Dunne considering his position as U's boss (From Essex County Standard)

Joe is a decent and honourable man and to see him and my club suffering like this makes my heart bleed. I think deep down he knows he isn't up to it and will fall on his sword and step down as Manager. I hope Cowling can see how much Joe cares about Colchester United and keeps him on the coaching staff in some capacity.

I agree co4. He's doesn't know to turn it around, and perhaps an experience manager will be able to do that with us. He has brought in the passing game to Col Utd, which you have to respect him for, but something is just not working. If he resigns then he should do it soon, so more time is given to the new manager to build a team by using the January window. Personally I think we just have some lazy players in the team, and Dunne has struggled to motivate them with his lack of experience, but then again these players need to step up and grow up. Today we witnessed a shocking keeper, shocking fullbacks and an inexperienced performance by Gilbey and Wright.

Joe should resign for two reasons,firstly he is a family man with a young family and at a recent match he had chest pains,and their is a history of problems in the family.This situation will not help that -and he needs to think of his family first.
Secondly he should have concentrated on the defence when he took over,,the priority being the central defenders,and initiating a style of play where one ball down the middle will not lead to the opponents scoring.The full backs to be taught to defend first,and only attack when the right opportunities occur.

A decent man,but decency does not necessarily make a good manager.

he should walk away joe just not good enough , give him back to the youth but then again he could always do the car parking on match days , joe wont be at the club at the end of this month , i will have my job served on it : - 0

I agree entirely with CO4. Joe is such an honourable man, who, if cut in half, would be like a stick of rock with blue and white running through it. He never tries to blame bad refereeing decisions and always gives praise to the opposition like today when they scored a tremendous first goal. I think it is obvious that the younger members of the team respect and want to play for him. The older ones should do the other thing. I hope if Joe does decide to resign then Robbie Cowling should certainly find a post for him. Like everyone, I believe the rot started in the game at Shrewsbury , 2-0 up and drawing 2-2, the next match 2-0 up and losing 3-2. The Chelmsford match showed Joe's inexperience . . . I believe he should have instructed the team to lump the ball up field as hard as they could. All the best Joe, a more passionate man about Colchester United you'd never find.

What a decent human being. Its nice for a Manager to stand up and be counted and admit they arent doing the business. There is no shame in resigning and Id hope something would be found for him at the club or he gets his teeth into a Conference Management job to learn the ropes. Get Paul Ince in quick.

Complete and utter dross I'm afraid - if we change manager now we are certainly doomed. Joe Dunne has inherited a team not of his making and I am afraid has been badly let down by some of the professionals at his disposal. Fortunately those who have let him down are no longer being selected - as a result and unfortunately for Joe he now has youth and inexperience in a side that has been struggling since day one of this season. We have to face facts - we are just not good enough and for that we have our dear old friend Mr Ward to thank. How he could hand two and three year contracts to some of those currently at the club I will never know. Anyway we must soldier on - anyone at the game today will realise that the supporters are 100% behind Joe and do not want him to resign. Come on Joe - get your chin up - you never gave up as a player and should not do so now!!!

Reducer wrote:
Complete and utter dross I'm afraid - if we change manager now we are certainly doomed. Joe Dunne has inherited a team not of his making and I am afraid has been badly let down by some of the professionals at his disposal. Fortunately those who have let him down are no longer being selected - as a result and unfortunately for Joe he now has youth and inexperience in a side that has been struggling since day one of this season. We have to face facts - we are just not good enough and for that we have our dear old friend Mr Ward to thank. How he could hand two and three year contracts to some of those currently at the club I will never know. Anyway we must soldier on - anyone at the game today will realise that the supporters are 100% behind Joe and do not want him to resign. Come on Joe - get your chin up - you never gave up as a player and should not do so now!!!

Completely agree with everything you've said reducer.

I think the most experienced manager would have trouble motivating the current squad of players.

Perhaps the lazy players should be made to sit in with the fans rather than putting them on the bench. Then we can tell them exactly what we think of them.

Please don't go Joe.

