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EFL Trophy 21:41 - Nov 21 with 976 views

As comfortable as I'd hoped for the most part. Apart from the first ten minutes or so, we always looked in control. Good finish from Brad after an appalling keeper blunder, but he still had to have the composure not to blast it way over. There's no point getting too giddy about this, Ferguson got his squad selection wrong and his nippers were chasing the game for most of it. I know he has his detractors, but I thought Tom Hopper again showed what he has about his game.

Onward to the knockout stages - Up the U's!

	Up the U's
Poll:	How will we do in 2016/17
Blog:	Knees-up Mother Brown #24

EFL Trophy on 21:58 - Nov 21 with 958 views

burnsieespana

ME seemed to really want to progress to the knockout stages which rubs off on the players so well done and we certainly have a squad large enough but at same time giving good game time to players like Terry

EFL Trophy on 13:00 - Nov 22 with 865 views

SparkfilmsTV

I know that Phil Parkinson would have treated this tournament as seriously as any league or cup encounter.

If l was briefing any manager or head coach my message would be to show respect and ambition in every competitive match that the club are involved in.

This includes the Essex Senior Cup too!

Colchester United have fallen short now for far too long.

A football club cannot be 'work in progress' forever, let's see a real upturn in league position and a clear message of intent!

EFL Trophy on 20:33 - Nov 22 with 799 views

burnsieespana

We re-entered the Senior Cup to give our under 21's more games if I recall.

EFL Trophy on 22:29 - Nov 22 with 787 views

wessex_exile

EFL Trophy on 13:00 - Nov 22 by SparkfilmsTV

Our success in this competition in recent years doesn't bear too much scrutiny, and in that your assertion that the U's have fallen short for far too long isn't wrong.

But, to counter your implied criticism that Matty Etherington didn't treat the competition seriously, last night I think it's fair to say he played a pretty strong team to do the job. One enforced replacement (Taylor), and a desire to bring Kels back in for some much needed game time in his road to recovery made perfect sense. Matty picked a squad that he believed would be strong enough to win the game, anticipating that Ferguson (who knew they were already through) would make much more substantial changes, and his selection was proved correct.

Comparing today to 20 years ago is comparing apples to pears - even in Parky's era, our matchday squad largely picked itself, we didn't have the strength in depth that most EFL sides have today. Let's not forget, in the Bob Lord Trophy McDonough named virtually his first (only) team against Wycombe, and played almost all of them out of position to show both his contempt for the competition and his opponents. Managers today have to balance so much more - a desire to win, yes, but also the need to keep fringe players hungry for their opportunity to showcase to the manager what they can do when they get the chance. And of course, protect key players from injury (Mingi case in point)

Our first team squad must be what 30+ players? To send the message out to 10-12 of them that their chances for first team action were going to be almost non-existent (bar injuries) would be the death knell to team morale and a recipe for disaster.

What I will say, and I've said it repeatedly, is that despite anyone's misgivings about the current format of the EFL Trophy, this still represents the best chance that any tier 3 or 4 club not at the right end of the table (and the lottery of the play-offs) have of getting a big day out at Wembley. For that reason I agree Matty Etherington should be, and is, treating the competition seriously.

	Up the U's
Poll:	How will we do in 2016/17
Blog:	Knees-up Mother Brown #24

EFL Trophy on 08:41 - Nov 23 with 749 views

SparkfilmsTV

I'm certainly not being critical of Matty Etherington, but l am critical of certain aspects of the culture of Colchester United Football Club.

The club has been like a hamster in the wheel, year after year, season after season. Limping along from one transfer window to another. A conveyer belt of Head Coaches. A mass of loan players, many of whom are floating around on the sidelines within a couple of appearances. Some that have been injured when they arrived!

A club structure that has had a 'Director of Football' which it deemed necessary for a while then appeared to just drop the idea, several individuals who were elevated from within to the position of Head Coach who with all due respect were doomed to fail.

I am not confident that the current ownership, culture and regime can take this club forward, although l don't doubt their efforts. It just isn't working!

