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4th Jan 2014 18:09 - Jan 4 with 950 viewsburnsieespana

So boarders are we about where you expected when the season started and what problems do you see ahead for remainder of the season?
For my part I thought mid table would be a good season.
Problem I see ahead is the loss of Sam Walker.
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4th Jan 2014 on 21:51 - Jan 4 with 933 viewswessex_exile

Hmmm, I'd prefer top rather than bottom half of mid table if I'm honest. I've seen performances that tell me we should be, but I've seen performances that make me wonder why we're not more in the doo-doo than we are. That in a nutshell to me is the problem - consistency. I know we've got a squad good enough to at least flirt with the play-offs, just they seem to turn up too rarely to make a decent fist of it. I confess that after Notts County at home I seriously did doubt whether Joe was the one to take us forward into 2014, but Robbie has stood by him, and I have to respect that. Losing Sam would be a wrench (if he goes), but Cousins is still a good 'keeper, so all is not lost without the octopus. IF (big if) we get back some more of our game changers this year (fully fit), then I have no worries we can't hold on to mid-table mediocrity - and that'll do for me for now.

Up the U's
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4th Jan 2014 on 06:36 - Jan 5 with 926 viewsdurham_exile

Burnsie, Happy New Year.

I predicted promotion this season, so clearly I am very disappointed with our current predicament.

This season I have been to six games so far, four have been draws, one victory and one defeat. I have another seven games lined up.

The injuries have definitely impacted upon our situation. The loss of Watt, Sears, Massey, Thompson, Drey Wright (all long term) with Eastman, Bean, Ibehre, Bonne (shorter term) have contributed to some of our more disappointing performances.

Some of the loanees have simply not been up to the task (mainly those from West Ham!). Successes have of course been Sam Walker and Luke Garbutt.

JD has not been able to play his best team often enough and so we have struggled. The impact of a reduction in the Chairman's funding has also had a big impact but we cannot expect RC to constantly bail out the club.

If in the second half of the season, we can play the following:

Walker

Wilson Magnus Eastman Garbutt

Eastmond, Wright (David), Watt

Massey Ibehre Sears

Subs:

Cousins, Olufemi, Thompson, Dickson, Drey Wright, Bean, Bonne

Then we can achieve more consistency, but the 75 point target for 6th place looks unachievable, unless we can turn draws into victories.

Our biggest problem is the lack of a consistent goal scorer ie 20+ goals per season. there is one player that I would like to see the U's acquire and that is Jay Emmanuel Thomas from Bristol City but wages would be a problem!!!!!

We play the conquerors of Wolves next the Gills and that could be our first season double.

Biggest moan, our inability to win any cup match. I noted Sheffield United defeated Lambert's Villa yesterday (that could have been the U's).

Up the U's

[Post edited 5 Jan 2014 6:38]

Durham_exile

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4th Jan 2014 on 13:50 - Jan 7 with 875 viewsLeadbelly

It gives me no pleasure to say I felt we would struggle for goals and would finish just above the relegation zone. Current position is, therefore, far better than I'd expected but the goal scoring remains a concern.

Walker's departure would be a problem. Lack of centre halves will be an issue. Nominations for worse signings than Josh Thompson in terms of time spent fit?

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4th Jan 2014 on 16:34 - Jan 7 with 870 viewsBluenWightExile

Have not seen us often enough recently but am in line with Wessex and Whalers.

We are slightly above where I had thought. Although with those first 4 games yielding 8 unbeaten points I did wonder if we may just avoid the relegation dogfight and stay upper mid-table with a go in one of the Cups. Wasn't to be though and Joe simply has not sorted any consistency or home form. Both may cost us eventually. We'll need 55 points or more this time.

Up [and further up please] the U's

Pinault-noir

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4th Jan 2014 on 17:12 - Jan 7 with 862 viewsBarsidepete

Ahead of where expected. Not great but not sweating up the socks. Walker gone that's worrisome because how many points was he directly helping the U's not drop.

A scorer any scorer please.

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4th Jan 2014 on 01:07 - Jan 8 with 840 viewsnoah4x4

My place at the top of Division One Happy Grumpy League is perhaps helped by my interest and enthusiasm for footie statistics. Some U's data at the half way point of the season is truly eye-opening.....

