Spoiling our party ingham? Did it look like it?

What is funny is Leeds beating us yesterday and it means nothing to you in terms of the play offs and nothing in terms of us getting the trophy.

I think your party was cancelled.

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It's a shame that we took our foot off the gas after half an hour, but understandable under the circumstances. Leeds still needed an awful deflection to win, and I hope their fans don't read anything into this result. Although a good side for the Championship, tLeeds have a long way to go to be as good as most of the teams above them this year.

Rangers are deserved champions. Let's hope West Ham stay up and Reading get promoted, so that we have a good number of "local" matches to attend next season.

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Pretty poor show - much of the blame must go to SE for playing a keeper who was a stranger to the side until Monday and it looked like it. Kean's first half performance was dire, he dropped every cross and let the first goal thru his hands - I would have subbed him at half time.All through the game we never defended balls into the box and a lot of that must go down to the defence having no confidence in the keeper.
SE's tactics were poor and why only one substitution when we were losing??
The Chairman needs to spend some money on at least one decent striker or I fear the worst. Shef Wed won at a canter but they were a very ordinary side............

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Riveting stuff watching the scores come in on the BBC website. But that's what you get for being on holiday. Upside of missing the opening game is this place is rammed with lay-dees.

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Nick, I though Paul Wotton had moved to Yeovil and Puncheon was in the reserves? And I don't remember Forte playing either?!

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Still can't get the smile off my face and voice has given out after an excellent day. A natural pessimist, I was hoping for a good performance but fearing the reverse score. The first openning day win I have seen since the early 80's (missed the West Ham and Coventry wins). All my 14 inbreed toes crossed for more of the same :)

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Very harsh on Kean.The lad only dropped one actual cross and got fingertips to divert 2 or 3 others away. As for letting it through his hands it was a powerful header he managed to get a hand to, just unable to divert away. No chance with the second volley either. He also made 2 decent saves first half and was totally composed 2nd half. You're right about the defence, we need at least one centre half with power and height to combat all the high balls you get in L1 football. If we had just one then maybe Jones wouldn't have been a danger and menace all game.

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Have to agree with a lot of what geraldo says. Sheff Wed didn't seem to be any great shakes as a team but then again Megson isn't renowned for putting together pure footballing teams. They were big and functional with only Prutton able to pass a ball with any great skill.

We looked narrow in my opinion, to crowded in midfield and Akpa Akpro isolated up front. He isn't a target man. We need to be playing the ball behind the back 4 for him to run onto, use that electrifying pace. O'Grady you can hit with the ball but not Jean-Louis.

Thought Tutte did well, need Nicky Adams to step up to the mark this year too.

At the end of the day though we weren't quite good enough. It's a game of inches and if Grimes shot hadn't come back off the upright with Nicky Weaver rooted to the spot it may have been a different story. Never mind, no=one ever got relegated on the forst day of the season. There are always reasons to be optimistic.

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An inspired all round performance from the U’s deservedly produced the league one result of the day.

The faithful were in good voice throughout and 242 often outsung the library like surroundings of Deepdale.

Clearly the plaudits will be for the goalscorers and once again the U’s have started with a great win to rival the 6-3 at Saltergate and 3-0 at Hillsborough.

I was particularly impressed with Matt Heath who played the best game for the U’s that I have watched.
But there were so many positives – Cousins after an initial fumble was resolute and stood firm.
Brian Wilson delivered another solid performance. Magnus was colossal and Michael Rose looks a sure fire winner – his free kick will be worth checking out on the highlights shows.
Formation was clearly 4-5-1 but Kayode Odejayi received plenty of support from Hendo and Woody.

John Joe O’Toole ran the midfield and looks better each game. The captain also produced a terrier like midfield performance.
The bench included Rio, Gilly, James, Coker and White – no Goalkeeper.

On the negative side I do wish that Vincent would not fade away in the second half as he often does fitness perhaps or temperament, I don’t know.

I listened to BBC Lancashire sitting in the car park after the game and Phil Brown was scathing of his defence likening them to sunday league players. Now make no mistake the suggestion was once again that Preston played badly to allow the U’s to prevail.

The fact is that Colchester deserved to win and with a little more fortune in front of goal could have scored six with a hattrick for Hendo.

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negatives,Didnt create much,looked disjointed,
positives,showed good football in bursts,looked fit.
obviously missing dawsons long range passing,we were much more direct than last season,too direct 1st half,my view is that it may take 6,7 games for the group to form mini partnerships together,and more importantly for the new mngmt team to shape the team,we need to keep hold of c ogrady...

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