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Before we start thinking about this Saturday’s game against League Two new boys Bromley known as the Ravens there is plenty of news to catch up on.
The first is sad concerning talented Colchester midfield player Milton Oni, who following a tackle against Brentford suffered a rupture to his ACL and a tear to his medial meniscus. He will unfortunately have several months on the sidelines, but we wish him a speedy and complete recovery. Oni looked to show as much promise as Mainoo at Manchester United (he really did) and his injury comes at the worst possible time for him and our team. Get well soon.
Secondly the game last weekend at the Wham Stadium against Accrington Stanley. I travelled with my eldest son arriving in good time to see the welcome sight of Lyle Taylor amongst the matchday squad. Weather was warm and sunny and the 262 faithful in a crowd of 1956 were in great voice.
Having watched three games on Sky Sports+ this season, this was my first live game and the first time to see the players in person.
Now the pies at Accrington are probably the best in the league with good quality filling and moist pastry. I had a meat and potato pie and David a chicken balti.
Lyle Taylor looked fit and well and the players were enjoying the sunshine.
Subs: Smith Anderson Read Edwards Goodliffe Taylor Donnelly
Now the game is best described as a game of two very bad halves. First half we had fallen back to our old ways with passes either sideways or back and limited forward forays.
Matt Macey’s distribution was poor and he found touch more often than a Colchester player. Rob Hunt was so poor, he looked nervous and reluctant to make a forward pass or to take more than a couple of touches.
Ellis Iandolo was also devoid of ideas and had his worst game in a Colchester shirt that I have seen. I felt sorry for Manny Egbo isolated on the right wing and receiving little in the way of passes. Alex Woodyard was busy in midfield and Jack Payne tried to get the U’s moving forward. Teddy Bishop looked slow and laboured in the centre of the park.
John Kymani Gordon was always taking too long to get the ball under control and had no decent end product. Samson Tovide (who was given stick by the home support behind their goal all game) failed to get into the game and received little in the way of forward passes whilst Tom Hopper was well Tom Hopper.
Accrington took the lead through Whalley on 25 minutes and we laboured until Egbo was eventually given the ball, he drove forward purposefully leaving defenders in his wake before unleashing a shot which the keeper saved.
Half time in the sunshine and Hopper was taken off and Lyle Taylor made his first league appearance for the U’s. At 34 he looks very fit and I thought his work rate was first class. He looked the part going forward winning headers and prepared to challenge and track back.
More changes were needed and DC who was fuming on the touchline brought on Read for the industrious Woodyard on 55 minutes and the lively Edwards for the ineffectual Gordon also on 55 minutes.
Immediately we had more attacking intent and their full back was scared stiff of Edwards who had the beating of him every time. Arthur Read owned the midfield and sprayed passes right and left.
As the half dragged on DC brought on Harry Anderson for the truly awful Hunt on 65 minutes.
The final change was to replace Bishop with Ben Goodliffe on 75 minutes. Despite our new confidence we were still not creating enough in the final third.
Then on 85 minutes Read broke into the box and shot, the keeper parried it and it went to the right of the goal as we were looking. Goodliffe fired past the keeper powerfully from a really acute angle.
Now we looked like the team who would go on to win the game. However, whilst just about to defend a corner there was a disturbance behind the Colchester goal where the hardcore Accrington supporters were.
From our viewpoint it was difficult to determine exactly what had happened but Tovide was clearly aggrieved and ran to the Colchester bench with the referee in hot pursuit. No announcement was made over the Accrington tannoy but the chant from their supporters was “You fat bast**d” clearly aimed at Samson.
It was suggested however that he had been the subject of some racist chanting from the Accrington supporters. The delay was for some minutes and eventually Samson was persuaded to return to the defence with great support from the faithful.
We then defended two corners and Whalley missed two chances to win the game right at the death. The final whistle went on 99 minutes and we had drawn the game 1-1.
The players and DC and NC came over the to the faithful whilst Arthur Read went quietly off on his own.
Further signings have been made by the club recently with striker Anthony Scully (25) arriving from Pompey on a season long loan and Jamie McDonnell (20) and Joel Thompson (19) both from Nottingham Forest on a season long loan and short-term loan respectively.
So that brings us to Andy Woodman’s Bromley team arriving in North Essex this weekend.
I am clearer as to the best starting XI having watched the game at the Wham stadium. DC needs to go with the following:
Macey
Flanagan Goodliffe Iandolo
Egbo Payne Read Woodyard
Edwards Tovide Taylor
Subs: Smith Anderson Bishop Gordon Terry Donnelly Hopper
Injuries affecting Kells and the unfortunate Oni and the likelihood that both McDonnell and Thompson will play some part later in the season will give further options.
Weather tomorrow in Colchester will be 22 degrees Celsius and sunny.
Bromley will have Omar Sowunmi amongst their number. They started the season reasonably well but I am confident that the U’s will see them off tomorrow and I am going for a 3-0 victory with Taylor notching his first league goal and Goodliffe and Tovide also on the scoresheet.