Reducer wrote:
Complete and utter dross I'm afraid - if we change manager now we are certainly doomed. Joe Dunne has inherited a team not of his making and I am afraid has been badly let down by some of the professionals at his disposal. Fortunately those who have let him down are no longer being selected - as a result and unfortunately for Joe he now has youth and inexperience in a side that has been struggling since day one of this season. We have to face facts - we are just not good enough and for that we have our dear old friend Mr Ward to thank. How he could hand two and three year contracts to some of those currently at the club I will never know. Anyway we must soldier on - anyone at the game today will realise that the supporters are 100% behind Joe and do not want him to resign. Come on Joe - get your chin up - you never gave up as a player and should not do so now!!!

Hey It's not all bad news reducer...
Mr Ward engineered another WIN for Bristol rovers today

And if he reads your comment, he'll be laughing his nuts off...

If Dunne has lost belief in himself then its all over. The players as we know have been a disgrace this season but the Manager carrys the can. We arent good enough to play like Barcelona. Every few days we hear of an unknown youngster joining the club on loan. It isnt helping us at all. Id rather have Venkys run our club than Cowling.

Looked at the squad ward inherited not enough players to fill the bench,a certain jj scored a "screamer '.
When ward got the sack all of a sudden there was an influx of players,why did they not do that before,it seems there is some money after all,is it too late.?

25414nora wrote:

Reducer wrote:
Complete and utter dross I'm afraid - if we change manager now we are certainly doomed. Joe Dunne has inherited a team not of his making and I am afraid has been badly let down by some of the professionals at his disposal. Fortunately those who have let him down are no longer being selected - as a result and unfortunately for Joe he now has youth and inexperience in a side that has been struggling since day one of this season. We have to face facts - we are just not good enough and for that we have our dear old friend Mr Ward to thank. How he could hand two and three year contracts to some of those currently at the club I will never know. Anyway we must soldier on - anyone at the game today will realise that the supporters are 100% behind Joe and do not want him to resign. Come on Joe - get your chin up - you never gave up as a player and should not do so now!!!

Hey It's not all bad news reducer...
Mr Ward engineered another WIN for Bristol rovers today

And if he reads your comment, he'll be laughing his nuts off...

Given JW's wonderful 'win record' and his preferred style of play it's no surprise he's doing so well...I'll reserve judgement until Rovers are out of the league!!

I feel sorry for joe.

No one has seen enough of Dunne as a manager yet to know if he is out of his depth or a great manager in the making. We can all pretend that we know best, but none of us do.

He had a great run and a very bad run of results shortly after.

If Joe believes that he is not the right person to keep the club up, he will do the right thing and step aside. But in my opinion I would like to see him stay and battle through his first big problem as a manager.

All it takes is just a change in mind state F.A.I.T.H....... And some luck.

What a horrid day for the club. To see u's break a straight losing run with a manager that is Colchester through and through is so upsetting.
It's crazy to think only a couple of months ago how good we thought dunne was and that we were destined to go up.
Is joe the right man for he job? I don't know. But can you see anyone else coming in and doing better with that shambles, I'd suggest no. The only thing that will help I s getting players in (experienced ) unless that happens doesn't matter who's in charge we are doomed.
I hope joe can do it, but if there going to get a news manager without giving him the funds don't bother.
And for people singing John wards praise, who signed the majority of the rubbish at the club, who over saw us playing poor football for two seasons, along with hoofroyd and lambert for the matter we've been in poor hands for far to long

The decision is down to you Joe. A very tough job, for a quality bloke. Personally I like what Joe is trying to do and we have been unlucky in two or three of the games......but when you are in the weeds you need experienced players to pull you up, when you are flying the kids can really play. I'm not going to pan any of the players as everyone goes out to do their best but there are positions that need strengthening like the goalkeeper. Was the kid from Reading injured as I thought he looked good, would never have brought CM on in his place otherwise?

super waluigi wrote:
I feel sorry for joe.

No one has seen enough of Dunne as a manager yet to know if he is out of his depth or a great manager in the making. We can all pretend that we know best, but none of us do.

He had a great run and a very bad run of results shortly after.

If Joe believes that he is not the right person to keep the club up, he will do the right thing and step aside. But in my opinion I would like to see him stay and battle through his first big problem as a manager.

