Jon Waldron: My views on the U's

Colchester United and their supporters will make the 715-mile round trip to Carlisle United this weekend, knowing the outcome will define their immediate future.

It’s not as though the U’s haven’t had recent opportunities to guarantee League One football for another season.

But their difficult campaign is now stuttering and stumbling to a conclusion.

They are now in a position where defeat at Brunton Park could leave them facing the prospect of playing in the fourth tier for the first time since 1998.

After beating Leyton Orient earlier this month, the U’s were six points clear of the relegation places.

But they have picked up just one point from their last three matches, against teams currently occupying positions outside of the top-eight.

So why have they had such a problem getting over the line?

Perhaps the pressure of the situation is taking its toll on the U’s young players, many of whom are not used to being in such a perilous situation in their professional careers.

After all, the likes of Billy Clifford, Bradley Garmston and Drey Wright had not kicked a ball in anger in the Football League, prior to this season.

They are undoubtedly talented young footballers with bright futures ahead of them.

But a relegation dogfight is difficult at the best of times, particularly for the inexperienced.

That is why I believe U’s boss Joe Dunne will make changes for the pivotal Carlisle game.

I would not be surprised to see the likes of skipper Kem Izzet and Marcus Bean return to the starting line-up.

Of course, Izzet featured the last time Colchester had such an important game on the final day of the season, where the reward was promotion and not survival. The U’s 0-0 stalemate at Yeovil Town in 2006 was not a classic by any stretch of the imagination - but the end reward was huge.

What Colchester would give for a similar outcome this weekend, knowing that a precious point would be enough to keep them in the division they had celebrated leaving, only seven years ago.