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Thread | Bantams to chicken out at the JCS against the Colchester Eagles
at 22:22 15 Nov 2024
Tomorrow is the battle of the goalkeepers Sam Walker who is 6ft 6ins, (but we reckon he’s eight feet tall) and Matt Macey who is a more realistic 6ft 7ins tall.
Graham Alexander brings his Bantams into Town with a string of indifferent recent results and they will be looking to put things right at the JCS. Whilst the Super U’s fresh from their point at Barrow and handsome victory over Arsenal U21’s on Tuesday will be looking to build on that morale boosting victory.
I drove the 80 miles last weekend to Barrow and for 91 minutes thought that it would be a repeat of recent defeats at Holker Street but then brilliance from Thorn, Tovide and Taylor and we were level and taking a deserved point home.
DC lined up
Gordon
Taylor Macey
Hunt Flanagan Donnelly Iandolo
Woodyard McDonnell
Anderson Payne
Subs Egbo (for Hunt 36) Goodliffe Hopper Read Smith Thorn (for Anderson 79) Tovide (for Woodyard 70)
We started brightly and should have been 1-0 up early doors but Gordon couldn’t hit the side of a Renault Espace and the chance went begging. Then Barrow scored a decent volleyed goal and we all thought he we go (again). I am still unsure just how many of the faithful travelled. I reckon about 100 but I have seen differing figures.
But it was the same old fear factor, we played backwards and sideways passes, with Hunt, Flanagan and Gordon the worst offenders.
Hunt was injured and the excellent Egbo came on after 36 minutes. HT and it was still 1-0. The temperature was dropping and the makeshift stand which affords the most unbelievably appalling view with supports, floodlight pylons and advertising hoardings all playing their part in obscuring the view.
I preferred it when we were at the far end of the ground (where the Barrow Ultra racists stand).
Second half proceeded in similar vein until the 70th minute when Samson Tovide came on for Woodyard. At last, some attacking intent and Taylor had some support in the final third. Things improved still more when the pacy Thorn came on after 79 minutes for Anderson. Then we had real pace down the right flank and an equaliser looked possible.
When it came it was sublime a great move involving Thorn, great pace and strength from Tovide and an inviting cross for Lyle Taylor to sweep into the net on 92 minutes.
We deserved it and the timewasting from Barrow had backfired. If only the referee had been more accommodating to Samson but it seems he is not only a marked man by defenders but also the referees union.
Tuesday night I relied on Sky Sport + unlike the 4,265 who gave the JCS great atmosphere.
DC lined up
Smith
Egbo Donnelly Goodliffe Iandolo
Anderson Payne McDonnell Read
Hopper Thorn
Subs Harrison Chamberlain Flanagan (for Iandolo 46) Woodyard (for McDonnell 62) Taylor Sandah (for Anderson 62) Oliver Godziemski (for Payne 82)Rashaad Drysdale for Egbo 82)
Now this was a game that I really enjoyed. From the outset we were at the races. Arsenal youngsters weren’t allowed to dwell on the ball, we adopted a high press and committed bodies forward. This was surely the football that DC and NC were brought in to adopt for our club.
A flowing move with the excellent Thorn and near passes resulted in Hopper sweeping home after 16 minutes. Anderson scored a second just before half time and the imperious Egbo scored a magnificent third on 50 minutes. Egbo is every bit as good as Junior Tchamadeu and when he goes forward things happen. My only fear is that the vultures will be circling come January.
It was a comprehensive victory against a Premier League U21 side but we never let them play at all.
So, what happens tomorrow when the Bantams are in Town. DC will play a team more akin to the Barrow game. He will play Anderson and probably Gordon and start Flanagan. However, let’s be bold and imaginative and go with:
Macey
Egbo Donnelly Goodliffe Iandolo
Read Payne Woodyard
Thorn Tovide Taylor
Subs
Smith Flanagan Anderson Gordon McDonnell Sandah Hopper
I’m going for a 2-1 Colchester win with Taylor and Tovide on the scoresheet.
Weather 11 degrees Celsius light cloud with a gentle breeze.
Decent crowd possibly 5,500 (1000 from Bradford).
Enjoy the game.
Up the U’s
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Thread | U's to prevail in the basement dwellers F A Cup 1st Round at the County Ground
at 22:46 1 Nov 2024
The magic of the F A Cup has come around for another season and DC takes his charges to the Nigel Eady County Ground to do battle with Swindon Town. The Robins now managed by Ian Holloway are hoping for the new manager bounce.