All it takes is just a change in mind state F.A.I.T.H....... And some luck.

Super.....
I know we don't always see eye to eye or agree on many things but I Totally agree with you on this.

We're not singing anymore!!! wrote:

super waluigi wrote:
I feel sorry for joe.

No one has seen enough of Dunne as a manager yet to know if he is out of his depth or a great manager in the making. We can all pretend that we know best, but none of us do.

He had a great run and a very bad run of results shortly after.

If Joe believes that he is not the right person to keep the club up, he will do the right thing and step aside. But in my opinion I would like to see him stay and battle through his first big problem as a manager.

All it takes is just a change in mind state F.A.I.T.H....... And some luck.

Super.....
I know we don't always see eye to eye or agree on many things but I Totally agree with you on this.

Absolutely - we need to back Joe all the way!! Get behind Joe and the boys - we'll come good with a little bit of faith and luck as Super says!!

Reducer wrote:

We're not singing anymore!!! wrote:

super waluigi wrote:
I feel sorry for joe.

No one has seen enough of Dunne as a manager yet to know if he is out of his depth or a great manager in the making. We can all pretend that we know best, but none of us do.

He had a great run and a very bad run of results shortly after.

If Joe believes that he is not the right person to keep the club up, he will do the right thing and step aside. But in my opinion I would like to see him stay and battle through his first big problem as a manager.

All it takes is just a change in mind state F.A.I.T.H....... And some luck.

Super.....
I know we don't always see eye to eye or agree on many things but I Totally agree with you on this.

Absolutely - we need to back Joe all the way!! Get behind Joe and the boys - we'll come good with a little bit of faith and luck as Super says!!

Agree with all the above. Joe, please stay.

I’ve never heard of a manager who has publically considered their position on the back of losing 12 out of their 13 previous competitive matches, including the last 9 consecutive games, going on to turn around the fortunes of that club, let alone keep their job.

I fail to see how a new manager, with a proven record with turning around struggling lower league clubs, could possibly fail to improve on 3 points from 36.

I trust Joe will prioritize his health, family, and the club he bleeds for, by falling on his sword and that Cowling will retain his services in some role at the club.

Joe Dunne is a quality individual.

There is tremendous support and good feeling for Joe.

I hope he stays on even if we do go down.

super waluigi wrote:
I feel sorry for joe. No one has seen enough of Dunne as a manager yet to know if he is out of his depth or a great manager in the making. We can all pretend that we know best, but none of us do. He had a great run and a very bad run of results shortly after. If Joe believes that he is not the right person to keep the club up, he will do the right thing and step aside. But in my opinion I would like to see him stay and battle through his first big problem as a manager. All it takes is just a change in mind state F.A.I.T.H....... And some luck.

You have my support on this as well Super.

Robbie Cowling is facing a dreadful dilemma.For he now has to decide whether to stick with the loyal and hard-working Joe until the end of the season and perhaps give him a chance to revive the club's fortunes in League Two next season or to sack him now,Because there is a real danger that if Joe is still in charge in October or November and we are still losing every week,it could, by then, be too late for the next manager to save the U's from a second successive
relegation,Stockport County were relegated from League One in 2010 and were then relegated from League Two in 2011.The situation is now so serious that in eighteen months' time we could well have the best training ground in non-league football.
PS: Joe Dunne's U's team could become the lowest scoring U's league team of all time.The current club record is 41 league goals in one season,set by Bobby Roberts's team
which was relegated from Division Three in 1975-1976.
PPS: Lovely to see two John Ward
signings combine so well to get the U's goal yesterday.

joe is a nice guy and should tough it out and stay you cant turn old boots into ballet shoes in 5 minutes and colchester was well past its ell by date when joe took them on.
stay joe we have every FAITH in you old chum tough it out mike walker did then the club too off
stay old mate we dont want you to leave.

Mick Walker turned things around when he brought Allen Hunter back to the club as first team coach. When Mick got the sack Allen went with him.Took years to recover from that.What we might need is a Mick Harford on the coaching staff. Big no nonscence man.It,s not working all X U,s players on the coaching staff. Too cosy by half.

