Football Season Guide

Colchester United will be hoping it’s a case of third time lucky as they look to challenge for a play-off place in 2018/19. The pressure will be on head coach John McGreal to deliver a top-seven finish following two disappointing League Two campaigns. A 13th place finish last season was a real disappointment having finished 8th the year but McGreal will point to yet another campaign where his most important players were hit by injury. Winger Brennan Dickenson missed much of the season as he recovered from a serious knee injury. Defender Luke Prosser emphasised his importance following his return from a serious knee injury whilst winger Courtney Senior showed his potential having also been sidelined with a serious knee injury. Midfielder Sammy Szmodics will be hoping to have recovered from a niggling back problem and it seems the U’s injury woes are coming to an end. The aforementioned quartet will be essential to any success that comes to the Colchester Community Stadium this season. McGreal has allowed goalkeeper Sam Walker to leave and will given understudy Dillon Phillips the chance to fight out with Bailey Vose – who has signed from Brighton & Hove Albion for an undisclosed fee – to fight it out for the No.1 jersey. They have also paid a fee to Cheltenham Town for midfielder Harry Pell and Swindon Town for striker Luke Norris. Aaron Collins and Frank Nouble didn’t pull up any trees whilst at Newport County last season and McGreal will be hoping they have more of an impact in Essex. The loss of midfielder Drey Wright to St Johnstone is something of a blow whilst they remain in discussions with wing-back Kane Vincent-Young, whose contract expired over the summer.