However, even Holloway will struggle to get much out of the Robins this weekend and I reckon we can secure that elusive first away win of the season with a 1-0 victory.
Now the incentive is boosted by prize money of £41,000 to the First-Round Proper winners.
Our loanees Donnelly, McDonnell and Scully can all play, but Oscar Thorn is cup tied but we have recalled young striker Hakeem Sandah from M&T.
DC can also name up to 9 substitutes for the Cup so Matt Jay, still only 28 (he of the Advertisement – Carlsberg Customer Complaints Department – wrong number - clearly he has been languishing in that office for years).
Sadly Tovide, Bishop, Oni and Edwards are all injured.
I would like to see the following line up:
Macey
Egbo Goodliffe Donnelly Iandolo
Woodyard McDonnell Payne Read
Sandah Taylor
Subs:
Smith Anderson Flanagan Kells Gordon Hunt Hopper Scully JAY
After all we do want to win the game, don’t we?
Weather will be 13 degrees Celsius, cloudy with a 27% chance of precipitation.
Safe journey to the travelling faithful.
Enjoy the game everyone and safe travels Wessex.
Goal scorer, who else but Lyle Taylor
Up the U’s
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Thread | F A Cup 1st Round
at 21:18 1 Nov 2024
Tamworth 1 Huddersfield 0
77 minutes played |
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Thread | Matt Jay
at 19:10 31 Oct 2024
Is in the squad for the Swindon FA Cup tie.
No really this is not a trick but let's hope he can treat us to a good performance.
Up the U's [Post edited 31 Oct 23:05]
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Thread | Dirty Old Town - Ammies to come unstuck at the JCS this lunchtime
at 10:41 26 Oct 2024
There’s two things that I enjoy when I think about Salford. The first is something that TOOT would enjoy! At their ground there are several bushes of Pampas Grass and someone from Colchester invariably gets thrown in or dives headlong into the grass much to the chagrin of the Stewards.
The second is their team walk on song. Dirty Old Town. Originally written when Salford was in Lancashire in 1949 by Ewan MacColl and today they play the Pogues version from 1985 with Shane MacGowan on vocals. It is one of the most evocative and atmospheric songs.
Still today we will enjoy the Post Horn Gallop at the JCS.
An element of pride was restored at Chesterfield on Tuesday night. Oscar Thorn was clearly POTM and Jack Payne’s goal gave us a deserved point.
None of this matters however if we cannot start to win our home games. Today Karl Robinson brings his Ammies to North Essex fresh from a victory over Swindon Town. Luke Garbutt will be in the starting line-up. When Garbutt was here at Colchester he looked to have a bright future in the premier league but injuries cost him the opportunity and today at 31 he is content to play in League Two.
Do not forget that today is a 12:30pm kick off and we are live on Sky Sports +
Now these TV games are making me lazy. I am missing Away games because of the ease of watching the Sky Sports televised games. Consequently, I have only been to two Away games so far this season. Although Barrow is lined up in a fortnight.
DC celebrated his 46th birthday with that point against Chesterfield and DC admitted that they were the best team that we have played this season. I wouldn’t disagree except that given their percentage of play and number of shots and corners the fact that that they can’t convert draws into wins at home might ultimately cost them promotion.
Today DC must prepare for life without Samson Tovide for several weeks. Owura Edwards is also injured as is Teddy Bishop. Milton Oni is also out for the season. They are all big losses. Oscar Thorn may be the answer to one of those positions but Lyle Taylor cannot be expected to lead the line all on his own.
DC must also decide on the future of Flanagan and Hunt. Neither of whom have set the league alight.
Also, what is he going to do with Kells who seems to be overlooked at present. And Manny Egbo must surely start ahead of Hunt. Arthur Read is also out of favour but why. The fans love the guy and he scooped all the honours last season.
I suppose that is DC and NC are Managers and I’m not!
Anyway, I think the following starting XI 4,4,2.
Macey
Egbo Goodliffe Donnelly Iandolo
Woodyard McDonnell Payne Read
Thorn Taylor
Subs:
Smith Anderson Flanagan Kells Gordon Hunt Hopper
Weather in Colchester will be 14 degrees Celsius, partly sunny dry and a gentle breeze. Perfect for football.
Scoreline 2-0 Colchester with Taylor and Thorn on the scoresheet.
Attendance just over 4,200 with 250 from Salford.
Enjoy the game.
Early start for the Ammies (5:15am), safe journey.
Up the U’s
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Thread | Robins left red faced after defeat at the JCS
at 21:32 18 Oct 2024
It seems an absolute age since our last league games against Carlisle United which ended in a 0-0 draw.