Joe dunn go? Don't be silly. We might be destined for league two but give the guy a fair crack of the whip.what has changed at col u is the side.confidence is the answer and remembering the aims the game is goals scored.sears and morrison upfront with a couple of pacy full backs and a gent in the middle with presence and authority along with a keeper with shout on him, its all there, just do it.

Joe is an honest, hard working guy who would be the right man for the club but not at this time and RC should have realised this. I think Joe's inexperience has seen him come unstuck. I am with Joe all the way regarding his philosophy on the way the game should be played, but when you looked around at the playing staff he inherited, he should have concentrated on other areas first. Changing our game to his philosophy should have been left to the close season when you have more time to bed it all down. First he should have concentrated on the defence, after all he was a defender, then the spine of the team and then finally the attack and wing play. Instead he's approached it from the wrong direction. He has also for some reason alienated some of the players like Henderson and O'Toole, whilst other lazy players have been selected. Even yesterday he failed to play the correct team imo. Too many youngsters some of whom haven't been with the club for very long without the needed experience to help out. Even at half time he substituted the only experienced midfield player (Bean) we had. He should have started with 4 - 4 - 2 giving some help to Samuel by partnering him with Morrison or Sears.

Who do I blame? Well it has to be Cowling. His managerial appointments throughout have been very poor. His decision making of when to fire has also been poor. In the six years he's been in charge we've seen zero promotions, zero cup runs often out in the first round) and now it will be 2 relegations. Never mind we've got a lovely stadium and wonderful training ground and training facilities, but it's a pity we've got no players worthy of either.

I would like to see Joe given some time but having watched him on the touchline and listened to his interview on BBC Essex yesterday, I cannot see how he can possibly lift the team with such a depressed demeanor. I am also surprised that Cowling is not being criticised on this forum. He has overseen the steady decline and mismanagement of the club and no-one should be under the impression that the 65% of income salary cap stops Cowling putting in funds to support his manager. All that has changed is that club owners can no longer put money in as loans and create unsustainable debt. Cowling can put in as much money as necessary to fund players and pay their wages and it will be part of income, not a loan but I suspect that he hasn't got it to put in any longer. His record as owner is truly appalling and in spite of the millions he has wasted at the club, we will soon be two tiers further down the pyramid than when he took over. Real benefit from the training facility may not be seen for many seasons by which time it could be irrelevant. Further, who owns the training facility and will the club have access to it after Cowling? Dunne in, Cowling out?

RB, Lexden wrote:
Robbie Cowling is facing a dreadful dilemma.For he now has to decide whether to stick with the loyal and hard-working Joe until the end of the season and perhaps give him a chance to revive the club's fortunes in League Two next season or to sack him now,Because there is a real danger that if Joe is still in charge in October or November and we are still losing every week,it could, by then, be too late for the next manager to save the U's from a second successive
relegation,Stockport County were relegated from League One in 2010 and were then relegated from League Two in 2011.The situation is now so serious that in eighteen months' time we could well have the best training ground in non-league football.
PS: Joe Dunne's U's team could become the lowest scoring U's league team of all time.The current club record is 41 league goals in one season,set by Bobby Roberts's team
which was relegated from Division Three in 1975-1976.
PPS: Lovely to see two John Ward
signings combine so well to get the U's goal yesterday.

I might be wrong but you sound like your saying John Ward would have done a better job.

Where were we when he got sacked ?

How many goals has his signings scored this season ?

Apologises if I've got this wrong.

Layer Road Exile, if you read my comments you'll see I hold Cowling to be totally to blame!

Great managers take time to develop, Joe knows this and so does Robbie.

I hope Robbie has the balls to carry on with Joe offering him the support he needs and the players grow up and get behind him. Joe has done the right thing he is asking for support and guidance,when he gets that his confidence will be back which will translate to better results.

