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Colchester find that it's Grim up north - again 16:20 - Aug 22 with 525 viewsdurham_exile

First let’s get the positives and good news in the open. It was good to see Noah at the match and I thoroughly enjoyed the kind hospitality afforded me by Gerry and his Wife which was very kind and made the long journey very worthwhile.

Grimsby Away on a Tuesday night is becoming somewhat of a regular occurrence with the last four years all confirmed by the computer for Grimsby Town v Colchester United. Although a jovial steward said tongue in cheek that he would arrange for a Saturday next season. Of course, it is to be hoped that we are promoted this season and avoid Cleethorpes on a Tuesday evening.

I travelled early and went direct to Gerry’s, the weather was very good, warm sunny and little breeze. The luxury of sitting outside in the garden was very enjoyable and we left in goof time for the game in order to take in a fish n chip supper at Papa’s. The restaurant is highly recommended. The fish is always well cooked and beautifully white and appetising. Chips are well cooked and dry. Because we are still very much in the holiday season the restaurant was well populated and everyone seemed to be enjoying their fish. The medium haddock and chips is actually more like a large portion elsewhere and the walk to the stadium is a good opportunity to increase the step count for the day whilst walking off some of the calories.

We arrived at Blundell Park in good time because away supporters now face a challenging walk around the stadium and the entrance is like entering a demilitarised zone. Once inside this season we were corralled into the corner of the stadium in the Osmond Stand. 144 of the faithful were present and had been forced to occupy the first seven rows either side of the stairs. (The question is - is 144 people at Grimsby on a Tuesday night the definition of gross stupidity!) A steward was preventing anyone from going beyond row G and so we stood in the aisle until his boss arrived and allowed us to occupy the next row. At this point Noah extricated himself from the previous row and joined us in the wide-open spaces!

Timing was good, as the players were just about ready to come out for the formalities. Attendance was 4,103 and the pitch was in good condition as you would expect for late August.

JM has selected the following team:

Gerken

Jackson Eastman Prosser Clampin

Senior Comley Stevenson Brown

Nouble

Norris

Subs:
Kensdale James Chilvers Hasanally Ross Gambin Sowunmi

Now Jevani Brown is supposed to be the Number 10 but JM had him operating down the left wing!

So, to Kick off and the first few minutes were fairly even with both sides playing neat football although with Hanson in the team, there were many route one balls directed towards him. Tom Eastman repeatedly won the aerial duals which frustrated the big man.
For Colchester Frank Nouble was playing his best game ever. Operating down both flanks he held the ball up well took up good positions and showed plenty of strength. On 25 minutes we took a deserved lead. Big Frank stepped inside the penalty area and struck a powerful diagonal shot into the top left-hand side of the goal with McKeown well beaten. We were good value for the lead, and we looked the more dangerous team with Nouble, Brown and Norris all busy in their respective positions.

Ryan Clampin looks a player and I would imagine Cohen Bramall will be hard pushed to get back into the left back berth after his suspension is concluded.

Now almost on half time the industrious Nouble directed a pass to the far post where Chuck Norris outjumped two defenders to head past McKeown. 2-0 to the Super U’s.
We all opined that this would make JM’s half time team talk a relatively easy one. Indeed, the faithful were singing that JM was a tactical genius. Heavy sarcasm of course but 2-0 and were good for it.

Refreshments were taken in the Away bar which sported scarves on the walls, notably a Braintree Town one.

Michael Jolley sent his players out early and they had clearly felt the full force of his fury.
No changes at half time for either team but whatever Jolley had said his charges responded. We conceded an early penalty when Jackson was adjudged to have brought down Ogbu. Now I’ve seen this on the highlights, and I think it was a harsh penalty.
James Hanson stepped up and put the ball down the centre of the goal for 2-1. The worst possible start. Colchester who had looked so clinical in the first half were dropping deeper and deeper. I do not understand JM, there is no necessity to encourage the home team on by playing deep. We were so good during the first 45 minutes and poor in the second.

Courtney Senior was the first player to be replaced. He sees a lot of the ball, makes lots of forward runs, but inevitably loses the ball cheaply. Luke Gambin replaced him after 82 minutes. Now with all the best will in the world. It is that type of change that needs to be made much earlier so that Gambin can get into the game.

Worse was to come, JM decided to introduce Omar Sowunmi after 86 minutes but removed Norris from the action. So, 5 at the back and we were defending a free kick. Sowunmi won the ball and headed it to the edge of the box where Matt Green took aim and beat Gerken all ends up with a classic shot for 2-2.