Tomorrow sees 17th place Col U with 11 points from 10 games against 21st place Cheltenham Town with 10 points from 11 games. So, on paper another winnable game and indeed three points are required to start to move up the table.
Michael Flynn brings the Robins, with a possible appearance from Harry Pell. But our nemesis Ryan Bowman and Matty Taylor are amongst the Robins strikers. Bowman whether at Exeter, Shrewsbury or wherever always seems to score against the U’s.
Of course, whenever I think about Cheltenham I automatically think about Steven Gillespie. We signed him for £400,000 from the Robins and he scored 25 goals in 98 appearances despite a wretched injury record. He still watches the U’s when we play in the North West and he was always one of my favourites.
The week off for International break has certainly benefitted the U’s. The players had a couple of days rest and DC will have had several days to prepare for this vital game. I am however not sure whether Edwards and Bishop are fit enough to start at home to Cheltenham.
Taylor, McDonnell and Donnelly should all be back and raring to go after their respective International Matches.
I reckon a home victory and a six-goal thriller with a 4-2 scoreline.
Team:
Macey
Kells Flanagan Iandolo
Egbo Read Woodyard Payne
Gordon Taylor Tovide
Subs
Smith Hopper Scully Donnelly Goodliffe McDonnell Anderson
Weather will be 15 degrees Celsius, a slight breeze but showery.
Attendance just over 4,200 with perhaps 140 from Gloucestershire.
DC says that we should already have 18 points and I’m not going to argue but we have to earn those points and only a decent and positive performance is required tomorrow at fortress JCS.
Enjoy the game
Up the U’s
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Thread | Number 17 will play
at 14:27 12 Oct 2024
Monday evening at Bradford City.
FA Cup Round One draw |
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Thread | Will Grigg's on fire
at 14:05 12 Oct 2024
Chez Vegas 2 Magpies 1
Entertaining game.
12 mins to play |
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Thread | DC's Super U's to outfox the Cumbrians at the JCS
at 10:49 5 Oct 2024
Should that be the JobServe Cowley Stadium I wonder.
So, a week is indeed a long time in football. Owing to the wonders of a Sky membership I was able to watch both games against Walsall and Port Vale on the new 5-year deal Sky Sports+ have struck with the EFL. Of course, I felt guilty because I would normally have driven to both games but as it turned out the result at the Bescot was shocking and we set up Scotland style virtually 4,6,0 for the first half at Vale Park. Officially it was 5,4,1 of course.
At 2-0 down at the Bescot DC made some strange substitutions which led to a much heavier defeat than if we had tried to battle back with our strikers intact. Tuesday night was truly a game of two halves and after the dreadful tactics and performance in the first half the subtle changes made in the second could have won us the game.
Now Samson Tovide is fast getting a reputation as the Pantomime villain. Certainly, his play acting on Tuesday evening won him few admirers but of course he had the last laugh with a 90th minute equaliser which was thoroughly deserved. Tovide is getting to be well known by players and officials too. He often has two or three defenders around him and the referees often fail to give him the support which he needs to avoid the man handling and physical challenges that he receives.
But he is a real footballer and he has great strength and an ability to run at defenders. He will only get better and stronger. If he can control his temper then we have a top-drawer striker at Colchester.
Expect more changes this week for the visit of Mike Williamson’s Carlisle United. The Cumbrians are struggling after their relegation from league one. Williamson himself has brought the MK Dons to Colchester on two occasions this season and now returns with his new charges. He will get little change from DC’s boys however and I expect a 2-0 home victory with TnT on the scoresheet with this 15th verses 22nd encounter.
International call ups will be effecting the U’s with Lyle Taylor joining up with the Montserrat squad (he only misses the BSM game at Orient fortunately). Our Forest loanees Jamie McDonnell and Aaron Donnelly join up with the NI Under 21 squad too.
Now I really don’t like to criticise players unfairly but Hunt is simply poor and the jury is out on Scully. I don’t think he is a midfielder but I haven’t seen much sparkle in the box to suggest he is a striker either. After his shocking injuries he is probably getting back to match fitness but he seems not to be the answer if Tovide and Taylor are unavailable.
Sadly, it would seem that Bishop and Edwards, who were both injured at the Bescot, should not be risked today.
Therefore, I would opt for the following to start against the Cumbrians in a 3,4,3 formation.
