Colchester United have experienced a mixed start to the season so far in League Two.
They've earned fantastic wins against MK Dons and Grimsby Town, as well as a victory over Tranmere Rovers, who are down with United at the bottom end of the table.
‘The U’s’ are in 20th place, four points above the relegation zone in League Two.
However, their place in the league table can be misleading, with only nine points separating them and AFC Wimbledon - who occupy the final position in the play offs.
What has been impressive about Colchester United this season is their ability to earn points when they may be against the odds, such as when they travelled to Port Vale, who are ahead at the top of League Two by three points.
In their last fixture, they won against the odds beating Grimsby Town on the 23rd November 2024, earning a 1-0 win against the home side, thanks to John Kymani-Gordon's goal, his first for the U’s since joining from Crystal Palace this summer.
Another factor that might be going under the radar this year is the ability for the players to switch the formation that they are playing, being able to rotate between three defenders at the back, and a classic back four.
The U’s do not only have options to change formation at the back, but also at the top of the pitch; shown through the changes of narrow one player attacks, usually led by Lyle Taylor, to also being able to play with Taylor being supported by a strike partner or two wide players in a 4-3-3.
In Cup competitions, Colchester United have experienced reasonable success.
In the first round of the EFL Cup, they knocked out Reading, who are chasing the playoffs with a hope of returning to the Championship.
After a 2-2 draw at the JobServe Community Stadium, The U’s went on to win 4-3 on penalties.
In the second round Premier League side Brentford came to Colchester, and they edged past United 0-1 thanks to a Keane Lewis-Potter goal.
In the EFL Trophy, filled with League One and Two sides along with Premier League under 21 teams, Colchester United won Southern Group E, beating MK Dons, and Arsenal U21’s, and drawing with Leyton Orient, who finished second.
Those results set up a round of 32 clash with AFC Wimbledon on the 10th December.
The FA Cup campaign unfortunately ended as quickly as it started for Colchester.
They were knocked out by Swindon Town, who scored in the 83rd minute to send the match to extra time. Swindon scored again with 10 minutes of the match remaining, knocking the U’s out of the competition.
It is clear to see that Colchester United’s season is not being reflected in points total or league position, but if they are to continue the form they have found themselves in, I am sure that the season will be a success.
