"One thing that's inexcusable is not playing to the whistle" - Views on the U's

ON Saturday, Colchester United played their first-ever home game on the leap year date of February 29.

However, it will not be a ‘first’ that lives long in the memory.

On the day Liverpool were finally and surprisingly beaten at Watford, down in League Two things were not looking much better for the U’s.

After the impressive all-round performance against Salford City, fans could be forgiven for expecting more of the same.

Instead, it was the polar opposite and showed once again we have a problem with consistency.

Tactics can be debated, pulled apart and it's a topic that can make evenings down the pub disappear.

Football is a game that's simple in theory, yet one we make complex.

It's easy to question in hearsay and after an event but if you were to put ten people in a room and debate a situation or gameplan, it's a fair bet there would be a number of different ideas.

Who's to say what's right or wrong, until it's put into practice and then picked apart?

When the manager sets a team out, he wants to win.

However, as soon as the players cross that white line it's down to them.

Everyone who's played the game at any level will have been in a situation where they're in the zone and all the instructions from the sideline become white noise.

Maybe the players need to use their experience and understanding to influence the situation and work with what they have.

Yes, at Salford we played two up top and then at the weekend, against one of the best defences in the league, we switched to one up front. There will be reasons why.

One thing that's inexcusable is not playing to the whistle.

The referee’s whistle is the only thing that stops and starts a game, so from an early age you're taught to play to it.

Regardless of whether you think a player is onside or offside, you have to take it as they are on until told otherwise.

At times, we're the architects of our own downfall.

One lighter moment was that as the red card was shown to Omar Sowunmi late in stoppage time, a friend remarked that for the poor attempt of a header he deserved to be sent off even before the handball.

So putting the game that's gone aside, we now look forward and the long trip to Carlisle United on Saturday.

It's a place that hasn't been the best hunting ground for the U’s but hopefully this time that will change and we can put February behind us and spring into March. We must keep believing until the maths say otherwise and support the lads to the end.