For example; the U's have the 11th meanest defence in the division. I guess that statistic has definitely shocked you given our adverse goal difference; but check out Statto.

We have only lost 8 games; which is bettered by only 8 teams; and all bar one of these are currently in the play off zone or above. We are hence surprisingly hard to beat; and creating a great team must always start with building a sound defence (but I agree Notts County was a catastrophe however.......);

We are currently 8th in respect of the "last 8 matches" form table (W3;D3;L3). Crewe and Notts County are also up there; so why did some folk think that defeating them was a 'gimme'? Interestingly; Wolves and Peterborough are currently displaying relegation form and most of the leading teams that still have to come to WHCS have worse (last 8) form that us. That is most encouraging.

I am delighted with where we are; 3 points from the top half of the table and it is no less than I expected. The data suggests that any problem is at the other end goal scoring; where Sears; Watt; Wright; Massey; Bonne (etc.) have each accumulated more injuries than Evil Kneivil. Jabo has been playing under pain killers; and Morrison has scored 3 goals in 50 games.

Durham; if we can sort things out up front; I don't think a play off place is that insurmountable. Let's think back to Southampton. They looked dead and buried before Xmas; and the Saints still got promoted.

Lastly; I have just discovered that Lambert (45%) and Boothroyd (43%) each have a higher (U's) career WINS percentage managerial record than either Parky or Dick Graham (albeit over shorter periods). Staggeringly; the career win percentage of both Ward (29%) and Dunne (30%) is marginally better than almost all U's managers other than Parky; Lambert and Boothroyd since we re-entered the Football League. Our tenure at WHCS is (arguably) our most sustained period of success in our history as regards the combination of wins and our run of highest consecutive league positions.

Timing of results is everything; and apart from 2012-13 we have never ended any season in the bottom half of Division One since we moved to WHCS. In Ward's last full season we were 10th; albeit worrying about a poor run of form towards the end of that season that led to the near disaster in 2012-13.

It took the U's SEVENTY years to get into the Championship; and it took Parky 187 games to build his team before he finally secured promotion. Joe Dunne has had less than SEVENTY matches; and look where we are. If we end the season in 15th that is our seventh highest league placement since we re-entered the Football League!

I hope these positive New Year thoughts bring much cheer!
[Post edited 8 Jan 2014 7:02]
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4th Jan 2014 on 16:14 - Jan 8 with 820 viewsburnsieespana

WOW Noah those are certainly interesting stats.
Although I have supported Col U your final one about if we finish 15th has really staggered me.
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4th Jan 2014 on 18:00 - Jan 8 with 805 viewsnoah4x4

4th Jan 2014 on 16:14 - Jan 8 by burnsieespana

WOW Noah those are certainly interesting stats.
Although I have supported Col U your final one about if we finish 15th has really staggered me.


It's actually the least surprising statistic of all the above.

We were back in the Football League in 1992-3. Hence in the fourth tier. It was not until 1998-9 that we got back into the Third Tier where we were consistently in the bottom half of the table for a few years; as one might expect for a side that had come so far on negligible crowds/budget in comparatively few years since the rise out of the Conference.

That is only a few years before Parky got us Promotion in 2006-7; which is the first year of this; our most successful run of consecutive highest league places in our history.; and most of these seasons have been at WHCS rather than at Layer Road. Remember that for the whole of the 1980's we never got out of the fourth tier; and before that we yo-yo'ed every few seasons between the two lower divisions.

The more remarkable statistic is that Lambert and Boothroyd were two of our most successful managers as regards CAREER win percentages (better than Parky or Dick Graham) and Ward and Joe Dunne's career WIN records are also better than a majority of our past managers. We ended Ward's last full season in tenth place. But we had a shocking run of defeats/draws during the last quarter of that particular season; a terrible start to 2012-13 lasting until the third quarter of the last. Even so; we never left Division One; so continuing our best run; in the higher tiers; albeit by a whisker. After a mixed start this season; Joe Dunne has been rebuilding; and we are at last creeping upwards with the last sixth of the season producing W3; D3;L3.