I rarely go to matches these days, l admit to only seeing an average of about four games a season. So, l am not really qualified to judge but when you see a club that historically has always managed to exist between what l will refer to as Division's Three and Four you have to accept that the club is in the biggest slump in its history in terms of league placement over a period of time.

There are fleeting glimpses of hope.

But for year's now, much of this optimism just evaporates and it's back to rebuild after rebuild. Perhaps it just me, even in my advanced years l strive to make things happen and many of my ideas fall by the wayside, so aside from a purple patch when l played a small part ( behind the scenes ) when we won the Conference title and F.A. Trophy in '92 my sell by date is very much elapsed.

It is fair to say that the current squad does show a few signs of hope, but can the current set up galvanise this into a serious promotion drive.

Let's hope this is so. It is long overdue.

Sorry to rant on, l'm known for it but l still have ambition both for myself and any entity that l am connected to. 😊😊😊😊😊😊

EFL Trophy on 19:49 - Nov 24 with 651 views

mfb_cufc

Round of 32 Draw – Northern Section
Wrexham v Burton Albion
Blackpool v Barnsley
Accrington Stanley v Lincoln City
Wigan Athletic v Stockport County
Derby County v Fleetwood Town
Bradford City v Liverpool U21
Doncaster Rovers v Nottingham Forest U21
Bolton Wanderers v Port Vale

Round of 32 Draw – Southern Section
Peterborough United v Arsenal U21
Forest Green Rovers v Oxford United
Crawley Town v Bristol Rovers
Wycombe Wanderers v Fulham U21
Portsmouth v AFC Wimbledon
West Ham United U21 v Colchester United
Reading v Charlton Athletic
MK Dons v Brighton & Hove Albion U21

mfb

EFL Trophy on 19:52 - Nov 24 with 652 views

durham_exile

EFL Trophy on 19:49 - Nov 24 by mfb_cufc

Probably the best draw we could have expected.

Up the U's

Durham_exile

EFL Trophy on 20:29 - Nov 24 with 646 views

mfb_cufc

EFL Trophy on 19:52 - Nov 24 by durham_exile
Probably the best draw we could have expected. Up the U's

And it gets better, durham.

As per a dispensation request to the EFL, the fixture will be played at the JobServe Community Stadium, despite West Ham originally being drawn as the home side.

mfb

EFL Trophy on 20:34 - Nov 24 with 647 views

wessex_exile

EFL Trophy on 20:29 - Nov 24 by mfb_cufc
And it gets better, durham. As per a dispensation request to the EFL, the fixture will be played at the JobServe Community Stadium, despite West Ham originally being drawn as the home side.

Excellent news, thanks mfb!

Still a tough ask, but with a half-decent crowd turning up (I expect the ‘ammers will bring quite a few as well), who knows?

	Up the U's
Poll:	How will we do in 2016/17
Blog:	Knees-up Mother Brown #24

EFL Trophy on 21:45 - Nov 24 with 629 views

RSCOSWORTH

EFL Trophy on 20:29 - Nov 24 by mfb_cufc
And it gets better, durham. As per a dispensation request to the EFL, the fixture will be played at the JobServe Community Stadium, despite West Ham originally being drawn as the home side.

I would've preferred a trip to the London Stadium personally.

Poll:

How many polls will Leadbelly do this season?

EFL Trophy on 21:52 - Nov 24 with 627 views

noah4x4

EFL Trophy on 21:45 - Nov 24 by RSCOSWORTH
I would've preferred a trip to the London Stadium personally.

West Ham U21 play at the 4,500 capacity Rush Stadium, Romford, so a trip to the former Olympic Stadium was never on the cards. Makes the participation of Premier League U21s all the more galling.

EFL Trophy on 22:02 - Nov 24 with 623 views

RSCOSWORTH

EFL Trophy on 21:52 - Nov 24 by noah4x4
West Ham U21 play at the 4,500 capacity Rush Stadium, Romford, so a trip to the former Olympic Stadium was never on the cards. Makes the participation of Premier League U21s all the more galling.

Damn it! There's no way I'm going to watch football in bloody Romford! We'll just have to beat them at the JCS instead then.

Poll:

How many polls will Leadbelly do this season?

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