Photo - Getty Images - Jobserve Community Stadium
Colchester United are the highest ranked club in Essex as since their arch rivals Southend United’s relegation May of 2021, the U’s are the only side in Essex left in the football league. However, if they aren’t careful, they could easily fall into the relegation and join Southend in the National League next season. So what is exactly going wrong for the U’s at the moment?
This season didn’t get off to the smoothest of starts even before a ball was kicked as due to heavy rainfall in the north of Essex, their season opener against Swindon Town was postponed. When the club finally got their season underway, they would kick it off with three straight defeats leaving them bottom of the table and being the only team yet to pick up a point. The U’s would then go on to win three of their following six including a mouth watering 5-4 victory against high flying Notts County. Manager at the time Ben Garner would’ve been hoping that a result like that would finally see his side kick off their season and climb up the table, which was not the case.
Four straight defeats would follow for the U’s which would ultimately cost Ben Garner his job as Colchester after just seven months in charge at the club. Garner had won just seven of his 28 games in charge, losing nine out the first 13 games of this season.
Photo - Getty Images - Ben Garner sacked after just 28 games in charge
Matthew Etherington would then step up as interim head coach and the U’s would go through a bit of a new manager bounce as they go 4 games unbeaten picking up 3 wins and 1 draw. This run of form was enough for Colchester to confirm Etherington as their head coach and he would take over the team for the foreseeable future. The honeymoon period wouldn’t last long however as Etherington’s side now find themselves losing 5 on the spin with the most recent being a 2-1 defeat away to a Wrexham side who went a man down early in the game. This poor form now leaves Colchester on just 20 points, 5 ahead of the drop zone in 22nd place. However, Forest Green behind them do have two games in hand to potentially make up that 5 point gap and demote the U’s into the relegation zone.
So how do Colchester get out of this rut? The answers are unknown at this point but coming up is a massive 6 pointer against fellow strugglers Salford City at the Jobserve Community Stadium. 3 points will be a must for the U’s in this one if they want to build some momentum, and avoid being dragged into a relegation dogfight and potentially lose their football league status.
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