EFL expert Gabriel Sutton gives Colchester United prediction

The countdown to the 2023-24 campaign is almost over, with the U’s curtain-raiser against Swindon Town only a matter of days away.

Supporters and pundits alike have been busy making their predictions ahead of the new season, as Colchester aim for an improved campaign after three successive years of battling relegation from the fourth tier.

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BetVictor football betting columnist and EFL expert Gabriel Sutton has shared his predictions ahead of the 2023/24 League Two season kicking off this weekend – and his views will no doubt make positive reading for U’s fans.

Players argued with supporters, at times even when the ball was in play, during November’s 1-0 loss at Crewe which left Colchester bottom of League Two and fearing the worst: but that point of crisis was when the penny dropped.

What followed was a shock 3-0 win over Doncaster, starting a run of seven victories in 13 which lifted the U’s to the comfort of 16th via an audacious January window in which the additions of defender Connor Hall, midfielder Arthur Read, forward Matt Jay and target man Tom Hopper turned things around.

Matt Bloomfield left for Wycombe shortly after, but an eight-game unbeaten run under new head coach Ben Garner – though bookended by a combined five defeats – offers far more hope for 2023-24 than the day of anarchy at Gresty Road would have suggested.

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Garner led Swindon into the olay-offs at this level in 2021-22 and comes with greater coaching pedigree than any of Col U’s previous appointments under Robbie Cowling’s ownership, while Dmitri Halajko and Ross Embleton – named Sporting Director and Head of Recruitment respectively last summer – have made positive impacts.

Once a perceived Ipswich retirement home, Colchester are now recruiting more selectively and, despite the losses of Ossama Ashley and almost certainly Junior Tchamadeu, they have their own crop of exciting talent bubbling through.

Any of solid left-back Al-Amin Kazeem, midfield metronome Marley Marshall-Miranda, forward-thinking midfielder Chay Cooper, attacking livewire Jayden Fevrier and industrious forward Samson Tovide, could enjoy a breakthrough season under Garner’s guidance.

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Elsewhere, the U’s have a more seasoned core of aerially imposing defender Connor Hall, goalscoring midfielder Noah Chilvers, effervescent number ten Matt Jay and physical front-man John Akinde.

Versatile left-footer Ellis Iandolo joins that core from the Swindon lot, while goalkeeper Owen Goodman, defender Nico Lawrence and midfielder Mauro Bandeira look excellent loan signings – Lawrence, in particular, got rave reviews at Torquay.

Progress is likely, and with the right finishing touches, a top half escapade could be on the cards.

Final position prediction for Colchester United – tenth

Click here for a full list of all of BetVictor’s predictions, ahead of the new season.