Layer Road Exile wrote:
I would like to see Joe given some time but having watched him on the touchline and listened to his interview on BBC Essex yesterday, I cannot see how he can possibly lift the team with such a depressed demeanor. I am also surprised that Cowling is not being criticised on this forum. He has overseen the steady decline and mismanagement of the club and no-one should be under the impression that the 65% of income salary cap stops Cowling putting in funds to support his manager. All that has changed is that club owners can no longer put money in as loans and create unsustainable debt. Cowling can put in as much money as necessary to fund players and pay their wages and it will be part of income, not a loan but I suspect that he hasn't got it to put in any longer. His record as owner is truly appalling and in spite of the millions he has wasted at the club, we will soon be two tiers further down the pyramid than when he took over. Real benefit from the training facility may not be seen for many seasons by which time it could be irrelevant. Further, who owns the training facility and will the club have access to it after Cowling? Dunne in, Cowling out?

As for the training facility, Cowling owns 100% of Colchester United, and the chances are that he owns the training ground 100% too, probably through another subsidiary company (somebody please correct me if they know better).
If he sells Col U, he could also sell the training ground, but it will cost a great deal more than the football club, which might by then be practically worthless. If the buyer can't afford to buy the training ground, they will no doubt be able to rent it in the short term, but Cowling will want to rebuild his fortune by getting planning permission to build lots of houses on it.

Joe needs to resign for the good of Colchester United and his health! Do it, Joe and negotiate to be retained as assistant to the new manager. Your knowledge and passion for the club will hold you in good stead, a true club man but unfortunately with no idea how to get the results we urgently need with the current squad we have. And to bring in untried, unproven players into key positions when you are near to the relegation zone is almost suicidal. Yes, agreed they are good acquisitions and offer promise for the future, but we need experienced players that can grind out wins, NOW!!! Up the U's!! P.S. Sorry to those that think I haven't given Joe a chance-he has had it! He is inexperienced where and when it matters and the players have no respect for him!

Joe needs to resign for the good of Colchester United and his health! Do it, Joe and negotiate to be retained as assistant to the new manager. Your knowledge and passion for the club will hold you in good stead, a true club man but unfortunately with no idea how to get the results we urgently need with the current squad we have. And to bring in untried, unproven players into key positions when you are near to the relegation zone is almost suicidal. Yes, agreed they are good acquisitions and offer promise for the future, but we need experienced players that can grind out wins, NOW!!! Up the U's!! P.S. Sorry to those that think I haven't given Joe a chance-he has had it! He is inexperienced where and when it matters and the players have no respect for him!

This is one of those rare situations where you can find something to agree on within every single comment on this site. Every person on here has a genuine point and you can feel the pain within the words. For my part I would like to have my say:
Joe Dunne's words are more than those of a managers, they are the words of the fans, one of "us", someone who is watching on as we are feeling the pain of seeing our club in a state that is agonising to watch.
There are many reasons to ask for Dunne to stay and for Dunne to go but I am still in the "Dunne to stay" brigade for a number of reasons.
Joe is effectivly our last link to the spirit of this club since it's move from Layer Road and all those seemingly bygone memories.That is not me being a dinosaur tied to the past but more an opinion of someone who remembers the fire and passion that existed in his play and that was witnessed in the majority of players back then too. Joe is a fan, the man in the top job who cares for the club. No one who could be bought in could want more for success than he does.If we lose Joe it will be a dark day for our club and there is no gurantee that anyone coming in could do better. If League 2 does beckon, (and I sincerley hope it doesnt and believe it doesnt have to), Joe would be the man to rebuild and lead the charge forward for the future of the club. If we make the change and still go down what then?
We cannot afford to lose Joe from the club. If he steps aside I hope he is put in the background for a period of time.
He has been hugely let down by some horrifically underperforming stars and is paying the price seemingly for telling them how it is. So many people criticised JW for being "too nice", JD has come in and made his point and, in effect, those players have gone on strike and sulked. JD has demanded a particular attitude and commitment and he has been let down. Badly let down as have we the fans and RC as owner. It is a shamefl indictment of an age where people can just refuse to play their part and take responsibilty and JD's rant mid week about twitter etc highlights this attitude. The fact he feels he has to hand the captaincy to Josh Thompson who has played less than 10 games for us shows the problems within the camp and the spineless nature of some of our players, (absolutely no criticism of JT by the way; in fact it shows promise for him and at least he's prepared to man up). This cannot be laid at JD's door and I fear whoever had come in post Ward would have been in this situation. JD has to take over a club with virtually no budget and make the most of a squad of left overs by poor decisions that still include hang overs from 4 managers worth of wastage.
When JD took over I feared for this day, i never wanted Joe to be our Bryan Gunn and I fear we are now facing up to just that.
I understand every criticism on here for those who want another change but any change would be a gamble and who could we possibly get in who would be prepared to work with nothing in terms of budget? There are no gurantees that a change will see us retain our league 1 status and if we made the change and still got relegated, with no JD even on the staff, we would be in a worse position then we are now.
Let's hope JD can get it right asap. The next 3 games are vital and will define our season. If JD has to move on then let's hope he retreats into the shadows of the club to come out again to shine in the future. He is an assett to this club in the right capacity and to see him go would be a very sad day for this club. To see him go and to get relegated would be very difficult to take. I just hope that we can shift the dead wood in the coming days to get some positivity back.

