastman, Alex Wynter, Cole Kpekawa, and Cameron James
MIDFIELD (including Wing backs)
Ryan Jackson, Sean Murray, Craig Slater, Lewis Kinsella, Kane Vincent-Young, Louis Dunne, Charley Edge, Tom Lapslie, Doug Loft, Tommy O’Sullivan, Diaz Wright
STRIKERS
Denny Johnstone, Mikael Mandron, Drey Wright, Tariq Issa
Plus: Guthrie, Dickenson, Senior, Prosser and Kent when fully fit. Total 27.
JM seems to have adopted the 3,4,1,2 formation which might be more akin to 3,5,2 away from home and possibly 3,4,3 at home.
So, who might he select for the trip to Lancashire on Saturday.
Walker
Eastman Wynter Kpekawa
Jackson Murray Slater Kinsella
Szmodics
Johnstone Wright
Subs:
Barnes, James, Vincent-Young, Lapslie, O’Sullivan, Mandron, Issa
Walker as an ever-present last season will be the Number One. Eastman, Wynter and Kpekawa will have competition from both Kent and James. Jackson and Kinsella or Vincent-Young will operate as Wing backs. Can Murray and Slater play together in Midfield, the answer is yes especially with Loft injury prone. Szmodics or Lapslie can also play midfield whilst Mandron is likely to be on the bench away from home and to start at home. Of course, both Guthrie and Dickenson will be automatic choices when fit.
John Coleman’s Accrington have been tipped by some to be relegation material. They finished strongly last season and were 13th on 65 points. The 2-1 defeat at the Wham was a low point for Colchester particularly as the first 45 minutes was the worst that I saw in all my matches last season.
They have twin strikers in Billy Kee and Kayden Jackson. Kee scored against us last season, a very smart finish and I would have liked to have seen him signed for Col U during the summer break. Let us hope that he has a quiet game on Saturday.
Expectations are high for the faithful following the near miss on the Play Offs last year and with Portsmouth, Plymouth, Blackpool and Doncaster moving up a division the League Two is looking weaker this season.
Colchester’s rivals for a promotion spot must include Coventry, Lincoln, Notts Co and perhaps Forest Green Rovers.
The team will be keen to start positively especially with the attractive televised League Cup (Carabao) tie against the Villa on Wednesday.
Accrington is scheduled to have light rain showers and sunny intervals on Saturday with a high of 15 degrees c.
Safe journey to the travelling faithful.
Enjoy the game.
Up the U’s