Attendance about 4,300.
Enjoy the game.
Up the U’s
Durham_exile
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Ravens to have their wings clipped by the Super U's on 15:28 - Sep 6 with 4204 views
Your thoughts on Taylor are interesting, I wasn't impressed. I appreciate the old boy isn't match fit yet, but I thought he had the agility of a carthorse.
Also, within minutes of coming on, he tracked back almost into our penalty area. I appreciate he was probably keen to get into the game, but it's the last thing we need when we have a squad overloaded with decent midfielders. I trust he will do the customary thing on Saturday, score a hat-trick, prove my observations to be codswallop and make me look stupid (not that I need his help on the latter).
What must Read have thought watching Bishop planting a free kick straight into row Z and then fail to score on the stroke of half-time? That's going to be a difficult one for DC to manage, but I guess it's a good problem to have.
Hunt and Kymani Gordon (replacement for Fevs, my arse) need to improve enormously and I'm amased that the ref put up with Woodyard's repeated impression of a Greco-Roman wrestler. Can't fault his effort, but we don't play much rugby in Essex.
Hopefully we will see Scully, I have high hopes.
One win from four so far, we could do with 3 points, but I worry that the wily old fox Woodman could be more than a match for DC/NC
[Post edited 6 Sep 15:37]
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Ravens to have their wings clipped by the Super U's on 20:15 - Sep 6 with 4106 views
It's just three points in the bigger scheme of things but, even at this early stage of the season, a win tomorrow changes the whole outlook.
Hopefully Goodliffe will start along with Edwards. I'm not sure Taylor is ready to start but should Tovide or Hopper be dropped to make room for Read? Or is it best to stick with the two and swap him in for Bishop?
Three changes this afternoon. Gordon, Hopper and Woodyard replaced by Anderson, Read and Taylor. Hunt better start rewarding the faith that DC is placing in him.
📋 Three changes for this afternoon's clash with @bromleyfc - brought to you by Naglotech.
Ravens to have their wings clipped by the Super U's on 15:34 - Sep 7 by TheOldOakTree
iFollow not working today for some reason. I am beyond pissed off. They've got my money, but I cannot access the game at all.
Last week the audio didn't kick in until above 20min after kick off.
You're not missing much unfortunately, though Payne, Read and Bishop playing well - but so is their 'keeper. Tovide showing his lack of composure and tendency to give away stupid fouls.
Ravens to have their wings clipped by the Super U's on 15:45 - Sep 7 by wessex_exile
You're not missing much unfortunately, though Payne, Read and Bishop playing well - but so is their 'keeper. Tovide showing his lack of composure and tendency to give away stupid fouls.
...and then right at the death does magnificently to shoot inches wide. Incidentally, despite it being a mistake by Iandolo in the first place, I thought he toed the ball away from the Bromley player, who then fell over his leg. Poor decision by my reckoning.
Ravens to have their wings clipped by the Super U's on 15:34 - Sep 7 by TheOldOakTree
iFollow not working today for some reason. I am beyond pissed off. They've got my money, but I cannot access the game at all.
Last week the audio didn't kick in until above 20min after kick off.
Can't even get BBC Essex Radio out here, so watching text updated on the internet.
Shame Teletext has stopped, otherwise I could have gone right back to the 1980's.
On the bright side, it's almost impossible to lose next week and with their off field troubles, Morecambe are looking nailed on for relegation, so we only need one more team worse than us!
[Post edited 7 Sep 16:09]
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Ravens to have their wings clipped by the Super U's on 16:24 - Sep 7 with 3663 views
Ravens to have their wings clipped by the Super U's on 16:08 - Sep 7 by TheOldOakTree
Can't even get BBC Essex Radio out here, so watching text updated on the internet.
Shame Teletext has stopped, otherwise I could have gone right back to the 1980's.
On the bright side, it's almost impossible to lose next week and with their off field troubles, Morecambe are looking nailed on for relegation, so we only need one more team worse than us!
Out on a Saturday but not at a footy match Peter? What is the world coming too? As an aside I had mentioned Michael Cheek as a possible signing for us as he has been around a long time and knows where the net is. Unfortunately he still does.
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Ravens to have their wings clipped by the Super U's on 16:35 - Sep 7 with 3646 views
Ravens to have their wings clipped by the Super U's on 16:31 - Sep 7 by gerry_us
Out on a Saturday but not at a footy match Peter? What is the world coming too? As an aside I had mentioned Michael Cheek as a possible signing for us as he has been around a long time and knows where the net is. Unfortunately he still does.
Gerry somebody told me I belonged in a Museum!
So I volunteer and today was Heritage day.
Reckon we need Scully on for the last knockings.
DC is becoming a draw specialist but we need the three points today.