BlueandWhiteBaz wrote:
Joe is an honest, hard working guy who would be the right man for the club but not at this time and RC should have realised this. I think Joe's inexperience has seen him come unstuck. I am with Joe all the way regarding his philosophy on the way the game should be played, but when you looked around at the playing staff he inherited, he should have concentrated on other areas first. Changing our game to his philosophy should have been left to the close season when you have more time to bed it all down. First he should have concentrated on the defence, after all he was a defender, then the spine of the team and then finally the attack and wing play. Instead he's approached it from the wrong direction. He has also for some reason alienated some of the players like Henderson and O'Toole, whilst other lazy players have been selected. Even yesterday he failed to play the correct team imo. Too many youngsters some of whom haven't been with the club for very long without the needed experience to help out. Even at half time he substituted the only experienced midfield player (Bean) we had. He should have started with 4 - 4 - 2 giving some help to Samuel by partnering him with Morrison or Sears.

Who do I blame? Well it has to be Cowling. His managerial appointments throughout have been very poor. His decision making of when to fire has also been poor. In the six years he's been in charge we've seen zero promotions, zero cup runs often out in the first round) and now it will be 2 relegations. Never mind we've got a lovely stadium and wonderful training ground and training facilities, but it's a pity we've got no players worthy of either.

After all is said and done - and a lot has in both camps - this is the post for me. Cowling is just all ego and the pits in PR it has to be said. Joe, bless his cotton socks,just ain't up to for now at least. Someone mentioned bringing Ince in , that might work ? But Cowling, I hope goes back to running a business that he's good at, and not a football club where he's a proven disaster on so many fronts - not least his managerial appointments..

Boris wrote:

Layer Road Exile wrote: I would like to see Joe given some time but having watched him on the touchline and listened to his interview on BBC Essex yesterday, I cannot see how he can possibly lift the team with such a depressed demeanor. I am also surprised that Cowling is not being criticised on this forum. He has overseen the steady decline and mismanagement of the club and no-one should be under the impression that the 65% of income salary cap stops Cowling putting in funds to support his manager. All that has changed is that club owners can no longer put money in as loans and create unsustainable debt. Cowling can put in as much money as necessary to fund players and pay their wages and it will be part of income, not a loan but I suspect that he hasn't got it to put in any longer. His record as owner is truly appalling and in spite of the millions he has wasted at the club, we will soon be two tiers further down the pyramid than when he took over. Real benefit from the training facility may not be seen for many seasons by which time it could be irrelevant. Further, who owns the training facility and will the club have access to it after Cowling? Dunne in, Cowling out?

As for the training facility, Cowling owns 100% of Colchester United, and the chances are that he owns the training ground 100% too, probably through another subsidiary company (somebody please correct me if they know better). If he sells Col U, he could also sell the training ground, but it will cost a great deal more than the football club, which might by then be practically worthless. If the buyer can't afford to buy the training ground, they will no doubt be able to rent it in the short term, but Cowling will want to rebuild his fortune by getting planning permission to build lots of houses on it.

Boris. Your right. I've been saying this for some time. If things go pear shape, R.C. will turn the training ground buildings into a home and the rest of the land he will sell off. Not so cosy as it looks.

