2 days Ago
THE transfer window opens today and Colchester United are aiming to do some business this month, as they look to reinforce for the second half of the League Two season. U’s head coach Danny Cowley has been clear to state that they will be looking to bring in loan signings in the coming weeks, much like 12 months ago when four loanees – Alistair Smith, Harry Anderson, Riley Harbottle and Jayden Richardson – arrived at the JobServe Community Stadium. Gazette sports writer Jon Waldron takes a close look at this month’s transfer window and the potential business Colchester United may do.
FORWARD THINKING IT is likely that Colchester United will aim to strengthen their attacking options this month – even if Samson Tovide stays put. Anthony Scully’s injury has left the U’s short of options up front and they have relied heavily on Lyle Taylor and Samson Tovide in that area, in the first half of the League Two campaign. Taylor and Tovide have both been impressive and Tom Hopper has provided good back up when required but Colchester will look to add back up in that area this month, with targets already identified.
(Image: STEVE BRADING) At the other end of the pitch, the U’s are well blessed for centre-backs at present with Tom Flanagan, Aaron Donnelly, Ben Goodliffe and Fiacre Kelleher effectively battling it out for two places in central defence, at present with youngsters such as Frankie Terry and Frankie Edwards waiting in the wings. However, Mandela Egbo’s suspension for the recent game at Crewe Alexandra, coupled with Rob Hunt’s calf injury, meant that Teddy Bishop was required to fill in at right-back and although the former Ipswich Town youngster did well there, his influence is required in midfield. That could well meaning Colchester dipping into the loan market to bring in reinforcements in the full-back area.
Other positions are well served although Jack Payne’s role in the number ten position is a bespoke one; he has been excellent all season but at the age of 30 and having started almost every game so far this season, the U’s might feel they need to bring in an alternative to strengthen their options there. JAY WALKING? THERE are a host of players out of contract at Colchester United, next summer. And it is from the group who are due to see their current deals expire at the end of the season that departures are most likely, this month.
(Image: STEVE BRADING) Danny Cowley has already stated that he has had 'honest conversations' with some of them. Indeed, there are one or two players currently at Colchester whose exit in January would not surprise many. Matt Jay has made just one appearance for the U’s this season, an EFL Trophy game against MK Dons, having found his first-team opportunities limited in the previous campaign, too.
A move away would seem to make sense for all parties, at this stage. It is a real shame, as Jay is a talented footballer but for whatever reason, it sadly just hasn’t worked out for the former Exeter City forward in North Essex. (Image: WWW.
CU-FC.COM) Will Greenidge, currently on loan at non-league outfit Hornchurch, is another player out of contract next summer who seems surplus to requirements while there are others who may benefit from a move away from the U’s, this month. There are one or two players in the squad who may feel they want to go out and play football in the second half of the season, with a view to putting themselves in the shop window for a permanent move away from Colchester, in the summer.
FOREST HOPE COLCHESTER United are set to try and bring in loan signings, in this month’s window. But arguably the biggest success they could have in January is to keep hold of talented Nottingham Forest duo Aaron Donnelly and Jamie McDonnell. The young pair have both been excellent in the first half of the campaign for the U’s and have played a big part in their recent 11-match unbeaten run.
The Northern Irish duo have caught their eye with their consistent performances and are bound to have attracted some admiring glances. (Image: MATT WILKINSON) It could be that Colchester’s hopes of keeping them could be ultimately out of their hands, with their parent club Forest naturally holding all the cards on their future. One hopes that the high-flying Premier League side will feel that it would be best to leave Donnelly and McDonnell exactly where they are in the second half of the season, given how much they seem to be enjoying their football and growing as players with every game under the Cowleys’ guidance.
SUPER SAMSON SAMSON Tovide’s star is growing, so it’s no surprise that the striker is hot property. There have been plenty of scouts casting an eye over Tovide’s performances at the JobServe Community Stadium and elsewhere, in the first half of this season. Tovide has now clocked up a century of first-team appearances since he made his eventful first-team debut for Colchester back in November, 2020.
(Image: STEVE BRADING) Indeed, the 20-year-old is incredibly the U’s longest-serving first-team player. Perhaps now is the time for Tovide to move on but make no mistake, whoever wants him will need to pay a substantial fee in order to capture his services. Tovide has developed into a striker who is backing up his clear physical attributes and talent with goals and assists – and he is only going to get better and better.
TALENT UNEARTHED THIS time last year, Danny and Nicky Cowley opted to bring in players with EFL experience to boost their squad, with the likes of Harry Anderson, Alistair Smith and Jayden Richardson arriving at the JobServe Community Stadium. Loans are set to be the order of the day again for the U’s this month but Danny Cowley has hinted that we could be seeing one or two rising stars arriving, possibly from non-league clubs. (Image: RICHARD BLAXALL) Cowley has been in attendance at recent Sutton United matches watching targets and feels that sometimes, it is better to bring in players who have the extra hunger to prove themselves in the EFL, perhaps having found themselves out of the professional game.
Whether these are loan signings or permanent moves remains to be seen but it is not an entirely new concept for the U’s to bring in young players aiming to prove their worth from beneath the professional game. And don’t forget that the Cowleys’ rise to prominence in football management started in non-league football with Concord Rangers and Braintree Town, so their depth of knowledge on players plying their trade below the EFL is extensive. The likes of Ollie Godziemski and Alfie Bendle have been plucked from non-league over the past 12 months or so and more could follow.
GROUNDWORK DONE THE timing of Simon Bassey’s departure as Colchester’s acting head of recruitment was probably not ideal, after he left the role to take over as Woking’s assistant coach last week. However, he has been doing plenty of groundwork ahead of the transfer window over recent months and has left the Cowleys with an extensive portfolio of possible signings as a parting gift. (Image: PA) Work on potential player targets continues as soon as one window closes and that will undoubtedly have been the case at Colchester, who will have their targets in place.
However, it will be interesting to see how the club move forward from here now that Bassey has gone and with no head of recruitment or sporting director currently in place..