We had potentially thrown away two more points. 5 added minutes and our strike force had dried up. No earlier in the half Chuck Norris had tried a free kick from Ronaldo distance and it went over the bar but now he was off the field we gained another direct free kick but eminently closer to the goal. Jevani Brown strode up to take it but he was intent only in chipping it forward rather than a direct strike at goal.

That in a nutshell is our dilemma we are reluctant to take a direct free kick and attempt to score directly and if Brown is the number ten then give him free rein to play behind the striker across the whole width of the pitch.

Now Grimsby gained a point from a game where we dictated the play and thus allowed them back into it. Put simply we should have won the game but dropping deeper allowed them to gain confidence and suddenly from a point where we should have made the game safe, we were struggling to keep them at bay. Two-points thrown away.

JM did not come over to the fans at the end of the game which was telling.

Since the game there had been no more talk of any additions to the squad. We desperately need a striker, not because Norris and Nouble are not scoring but because we need some commitment in the last third and someone to score more than 20 goals in a single season.

There is money (about £1.3m after all dealings so far this season) some of that would buy a decent addition to the striking ranks.

We are of course missing Harry Pell, but it is up front where the addition is required.

Northampton on Saturday is now an absolutely must win at all costs game.

Up the U’s



Durham_exile

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Colchester find that it's Grim up north - again on 18:16 - Aug 22 with 489 viewsWitham

Not only McGreal didn't come over at the end but neither did most of the team. My wife at her first away game was disgusted. Yes they might have been disappointed but so were we by the result.
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Colchester find that it's Grim up north - again on 20:32 - Aug 22 with 471 viewsdurham_exile

Colchester find that it's Grim up north - again on 18:16 - Aug 22 by Witham

Not only McGreal didn't come over at the end but neither did most of the team. My wife at her first away game was disgusted. Yes they might have been disappointed but so were we by the result.


Witham -
I have just checked my photos and the only players who came towards the faithful were
Frank Nouble, Dean Gerken, Ben Stevenson and Jevani Brown.
JM did not go anywhere near the supporters.

I appreciate that players will be disappointed but as you pointed out so were you and your wife and the remaining members of the 144 faithful!

UTU's

Durham_exile

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Colchester find that it's Grim up north - again on 22:11 - Aug 22 with 450 viewsgerry_us

Colchester find that it's Grim up north - again on 20:32 - Aug 22 by durham_exile

Witham -
I have just checked my photos and the only players who came towards the faithful were
Frank Nouble, Dean Gerken, Ben Stevenson and Jevani Brown.
JM did not go anywhere near the supporters.

I appreciate that players will be disappointed but as you pointed out so were you and your wife and the remaining members of the 144 faithful!

UTU's


Don't think they came too close though Peter to avoid the comments they may have received!
I hope McGreal is ashamed not to come over but I suspect not...he appears to have little time for anyone's opinion.
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Colchester find that it's Grim up north - again on 10:21 - Aug 23 with 423 viewsdurham_exile

Colchester find that it's Grim up north - again on 20:32 - Aug 22 by durham_exile

Witham -
I have just checked my photos and the only players who came towards the faithful were
Frank Nouble, Dean Gerken, Ben Stevenson and Jevani Brown.
JM did not go anywhere near the supporters.

I appreciate that players will be disappointed but as you pointed out so were you and your wife and the remaining members of the 144 faithful!

UTU's


Total garbage in the Gazette today>>>>>
JM stated:
“Some of the players did go over there — I don’t know who didn’t but there were definitely a fair few who went across because I was there myself.
“I’ll make a note and make sure a lot more do go across because like ourselves, they’re not getting back until very late on Tuesday night and the majority are in work as well.
“It was disappointing to throw that two-goal lead away but we’re always grateful to the fans and I’m the first one to say that.
“We need that relationship with the fans — that’s a big thing.”

Frank Nouble, Dean Gerken, Ben Stevenson and Jevani Brown were the only players to go to the supporters. That is fact because I photographed them.

And I didn't see JM applaud the fans.

Neither did I hear the abuse directed towards JM because all the Colchester supporters were corralled in a close quadrant in the corner and couldn't get any closer to the action at the end of the game.

As someone once said "the first casualty of war is truth."

I know everyone is feeling the pressure but make sure you don't forget the supporters who are loyal and turn up game after game.

