A sometimes tired-looking defeat, followed by a
determined, highly professional bounce back three days later.
Whether this last week’s
activities are to be replicated over the coming weeks remain to be seen, but
the warning issued in last week’s blog about the number of games making it the
most likely time our winning spell might end proved fateful against a
well-organised and good quality Sheffield United side.
By all accounts (I was
unfortunately unable to make the game), Marlon Pack came in and did what you’d
hope by a hungry young player on the fringes, and those who watch home and away
are starting to come to the conclusion that we perhaps look a better all-round
side with Pack, rather than skipper Wade Elliott, in the side.
The base he provides
alongside Korey Smith being potentially stronger allows the wing backs and
Freeman to play with a touch more freedom than even they usually manage, and
Tuesday night’s high quality team performance comes following the reverse
fixture at London Road (where Elliott was suspended) and two encounters at
Gillingham in particular which stand out as great all-round team performances.
Coincidence? Maybe. But it
will be interesting to see how much Pack is used during this tough run of games
which will surely test the captain’s aging legs more than any others.
Looking at the way the
fixtures pan out, we have a number of teams in the bottom half still to come at
home, and with a working assumption that we’ll do pretty well out of those, as
we have all season, it perhaps eases the pressure slightly in this run of five
away games in the next six. Notwithstanding the fact no-one will want to give
up top spot again, a clutch of draws might not be the disaster some might
envisage.
Ahead of the first game in
that run, Matty Hudson https://twitter.com/mattyhudson
from the Colchester United official media team spoke to Stu Radnedge to give us
this insight into the U’s. A big thank you to them both for these words.
“It's now becoming a crunch time of the season
for teams at both ends of the table as the games are beginning to run out.
Despite
our position in the bottom four - where we've been since mid-November - the
team have got off a decent enough start to 2015. Wins against Peterborough,
Leyton Orient and Oldham have ensured that they've kept in touch with the teams
above them and the match against the Robins brings the U's towards the end of a
particularly tough set of fixtures.
The
quest for survival will be based on the ability to turn around the home form
that has hamstrung them so far in 2014/15. In their 15 home matches prior to
the match against Bristol, they've lost 10. That said, there have been several
games within those where they could rightly feel aggrieved not to have taken
more.
The
U's have put great faith in their homegrown products this season, with nearly
100 first team appearances having gone to players that have come through the
ranks in north Essex. These players are supplemented by the experience of David
Fox and Chris Porter, whilst even some of the younger players in the team have
had plenty of League One football - Sam Walker, Gavin Massey and Tom Eastman
are now in excess of 100 senior games for the club.
Tuesday
night's game saw the U's run MK Dons close. A closely matched first half saw
Dele Alli's goal separate the two teams and the Dons were then happy to protect
what they had, with the U's bossing possession but not being able to find that
crucial equaliser.
Historically,
Colchester teams thrive on being the underdog and they will likely be
considered as such by the bookies, with the two teams twenty places apart in
the League One table.
The
first goal will be crucial and the likes of Sammie Szmodics and Chris Porter
have been finding the back of the net in recent weeks. Szmodics has been in fine fettle during the
early games in 2015 and he'll be one player that City's scouts will have picked
up on recent matches.”
An interesting comment on
Szmodics, especially given the manner City recruited last summer. It would be
no surprise for Cotterill to follow a similar principle and again look at the
best opposition players we have faced this time around, before assessing if they
are good enough to make the (hoped-for!) step up.
The next six games could
go an awful long way to deciding our ultimate finishing position. Doncaster in
particular next Tuesday looks a tough proposition at the moment, but if we were
to come out of this run with, say, a conservative-looking ten points, we’ll be
especially well-placed to take advantage back at Ashton Gate and become the
winners Cotterill has talked so much about this week.
COYR!
The Exiled Robin
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