Eddy D wrote:
This is one of those rare situations where you can find something to agree on within every single comment on this site. Every person on here has a genuine point and you can feel the pain within the words. For my part I would like to have my say:
Joe Dunne's words are more than those of a managers, they are the words of the fans, one of "us", someone who is watching on as we are feeling the pain of seeing our club in a state that is agonising to watch.
There are many reasons to ask for Dunne to stay and for Dunne to go but I am still in the "Dunne to stay" brigade for a number of reasons.
Joe is effectivly our last link to the spirit of this club since it's move from Layer Road and all those seemingly bygone memories.That is not me being a dinosaur tied to the past but more an opinion of someone who remembers the fire and passion that existed in his play and that was witnessed in the majority of players back then too. Joe is a fan, the man in the top job who cares for the club. No one who could be bought in could want more for success than he does.If we lose Joe it will be a dark day for our club and there is no gurantee that anyone coming in could do better. If League 2 does beckon, (and I sincerley hope it doesnt and believe it doesnt have to), Joe would be the man to rebuild and lead the charge forward for the future of the club. If we make the change and still go down what then?
We cannot afford to lose Joe from the club. If he steps aside I hope he is put in the background for a period of time.
He has been hugely let down by some horrifically underperforming stars and is paying the price seemingly for telling them how it is. So many people criticised JW for being "too nice", JD has come in and made his point and, in effect, those players have gone on strike and sulked. JD has demanded a particular attitude and commitment and he has been let down. Badly let down as have we the fans and RC as owner. It is a shamefl indictment of an age where people can just refuse to play their part and take responsibilty and JD's rant mid week about twitter etc highlights this attitude. The fact he feels he has to hand the captaincy to Josh Thompson who has played less than 10 games for us shows the problems within the camp and the spineless nature of some of our players, (absolutely no criticism of JT by the way; in fact it shows promise for him and at least he's prepared to man up). This cannot be laid at JD's door and I fear whoever had come in post Ward would have been in this situation. JD has to take over a club with virtually no budget and make the most of a squad of left overs by poor decisions that still include hang overs from 4 managers worth of wastage.
When JD took over I feared for this day, i never wanted Joe to be our Bryan Gunn and I fear we are now facing up to just that.
I understand every criticism on here for those who want another change but any change would be a gamble and who could we possibly get in who would be prepared to work with nothing in terms of budget? There are no gurantees that a change will see us retain our league 1 status and if we made the change and still got relegated, with no JD even on the staff, we would be in a worse position then we are now.
Let's hope JD can get it right asap. The next 3 games are vital and will define our season. If JD has to move on then let's hope he retreats into the shadows of the club to come out again to shine in the future. He is an assett to this club in the right capacity and to see him go would be a very sad day for this club. To see him go and to get relegated would be very difficult to take. I just hope that we can shift the dead wood in the coming days to get some positivity back.

An excellent and passionate plea for Joe to remain in the job. You are absolutely right - Joe is a link to an era that we should never forget - a time when players would give everything for the club and the supporters that followed it. Stick with it Joe - we are all right behind you!! Up the U's!!

My comments about Mr Cowling have been removed allegedly due to complaints. If I have offended the genuine Colchester United fans hch I doubt) then I apologize. However I stand by what I said and the truth will one day prevail, trust me. My name is based upon my beliefs and fooball is what I am I about!

Reducer wrote:

