We Keep Going Weak At The Knees

To have almost 80% of possession throughout most of the game, and still not manage to find the net, is quite frankly, an embarrassment. Carabao Cup or not.

Colchester United needed one chance and they took it. We had a total of 19 shots, of which only 7 were on target, and we lose. That tells me something. We still lack that killer instinct and unless we find a prolific striker soon – or miraculously, some of our strikers hit a rich vein of form, then we can forget those automatic promotion places, and perhaps too, the play-off’s altogether!

I am aware that we fielded a weakened team, but so too did the U’s, who were with former Town favourites Freddie Sears and Alan Judge. It is all very well having lots and lots of possession which we seem to have almost every game, but it serves no useful purpose unless you can add to it with some goals!  Goals win games. Simple as that.

The visitors had one shot on target thanks to a horrendous error by Rakeem Harper, who, quite frankly, I am surprised to still see in the building. He was awful last year, and he seems to be getting even worse! Manager Kieran McKenna has given him lots of chances to redeem himself and has moved him around a bit as well, but he is one player that I would happy to see head towards the exit door.

So what did we learn from Tuesday night at Portman Road? The answer is nothing that we did not already know. Macauley Bonne was the one striker I wanted to stick around but along with Joe Pigott and James Norwood they are plying their trade elsewhere, and we have not seriously strengthened in what is arguably the most critical area of the pitch. We need to do so fast, otherwise we can forget this season as well.