Colchester Utd (H) 14th January 2006 - League

[Neil Ravenscroft]

Impossible to preview I think. To beat these boys, we're going to have to play very well - much better than we have been playing. Whether we can rise to the challenge with all these new players is another question.

God only knows how we'll get on.

It wasn't easy!

[King Crimson]

We'll win. I just have a good feeling. 3-1 to us!














I await this post to be quoted back at 6:00 pm on Saturday after a humiliating drubbing. :(

[LancsSaddler]

if we play...

murphy

pead gerrard roper fox

james osborn leary smith/demontagac

timm constable

then i think we will win, cant decide whther the more defensive smith or ultra attacking ishy would be best (as colchester saddler says their right backs crap?). i think it could be 2 or 3 -1 to walsall.

however we will probably not play this team as merson will probably dream up some other idea....

[walsall'sno1fan]

oakes should play after his performance v barnsley

[WarsawPact]

Oakes won't play, he'll be 'rested' for Tuesday's game - since Murph can't play in that one.

[Stu]

oakes should play after his performance v barnsley

Sorry, but Oakes should and will be dropped.

Yes he made 1 fantastic world class save, however he also gifted them their equalising goal.

Keepers are their to make saves, its their job.

[sean511]

I reckon Murphy is a better keeper anyway. I do like oakes though

[Ace]

Walsall 2 - 2 Colchester United

[PerStener]

I had hopes we should be able to bring in a forward before this match but that didn't happen.. still go with a victory for Walsall...

2-1 to Walsall...

Walsall scorers: Mads Timm and an own-goal by Colchester..

[Simply_Phenomenal]

3-1 to walsall

[saddlersdaz]

3-1 to walsall

2-0 Walsall.... another clean sheet, with Murphy between the posts

[Wyrleysadler]

1-1 Walsall Kevin James to score + Madds Timm to miss a peno

[Flemish Saddler]

we need a win but i think it's gonna be a draw what isn't bad of course vs Colchester

[Shad]

2-1 Walsall Timms and an Ian Roper penalty.

[hullsaddler]

Bristol fan unfortunately makes correct prediction. Commentary makes it sound like we paid for missing our chances.

[Henlow Saddler]

Its January, we never win league games in January

[Biggles]

Merson Out :D :D


*** waits for abuse from Zippy***

[SaigonSaddler]

We'll win. I just have a good feeling.
3-1 to us

:wink:

Kerching 1000 posts up! :D

[sid swifty]

i say 2-0 to colchester

[dler]

I think we stand a good chance of winning this one. :o

[sid swifty]

I think we stand a good chance of winning this one. :o

ok then,you sound as if you know what your talking about so i'll say 4-1 to walsall :shock:

[SaigonSaddler]

I think we stand a good chance of winning this one. :o

ok then,you sound as if you know what your talking about so i'll say 4-1 to walsall :shock:

Well I'm going to stick my neck out and go for 5-0 to the lads!!!

[YGA Saddler]

You dont go nowhere in this elague without a 20 goal a season striker and considering we have sold ours we need to get on in ASAP. We made enough chances but just didnt have a striker to put it in the net. Colchester are the most organised side I have seen at Bescot this season so therefore I hope they go up, reminded me of the Graydon-esque team plenty of fight and a very formidable defence.

I will make a comment, I thought that this was an important game for us. Now we are closer to the drop zone than the play-offs and with a few difficult games coming up it makes the next game just as important as the last. I am VERY VERY worried.

[sid swifty]

I think we stand a good chance of winning this one. :o

ok then,you sound as if you know what your talking about so i'll say 4-1 to walsall :shock:

Well I'm going to stick my neck out and go for 5-0 to the lads!!!

you dont fancy a little wager on the side do you saigon...?....just to make it interesting... 8) ive got £50 that says 4-1 to walsall and the scorers will be buckley (2) kirby & taylor :D

[Cheesebag]

Oh well....should of won....could have won (if we had a decent striker). Colchester got lucky. What was with the booing!!!!!! The lads gave me more excitment this afternoon than every one of the other home matches put together.

Can't really critisize, just "one of those days".


WE NEED A STRIKER!!!!