Macey
Flanagan Kells Iandolo
Egbo Read Payne Woodyard
Tovide Taylor Gordon
Subs:
Smith Goodliffe Donnelly Hopper Scully Hunt Anderson
(Injured Edwards and Bishop)
Weather today at the JCS. 16 degrees Celsius dry, sunny intervals with a gentle breeze. Ideal for football in early October.
Reasonable crowd expected 4,500 with about 200 travelling from Brunton Park.
Enjoy the game.
Up the U’s
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Thread | Marching on together
at 22:03 4 Oct 2024
Picture the scene Leeds 2-1 to the good an innocuous free kick and a hopeful pump into the box on 97 minutes by Alan Brown.
Meslier takes his eye off the ball and it rolls past him into the unguarded net.
One of the biggest goalkeeper howlers you will ever see.
Result a Desmond in a game that Leeds were comfortable in.
Matt Macey check out the video footage and make sure you don't repeat this elementary mistake. |
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Thread | Port Vale tonight
at 18:46 1 Oct 2024
A thousand apologies I have had a busy day and so no preview.
Providing Edwards is fit I wouldn't change the team.
Its up to them to get us out of the hole dug at the Bescot.
Prediction 2-1 to the Super U's |
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Thread | Saddle up for three points at the Bescot with DC and his Super U's
at 23:24 27 Sep 2024
It’s 3rd versus 11th at the Poundland Bescot tomorrow with arguable our most challenging game of the season so far. Mat Sadler lines his Saddlers up against DC and his Super U’s in a televised game on Sky Sports+ with an early 1230pm kick off.
Last season I went to the Bescot and it was a piece of individual brilliance that won the game for Walsall. Isaac Hutchinson has since moved on to Bristol Rovers where he signed a three-year deal. The Gas have a very fine player.
However, so do we with a more settled team now playing with a degree of verve and considerable skill.
The Bristol Rovers connection is deeper than this however with Samson Tovide and Lyle Taylor starting to remind those of us with older footballing memories of that Bristol Rovers pairing Bruce Bannister and Alan Warboys.
Between 1971 and 1976 Bannister scored 80 goals in 206 appearances and Warboys scored 53 goals in 144 appearances for the Gas.
OK I hear you say but Tovide with 2 goals and Taylor with 3 goals have not even scored five goals each this season (but I believe they are capable of 20 goals each) and would be the first Colchester players since Jamie Cureton to score more than 20 goals in a single season.
I suggested as much last season with another Taylor and our own Tovide but injury and a recall to Luton Town and onward loan to Lincoln put paid to that dream.
There is a real partnership and camaraderie between T and T (TNT perhaps) which is reinforced by the pacy Owura Edwards as a fearsome front three.
The games against Accrington, Morecambe and Tranmere have all evoked memories of a potentially explosive pairing and I am firmly of the belief that if they remain fit (Taylor) and red card free (Tovide) then why can’t they produce a superb attacking partnership which nets goals.
Tovide works so very hard and his runs down the left side and the ability to find Taylor, the archetypal goal poacher who is lethal in and around the six-yard box, have the makings of a great pairing in front of goal.
The perfect accompaniment of course is a now fully fit Owura Edwards with 2 goals so far. His pace at Accrington was frightening for their right back and this was adequately reinforced in the other two games.
Anyway, enough of our forwards. The big question remains DC and his inability to play Read, Payne, Bishop and Woodyard together in midfield. It is a difficult dilemma because Egbo is having a great run in the team and that might be the clue to the reason that Arthur Read doesn’t start in games.
Similarly at the back Goodliffe, Flanagan and Iandolo have the back three nailed down but then we have Kells and young Donnelly banging on the door for starts.
All of this suggest to me that DC is unlikely to make many if any changes to a winning side. Walsall as I mentioned offer a challenge but in fairness they played midweek and narrowly lost to Leicester City on penalties after perhaps shading the 90 minutes.
So, I reckon DC will play:
Macey
Goodliffe Flanagan Iandolo
Egbo Payne Bishop Woodyard
Tovide Taylor Edwards
Subs:
Smith Kells Donnelly Hunt Gordon Read Scully
Weather in Walsall tomorrow will be 11 degrees Celsius with sunny intervals and a gentle breeze.
I reckon the game will be a classic with a Colchester victory by 3-2. Tovide, Taylor and Edwards all on the score sheet.
I will not be travelling tomorrow, instead I will watch via Sky Sports+. I am due to go to Fleetwood but that is likely to be a rearranged Tuesday night game.
Safe journey to the travelling faithful and enjoy the game.
Three points will move us closer to the top seven which has to be the first objective this season.
Up the U’s
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