JOHN McGreal is happy for his Colchester United players to make a real racket this season – if it means they are winning games of football.

The U’s impressive start to the new League Two campaign has made their changing room a noisy place to be over recent weeks.

Colchester make the long trip up to play Oldham Athletic at Boundary Park tomorrow, knowing that a win could lift them into the top two.

And with confidence high among his squad, head coach McGreal is happy for his players to be loud and proud.

McGreal said: “There’s a big noise around the place at the moment.

“John Barnes said the other week that you can hear a good team before you see it and that’s not being disrespectful or egotistical – it’s coming into work and enjoying it.

“Obviously it gets louder when you’re winning games of football but the boys have been able to do it that from pre-season.

“In my experience as a player, the noisier places were the more successful places.

“I always grew up on noise and Tranmere was a good learning curve.

“That carried on at Ipswich with the likes of Jim Magilton and Mark Venus.

“That’s not going on about results; it’s about the team spirit and you do look forward to coming into work.

“When things aren’t going right, you do get tested but you have to get yourself to work a lot harder.

“The boys are coming in looking forward to work and it’s showing in their performances, so long may that continue.

“The next hardest game for us is Saturday against Oldham and we know it’s going to be a tough test.”

McGreal wants his Colchester side to continue their fine start tomorrow, against an Oldham side who lie just one place and one point behind them in the table.

The U’s have lost only once in the league this season and are yet to taste defeat on their travels, in League Two.

McGreal said: “It’s a great foundation for us to build from but it is only a start – we haven’t even got ourselves out of September yet.

“It’s a tough division to win games of football and it’s fine margins.

“We’ve got to carry it on and standards and habits we’ve had of late.”

Colchester have received some excellent support on the road this season and boss McGreal is sure that will continue, this weekend.

He added: “The away support has been terrific for us this season and I’m sure that will continue again tomorrow.

“Oldham’s a long way to go and they make a big difference for us."