Another eye opening statistic is that we have also played one more away game than most teams in the league (13 out of 24); and also more away games against the top half of the table than a majority of the teams around and below us us. Indeed; the team with the toughest second half is Oldham; who have played only 11 away games and many fewer against the top half than some other relegation threatened sides. A study of what the fixture computer has thrown us suggests all sorts of interesting future scenarios.

What is also distorting perceptions is that whilst our away form puts us in 11th place; it is our home form that has let us down and drags us back to 15th; where I believe in an attempt to please some fickle fans; Joe Dunne has sometimes been too adventurous given our playing resources and severe injury crisis. More caution and better results have been ground out away. We also have a game in hand over Gillingham.

Because we have been used to top half finishes in the Conference; then in Division Four; then more recently in Division One; some fans expect the same today; forgetting where we have come from and that we are sustaining our position in our highest positions (other then brief flirtation in the Championship) on attendances that only Stevenage and Crawley might envy (ignoring the special circumstances at Coventry)
[Post edited 8 Jan 2014 18:16]
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4th Jan 2014 on 18:05 - Jan 8 with 801 viewsbwildered

Not surprised by our current position, although taken into account our injury record during this campaign, to be honest would have thought it be worse. So credit to those who have stepped up to the plate. Outstanding contributions by two loanees Garbutt and Walker have helped in our present position but several others have not helped which shows how even the quality of the loanees can be vastly different.
Let's hope we can progress in the second half of the season, particularily with the return in the forward positions, but Jabo's hip injury is a worry, so perhaps a move for the recently returned Michael Smith to his parent club Charlton and signed until the end of the season would be welcomed. Another central defender with some experience is also needed, but above all a born leader, might be the key ingredient, has several times lack of concentration has cost us dear.
So, can and must do better to avoid the scrap below 6/10 .

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4th Jan 2014 on 23:31 - Jan 8 with 780 viewswessex_exile

The more telling statistic is that aside from the old Div S and N days, since we had four proper professional football tiers, our best spell above tier 4 was four consecutive seasons (1977-81) - we are currently in our 16th consecutive season above that level - for a small club like Col U that really is a remarkable f'cking achievement!

Don't know about anyone else, but I've REALLY enjoyed the ride...

Up the U's
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4th Jan 2014 on 15:47 - Jan 9 with 771 viewsburnsieespana

Noah I had missed the fact that your stats were based on the period we reentered the league rather than when we were first elected so maybe not such a surprise but all the same interesting info anf agree with your thoughts.
I have said last season on here that winning is more important than playing attractive free flowing football at this early stage in JD's career.
The best teams always build a meran defence to begin and then move onto the attractive football so I hope JD sticks to his guns and plays how the team currently is best suited.
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4th Jan 2014 on 17:24 - Jan 9 with 759 viewsnoah4x4

4th Jan 2014 on 15:47 - Jan 9 by burnsieespana

Noah I had missed the fact that your stats were based on the period we reentered the league rather than when we were first elected so maybe not such a surprise but all the same interesting info anf agree with your thoughts.
I have said last season on here that winning is more important than playing attractive free flowing football at this early stage in JD's career.
The best teams always build a meran defence to begin and then move onto the attractive football so I hope JD sticks to his guns and plays how the team currently is best suited.


As Wessex has said; our previous best sequence was four consecutive seasons above the fourth tier; so this is our ALL-TIME best sequence; and more of it has now occurred at WHCS than at Layer Road.

However; I chose to base any statistics on the period after our re-entry to the Football League to reflect that football has changed from that of the 1950's to 1980's. We no longer line up 2; 3; 5 or play in a W formation. Big number 9's cannot smash the goalie into the net and defenders can't crunch tackle. I reckon some of the great players of yesteryear might be red-carded in minutes and today's superstars in their carpet slipper boots would spend even more time injured in any past generations. Hence it's probably wrong to compare players or managers from too far apart in time.

But do take a look at Colchester United on Wikipedia, Soccerbase and Statto. It is remarkable how perceptions of what was success 30 - 40 years ago was a mid table place in the fourth tier and a 25% win percentage. Today, many fans are moaning despite the U's having only once failed to end up in the top ten of the third tier or above) since 2005-6; and having had four managers at WHCS with career win percentages of 29% - 45% (two with better career % than Parky or Dick Graham).
[Post edited 9 Jan 2014 17:28]
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