IT'S been a mixed bag recently, as a U’s fan.

And I think depending on how you look at things, either from a pessimistic or optimistic view, there will be a rather different opinion given.

We've had two draws in different situations, firstly the trip to Port Vale, where we played for a point and were very focused defensively, rather than playing our own attacking football style.

READ MORE: Why Danny Cowley was forced into U's changes against Carlisle

A hard place to travel to and on the back of the 4-0 Walsall defeat, it was probably the correct thing to do, even if it made for some hard watching.

Then there was Saturday when Carlisle United visited North Essex and did so with the same game plan as we had at Vale.

They wanted nothing more than a point and made it very hard for us to get anything out of the game.

Our interesting team selection raised eyebrows and I do not think Tom Hopper will be in any rush to play wing-back again.

No discredit to him; he took on the role and tried make it work but it was clear to see it isn’t going to be his new position in the side.

He was put there and played with his normal effort and hard work.

(Image: MATT WILKINSON)

As a fan, while we may not agree with him playing there, we cannot fault him over the system.

The half-time changes made a difference - would it have been a different result and all three points had we started with the second-half side?

Easy to question afterwards and Danny Cowley has come out and explained that the pre-match plans were disrupted, so as always, there is more to everything than what we see as fans.

This is where my viewpoint comment comes into play.

The negatives: two points from a possible six this week, players playing out of position and some ‘anti football’ played.

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This, topped off with a lack of attacking intent and then not taking chances on the few times we did get the ball into a dangerous area.

This does paint a gloomy picture but then there is the flipside of the coin and the positives.

We went to play a decent Port Vale side off the back of another long away game the Saturday before.

We frankly got taken to pieces at Walsall, so to travel to Vale a few days later there was the worry about a hangover from this and the very real chance of another heavy defeat.

But the change of tactics and set-up worked; we got a point on the road from a game we'd have no doubt lost in previous years, especially when we had a defensive mindset and then went a goal down, so credit there for digging in and getting the goal to share the spoils.

(Image: STEVE BRADING)

While the positives were not as evident against Carlisle, there were still some.

The players out of position may not have worked, but it did show we have a squad that is willing to play were they are put, and try to influence the game no matter where they are.

The half-time changes worked well and on a different day we could have nicked it, had we just been a tad more clinical.

I understand that football is a results game and nobody wants to see scrappy ten men behind the ball-style games week in, week out.

READ MORE: Five observations from Colchester's draw with Carlisle

But we have to remember where we are. These are game we would have lost, last season.

We currently sit 16th in the table, five points from both the play-offs and relegation spots.

Mid-table was always going to be an improvement this season and right now, that is just where we are.

We all know the squad is capable of playing to a much better standard as seen against Tranmere, but we also have to trust the progress and understand that while things are going forward, there will still be setbacks and bumps in the road.

It is close to clicking and when it does, there will be no looking back.

Plus, maybe one day soon a visiting goalkeeper will a bad game, rather than having their game of the season against us. Up the U’s.