UTU's

Durham_exile

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Colchester find that it's Grim up north - again on 10:42 - Aug 23 with 420 viewsMoor_Pinot

Colchester find that it's Grim up north - again on 10:21 - Aug 23 by durham_exile

Total garbage in the Gazette today>>>>>
JM stated:
“Some of the players did go over there — I don’t know who didn’t but there were definitely a fair few who went across because I was there myself.
“I’ll make a note and make sure a lot more do go across because like ourselves, they’re not getting back until very late on Tuesday night and the majority are in work as well.
“It was disappointing to throw that two-goal lead away but we’re always grateful to the fans and I’m the first one to say that.
“We need that relationship with the fans — that’s a big thing.”

Frank Nouble, Dean Gerken, Ben Stevenson and Jevani Brown were the only players to go to the supporters. That is fact because I photographed them.

And I didn't see JM applaud the fans.

Neither did I hear the abuse directed towards JM because all the Colchester supporters were corralled in a close quadrant in the corner and couldn't get any closer to the action at the end of the game.

As someone once said "the first casualty of war is truth."

I know everyone is feeling the pressure but make sure you don't forget the supporters who are loyal and turn up game after game.

UTU's


Durham, it's more in a continuing stream of evidence that proves the poor chap is simply not good enough for his role. He has little holistic comprehension of football management. Why would he? He never had a go at a non league side to see if he had some of what it takes. He is a victim of the Chairman's philosophy. McGreal has had a very very long time to learn some basics but he hasn't learnt. I will be one of the first to compliment him if he does well but he's taken several seasons to comprehend how to find his 'best' XI - but he still doesn't know how to do that. Equally, he is blinkered in his efforts to protect one or two goal leads when he doesn't have a, the individuals necessary nor b, the technical knowledge to enact it. One of the inevitabilities of those two failings is that we fail players we have signed. The latest to join the "Slater-Collins Club" will be Gambin who is a much more effective player than the almost totally underwhelming, annoying and disappointing Senior. Courtney has great skills but no awareness. When you watch him you can see he is initially effective on the ball but then 90% time wasteful and unaware of colleagues. He also has no shot power. Gambin has shown in his cameos that he can also track back, shoot and ride tackles.....but he'll be on the bench tomorrow. Hasanally also deseves more than the Bonne-like 90 seconds too, but it won't happen.

Recognising our supporters is another total basic.............to overlook us/them is unforgiveable.........as is fibbing about it.

Things continue to go southwards, we just have to ride out this period which looks set to continue for some time. I would be grateful for a draw tomorrow. But one lives in hope!

Up the U's

Moor Pinot

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Colchester find that it's Grim up north - again on 12:07 - Aug 23 with 409 viewsmfb_cufc

Colchester find that it's Grim up north - again on 10:42 - Aug 23 by Moor_Pinot

Durham, it's more in a continuing stream of evidence that proves the poor chap is simply not good enough for his role. He has little holistic comprehension of football management. Why would he? He never had a go at a non league side to see if he had some of what it takes. He is a victim of the Chairman's philosophy. McGreal has had a very very long time to learn some basics but he hasn't learnt. I will be one of the first to compliment him if he does well but he's taken several seasons to comprehend how to find his 'best' XI - but he still doesn't know how to do that. Equally, he is blinkered in his efforts to protect one or two goal leads when he doesn't have a, the individuals necessary nor b, the technical knowledge to enact it. One of the inevitabilities of those two failings is that we fail players we have signed. The latest to join the "Slater-Collins Club" will be Gambin who is a much more effective player than the almost totally underwhelming, annoying and disappointing Senior. Courtney has great skills but no awareness. When you watch him you can see he is initially effective on the ball but then 90% time wasteful and unaware of colleagues. He also has no shot power. Gambin has shown in his cameos that he can also track back, shoot and ride tackles.....but he'll be on the bench tomorrow. Hasanally also deseves more than the Bonne-like 90 seconds too, but it won't happen.

Recognising our supporters is another total basic.............to overlook us/them is unforgiveable.........as is fibbing about it.

Things continue to go southwards, we just have to ride out this period which looks set to continue for some time. I would be grateful for a draw tomorrow. But one lives in hope!

Up the U's


Excellent post. He is a victim of the Chairman's philosophy is spot on. This philosophy first started when John Ward was manager, and has continued ever since, that is why we always get an internal replacement. When an outsider Keen wanted to go in a different direction, Cowling said no, and Keen departed. So while the Cowling family remain in charge we can only expect more of the same.

mfb

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Colchester find that it's Grim up north - again on 12:47 - Aug 23 with 402 viewsburnsieespana

Mention of Bonne reminds me I saw this week Charlton fans think he is totally out of his depth and will never make it at any level above the National league.
Anyway seeing my first game of the season so hopefully a change of luck!
Come on you U'S.
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