[sean511]

Oh well....should of won....could have won (if we had a decent striker). Colchester got lucky. What was with the booing!!!!!! The lads gave me more excitment this afternoon than every one of the other home matches put together.

Can't really critisize, just "one of those days".


WE NEED A STRIKER!!!!

totally agree the crowd was brilliant for a while. We do need a striker desperately

[Jorge14]

We were really quite impressive for the first hour - Colchester didn't get a sniff, and Timm, James, Leary and Smith were running the show.

We should have been 3 up in the first half, with Wright having a field day against his marker, beating him almost every time. From one of these came a superb cross which looked to be falling on Constable's head, however, JC tried to do too much and missed the ball completely.
James and Wright were causing no end of trouble, often switching flanks, and giving us a width we haven't had all season, even with Ishmel (who was left out of the squad again today, and rightly so in my opinion).

Timm showed some lovely touches, especially in the second half as the Colchester defence tired. It is easy to see why Merson likes him so much, as he is a carbon copy of what Merson once was. He looks to be pure class, but isn't the out and out goalscorer that we need to replace Fryatt. Timm was, for some reason replaced with Standing. Merson knew Timm was going to tire and would need replacing, so why he took Constable off as well was baffling.

Constable had a quiet game, but could have had two goals. He was taken off just after the hour mark for the returning Atieno, who never got himself involved in the game, and showed that he is no where near good enough for this level. A lad his size should be putting himself about, but he didn't win one header.

Leary and Smith were the perfect foil for each other. They are both very tidy and look to get forwards whenever possible. Smith, for me, was man of the match as he ran everything that we did well. We lost some of our cutting edge after he picked up a knock on his knee a few minutes before Colchester's first.

At the back, I thought Pead had another disapointing game. I thought he was too wasteful in possesion, looking to land it on Constable/Atieno's head, instead of looking for Wright or Leary who were ALWAYS available to him.
Fox was his normal steady self.
Gerrard and Roper were solid as rocks, though no one picked up Iwelumo for Colchester's second goal. Gerrard went on a remarkable run which took him front 30 yards inside his own half, via a couple of 1-2s, before shimmying past a defender and knocking the ball just wide. It would have been an incredible goal, but summed up our day.

Plenty of promise from the performance. We could have scored 3 or 4 goals, which only goes to show we desperately need a poacher. Constable will get 15 goals a season at this level eventually, as he gets himself into superb positions, but just lacks the sharpness that can only come about from playing football at this level.
We deserved a win, and it was only a couple of disapointing substitutions from Merson which ruined his day. For an hour it was the best football we have played this season - it is always doubly frustrating when you lose after such a strong performance.

Finally, it was heart warming to hear some idiots boo. Its always good to know that whilst players may change, some will still reward a team who have worked hard and who were genuinely unlucky with boos. The only good thing fans like that give to this football club is their money.

[sj]

Excellent game, the best thing all year at the Bescot. Smith got me excited in the first half--this lad has real class. All the new lads played well, the future is bright.......Things can only get better.


Whisper today was they Ishey is on his way out,to a club down south apparently :x

[Jorge14]

I will make a comment, I thought that this was an important game for us. Now we are closer to the drop zone than the play-offs and with a few difficult games coming up it makes the next game just as important as the last. I am VERY VERY worried.

No need to be worried, if we play like that with an out-and-out scorer on the pitch then we have no chance of being dragged into a relegation battle.
But I'll agree, a striker who can 'buy a ticket' (and that is not in a million years Atieno) and get into the right positions is essential. Constable will get there eventually, but we need an out and out scorer now.

[Who moved the goalposts?]

I will make a comment, I thought that this was an important game for us. Now we are closer to the drop zone than the play-offs and with a few difficult games coming up it makes the next game just as important as the last. I am VERY VERY worried.

No need to be worried, if we play like that with an out-and-out scorer on the pitch then we have no chance of being dragged into a relegation battle.
But I'll agree, a striker who can 'buy a ticket' (and that is not in a million years Atieno) and get into the right positions is essential. Constable will get there eventually, but we need an out and out scorer now.

We shouldn't even be thinking that we're in a relegation battle. Our squad with someone like Phil Parkinson as manager would be Top 4 without question.