COLCHESTER United chairman Robbie Cowling insists his club are on the right track - despite recent doom and gloom after a run of defeats.

Former boss Tony Humes parted company with the club in the wake of Tuesday’s 3-2 home reverse against Crewe Alexandra.

The U’s had been two-up against the league’s bottom team and the setback was their fourth loss in a row.

“I’m not trying to make excuses, but when you’re working with limited resources, you’ve only got to lose one or two (through injury) and it makes a big difference,” said Cowling.

“It wasn’t going to be for the whole season, though, and we know it’s a marathon, not a sprint.

“We’re not in the relegation zone and I didn’t have any concerns that we wouldn’t fix things and go on and do relatively well.

“I don’t see where failure comes into it.

“Tuesday was one defeat and painful to watch, but that’s where we are as a club.

“We’re learning how to get better and better and we’re making progress.

“I know it’s small and some people will be impatient but that’s how it is.

“We’re a young side and that’s where we are as a team.

“If you look at our home form, it’s been reasonable.

“We’ve seen some good performances and beat the team that were top of the league (Gillingham) and lost to the team at the bottom (Crewe).

“That’s what you get with a young team but that’s the way we’re trying to do it and that’s the way it’s going to be, going forward.

“We’re Colchester United, not Manchester United.”

Cowling believes the club and its supporters must do their best to support young players like Frankie Kent and Tom Lapslie.

“The players have to take a lot responsibility, of course, but they’re young men and people are getting on their backs,” he said.

“Frankie Kent, for example, is an extremely talented young boy but he’s only 19.

“He needs the support of the club.

“We’ve got some really gifted young players here that could have a fantastic career ahead of them.

“But if we’re not careful, we’re going to destroy that and that’s not right on any count.”

Of departing boss Humes, Cowling added: “People don’t understand what he built and what he was doing.

“He’s been at the club for a while and coached some of these boys since their early teens.

“He’s known them since they were young boys, but he felt his presence at the club was detrimental to the club and those players’ careers.”

For full coverage of Humes' departure, including more from Cowling and the thoughts of goalkeeper Sam Walker, see Friday's Daily Gazette.