OWEN Goodman admits Colchester United must improve all over the pitch if they are to rediscover their winning form in League Two.

And the U’s goalkeeper concedes there needs to be more ‘passion and ruthlessness’ within the team, after a run of four successive league defeats.

Colchester’s 2-1 home defeat to Crawley Town has left them a place above the relegation zone.

The U’s have not won in the league since beating Swindon Town on November 7 and keeper Goodman admits it is a tough time.

READ MORE: Matty Etherington insists U's squad is together despite defeats

Goodman said: “At the end of the day, we can’t be doing the same thing every week.

“We need to be winning games and coming in and seeing how we can win the next game, rather than losing every week.

“We haven’t won since Swindon and my eyes, it’s really poor.

“We need to be winning these games and getting points.

“Some of the goals we’re conceding are really poor, we’re not taking enough chances, we’re not retaining the ball well enough, I just think it’s all over the pitch really.

Gazette:

“We got ten points out of 12 and everyone was buzzing and feeling great and now all of a sudden, we can’t even get a point.

“I don’t get it and I can’t see what’s wrong – we all need to be better.

“There’s not enough passion and ruthlessness in the team, there’s not enough wanting to win.

“In my eyes, we haven’t got that at the minute and we need to get that in ourselves.”

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Colchester fans made their feelings known both during and after the defeat to Crawley.

“I get joy out of making the fans happy and when we lose every week, we’re not doing that,” continued Goodman, who is on a season-long loan from Premier League side Crystal Palace.

“They’re really on our backs and it’s not what we want.

“We don’t know what the problem is; we don’t know what to do really.

“I’m going out there giving my best every week on and off the pitch; I’m trying my best and it’s difficult.

Gazette:

“I understand it (the fans’ frustration); I get it.

“I see stuff and I understand the club have been in this type of situation for the last few years now.

“I wanted to come here and be higher up in the table, to give the fans something to cheer.

“For me as a goalkeeper, there’s only so much I can do.

“I can only deal with what comes at me and a lot of things are usually out of my control.”

READ MORE: Colchester struggling at both ends of the pitch after form slump

Goodman returned to the Colchester side for the Crawley game after a three-match lay-off, due to an ankle injury.

“On the Thursday before the Barrow game, I rolled my ankle going over the ball and I struggled to walk,” added the 20-year-old.

“I tried training on the Friday and wanted to play on the Saturday but didn’t think it was right and couldn’t kick on it.

“I travelled to Doncaster and wanted to play but felt the same that morning and pulled out.

Gazette:

“I went to Palace after Doncaster and saw them and they gave me a few days off and put me on some anti-inflammatory pills.

“I trained all the following week with no issues and was able to play (against Crawley) with no problems.”