The Colchester United season preview 2023/24 is expecting better than their 20th-place finish last term.
With fresh investment, an exciting, young crop and a talented coach in Ben Garner, progress is likely at Colchester United, though. How much depends on whether Noah Chilvers and Junior Tchamadeu can be replaced if they leave, with Ossama Ashley already departed.
Ellis Iandolo has added valuable experience from Swindon Town, however, so it's not all doom and gloom at the League Two side.
Colchester United season preview 2023/24, the fan's view: Jamie Wooler (@WoolerJamie)
Last season was quite the mixed bag. But expectations were low: the main aim, with an aged and bloated squad, was just to ensure we stayed in the league ahead of a rebuild this summer.
The big talking point is still boss Matt Bloomfield leaving for Wycombe in February, after Colchester gave him his first managerial job last September. It was gutting to lose Ossama Ashley to Salford. He’d made the position at the base of Colchester’s midfield his own. Keeping our best players is a struggle.
This season will be different because Ben Garner became our manager in March with a new, possession-based style. The early signs were encouraging, considering he had a squad that had been built for a more direct approach. I expect we’ll now recruit players who are more comfortable in possession.
Look out for Samson Tovide. The teen ace is a handful for defenders.
The pantomime villain will be owner Robbie Cowling, as always.
Fans think our owner is a bit of an idiot. For the past decade or so, most managerial appointments have come from within, and while continuity is fine in a successful team, we’ve been on a slow decline for 15 years and there’s been a reluctance to alter too much at the club. However, that does appear to have changed, with some external appointments in the previous couple of years bringing fresh ideas.
The thing my club really gets right is giving opportunities to young players. A number of lads came through our academy who are now playing higher up the pyramid, including Sammie Szmodics at Blackburn and Frankie Kent at Peterborough. Now it’s the turn of Junior Tchamadeu and Noah Chilvers to attract multiple suitors.
Our key player will be Connor Hall – there aren’t many better ball-playing defenders in League Two – or possibly Matt Jay, assuming Chilvers goes. Jay started slowly after joining from Exeter in January, but his record in this division speaks for itself.
We’ll finish 12th. Some fans won’t agree but I believe a top-half finish would be decent, even if the owner says we have a top-seven budget. It’s going to be so competitive at the top.
Season previews for the Premier League, League One and League Two are all available HERE
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