Up the U's
Durham_exile
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Ravens to have their wings clipped by the Super U's on 16:37 - Sep 7 with 3635 views
Disappointed we didn't take our chances to win it, but I have to say overall 1-1 was probably a fair result against a hard-working Bromley. What a magician we have in Jack Payne though!
Ravens to have their wings clipped by the Super U's on 17:18 - Sep 7 by TheOldOakTree
If you look at the table, apart from the wombles (who stuffed us), we haven't actually played anyone in the top 10 yet.
Next week, thankfully, it is almost impossible to not win. Morecambe are in shocking trouble.
[Post edited 7 Sep 17:19]
I hadn't realised till I just checked. All five of their League Two matches this season have seen them lose by a single goal to nil. I don't think it will be a cakewalk.
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Ravens to have their wings clipped by the Super U's on 18:11 - Sep 7 with 3475 views
Ravens to have their wings clipped by the Super U's on 17:18 - Sep 7 by TheOldOakTree
If you look at the table, apart from the wombles (who stuffed us), we haven't actually played anyone in the top 10 yet.
Next week, thankfully, it is almost impossible to not win. Morecambe are in shocking trouble.
[Post edited 7 Sep 17:19]
We actually have a lot better players than most teams. When you look at our squad death compare to theirs…. We just do no attack enough. Far too negative. That match day squad should be winning games comfortable. Will be a more rubbish spoke “ not the result we wanted but we got a point against a top team that’s come up “
We will stay where we are unless we change our footballing outlook
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Ravens to have their wings clipped by the Super U's on 18:27 - Sep 7 with 3429 views
Another side who get a goal start through our own making. No hard press with the ball moving around much too slowly. Looked much like last season although Edward’s gave us a spark that was missing . Could not press on after the equaliser. A good side would have turned this game around. Unbeaten with two draws sums up our need to be sharper in and around the box.
Yes, we had some good moments, but the final passes from the byline were behind our forwards. And yes the equaliser was a superb move and finish. But the mistake from Iandolo that lead to their goal was comically bad, real Sunday league stuff. And the pass out from Macey that resulted in them hitting the inside of the post was similarly terrible. Hard to explain why these mistakes keep happening. Is it a problem with mentality? Who knows, certainly not DC.
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Ravens to have their wings clipped by the Super U's on 19:21 - Sep 7 with 3303 views
Ravens to have their wings clipped by the Super U's on 18:11 - Sep 7 by franksic1988
We actually have a lot better players than most teams. When you look at our squad death compare to theirs…. We just do no attack enough. Far too negative. That match day squad should be winning games comfortable. Will be a more rubbish spoke “ not the result we wanted but we got a point against a top team that’s come up “
We will stay where we are unless we change our footballing outlook
We have several excellent midfielders and some good defenders. That doesn't make a good squad or a balanced squad.
Where are the goals coming from? Five games in and a central defender is our top scorer by a long way!
How can we possibly justify selling Bradley (not that he was going to score 25+). We need to spend good money on a decent young loanee striker. We need a McGeehan to push forward and connect midfield with the forwards and to score goals.
A month ago we were going to make the playoffs, now we can't beat Bromley at home. Five points from 5 games is just about survival form, and the best teams are yet to come.
We have sold numerous players for good money and spent bobbins. If we don't do it this year with all the feel good factor etc. then the inevitable is just round the corner. You can't keep playing Russian Roulette with the trapdoor.
[Post edited 7 Sep 19:28]
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Ravens to have their wings clipped by the Super U's on 19:58 - Sep 7 with 3182 views
Ravens to have their wings clipped by the Super U's on 19:21 - Sep 7 by TheOldOakTree
We have several excellent midfielders and some good defenders. That doesn't make a good squad or a balanced squad.
Where are the goals coming from? Five games in and a central defender is our top scorer by a long way!
How can we possibly justify selling Bradley (not that he was going to score 25+). We need to spend good money on a decent young loanee striker. We need a McGeehan to push forward and connect midfield with the forwards and to score goals.
A month ago we were going to make the playoffs, now we can't beat Bromley at home. Five points from 5 games is just about survival form, and the best teams are yet to come.
We have sold numerous players for good money and spent bobbins. If we don't do it this year with all the feel good factor etc. then the inevitable is just round the corner. You can't keep playing Russian Roulette with the trapdoor.
[Post edited 7 Sep 19:28]
I’m 100% in agreement with you. That team is actually littered with talent. We are well underachieving. I was a massive garner fan, but I do understand at times we was on a hiding to nothing. But this just seems like we neither here nor there. They don’t seem to establish no patterns of play or starting 11. We seem to be none the wiser week in week out. We spend more of our time complimenting the other team than we do worrying about ourself. We could play 11 Sunday league players coming off hangovers and DC would come out and say we struggled as the half drunk Sunday league players posed us threats we don’t get week in week out. The smell of beer put us off. But time on the grass back at training we can fix it.
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Ravens to have their wings clipped by the Super U's on 22:40 - Sep 7 with 3009 views
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