Eddy D wrote: This is one of those rare situations where you can find something to agree on within every single comment on this site. Every person on here has a genuine point and you can feel the pain within the words. For my part I would like to have my say: Joe Dunne's words are more than those of a managers, they are the words of the fans, one of "us", someone who is watching on as we are feeling the pain of seeing our club in a state that is agonising to watch. There are many reasons to ask for Dunne to stay and for Dunne to go but I am still in the "Dunne to stay" brigade for a number of reasons. Joe is effectivly our last link to the spirit of this club since it's move from Layer Road and all those seemingly bygone memories.That is not me being a dinosaur tied to the past but more an opinion of someone who remembers the fire and passion that existed in his play and that was witnessed in the majority of players back then too. Joe is a fan, the man in the top job who cares for the club. No one who could be bought in could want more for success than he does.If we lose Joe it will be a dark day for our club and there is no gurantee that anyone coming in could do better. If League 2 does beckon, (and I sincerley hope it doesnt and believe it doesnt have to), Joe would be the man to rebuild and lead the charge forward for the future of the club. If we make the change and still go down what then? We cannot afford to lose Joe from the club. If he steps aside I hope he is put in the background for a period of time. He has been hugely let down by some horrifically underperforming stars and is paying the price seemingly for telling them how it is. So many people criticised JW for being "too nice", JD has come in and made his point and, in effect, those players have gone on strike and sulked. JD has demanded a particular attitude and commitment and he has been let down. Badly let down as have we the fans and RC as owner. It is a shamefl indictment of an age where people can just refuse to play their part and take responsibilty and JD's rant mid week about twitter etc highlights this attitude. The fact he feels he has to hand the captaincy to Josh Thompson who has played less than 10 games for us shows the problems within the camp and the spineless nature of some of our players, (absolutely no criticism of JT by the way; in fact it shows promise for him and at least he's prepared to man up). This cannot be laid at JD's door and I fear whoever had come in post Ward would have been in this situation. JD has to take over a club with virtually no budget and make the most of a squad of left overs by poor decisions that still include hang overs from 4 managers worth of wastage. When JD took over I feared for this day, i never wanted Joe to be our Bryan Gunn and I fear we are now facing up to just that. I understand every criticism on here for those who want another change but any change would be a gamble and who could we possibly get in who would be prepared to work with nothing in terms of budget? There are no gurantees that a change will see us retain our league 1 status and if we made the change and still got relegated, with no JD even on the staff, we would be in a worse position then we are now. Let's hope JD can get it right asap. The next 3 games are vital and will define our season. If JD has to move on then let's hope he retreats into the shadows of the club to come out again to shine in the future. He is an assett to this club in the right capacity and to see him go would be a very sad day for this club. To see him go and to get relegated would be very difficult to take. I just hope that we can shift the dead wood in the coming days to get some positivity back.

An excellent and passionate plea for Joe to remain in the job. You are absolutely right - Joe is a link to an era that we should never forget - a time when players would give everything for the club and the supporters that followed it. Stick with it Joe - we are all right behind you!! Up the U's!!

Agree with you both.

Up the U's.

Maybe we all should have taken notice of sir bob.dare I say?

wellnow wrote:
Maybe we all should have taken notice of sir bob.dare I say?

Please please please people stop adding the previous quote, just refer to it, it takes bloody ages to get through it all and then realise that you've read it two or three times before.

Bugger me I pressed the wrong button and added a quote !

Anyway personally I think Joe should stay and see out the job.

Things have been wrong at the club for a long time. Yes the players are awful, yes Dunne is out of his depth but Cowling is the one who has sown the seeds of this appalling run of results. His ownership of the club has been a disaster. He brought in a shot Premiership footballer rather than pay the wages of proven and succesful players, he has appointed a succession of poor managers. He needs to go.

Joe is the right man for the job, simple as. He knows the club, is passionate to see it successful and lets be honest is probably cheaper than an experienced manager that some have called for, who yes might keep us up but will then leave for the next opportunity and we'll be right back to where we are now!

Joe is both loyal and understands where he wants the club to go, he needs time and if that results in relegation so be it, I will always support the club wherever they are placed in the football pyramid!!

Up the U's and enjoyed the comments back to Layer Road - we do need to move on, but loved that place!

Check out official col utd website - Dunne stays PLUS expect 2/3 new signings; direct quote from RC.

Good news and glad to hear Joe's got his mojo back

totallyfootball wrote:
My comments about Mr Cowling have been removed allegedly due to complaints. If I have offended the genuine Colchester United fans hch I doubt) then I apologize. However I stand by what I said and the truth will one day prevail, trust me. My name is based upon my beliefs and fooball is what I am I about!

No idea what you wrote, but if there have been complaints, at least it suggests somebody at the club is reading our comments on these threads. This is encouraging.