Colchester United boss Ben Garner trying to change mentality

The U’s have found themselves embroiled in League Two relegation battle in each of the last three seasons and currently find themselves three points above the drop zone.

Garner, who takes his Colchester side to play bottom side Forest Green Rovers tomorrow, has now been in charge for eight months, having taken over from Matt Bloomfield in March.

The U’s head coach sees a bright future for the club and is happy with the progress achieved and some of the improvements made since his appointment but concedes there is still a great deal of work still to do.

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Garner said: “It’s probably been harder than I thought, from a cultural perspective and an environment perspective.

“We’ve changed quite a lot and I think there’s been a lot of good improvements made and a lot of good progress made.

Colchester United boss Ben Garner Picture: PA (Image: PA)

“A lot of that has been down to the chairman backing us with those changes and also putting his hand in his pocket to do so, which we really appreciate.

“I think there has been a lot of good progress and I don’t want to wash that away.

“But it’s probably been a harder process than I imagined and we’ve still got a long, long way to go on that front.

“I think sometimes, when you’ve had a few difficult years, dropping down and then being in the bottom six or seven of League Two for a period of time, it can become stale if you like.

“We have to change that and we will change that.

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“I think that’s a challenge for all of us moving forward, first and foremost me, to make sure that we are changing that.

“But I’m still very confident that we can do that – it’s not always a pretty process and you do have ugly moments and you have to go through those, which I think has been the case at the start of this season.

“But I still see a very bright and positive future ahead.

“We have to stick together as a club.

“I know last Saturday wasn’t good enough; I’m not defending it in any way, shape or form.

“But I think criticising certain players isn’t the way forward.

Colchester United boss Ben Garner Picture: PPAUK (Image: PPA UK)

“We have to stick together as a football club, show that we’re unified and make sure we’re progressing all the time.”

Colchester are aiming to bounce back from their demoralising 3-1 home defeat to Morecambe, last weekend.

Garner says there has been more of an edge in training at Florence Park this week, as the U’s strive for a big improvement on their last performance.

“Generally, they train very well and they have done all season,” said Garner.

“I’m not saying the standard or the quality of the training has gone up but there has been more of an edge this week, which is probably what was missing (against Morecambe) and in one or two games, this season.

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“There’s no doubting the quality of the group.

“We’ve looked at a lot of performance statistics this season and we’re comparing it with where it was before we came in and a bit from the end of last season to now and they’re all improving.

“In some of the attacking matrix last year, we were bottom of the league; we’re now top four or five and we’ve shown what we can do.

Colchester United boss Ben Garner Picture: STEVE BRADING (Image: STEVE BRADING)

“It’s the mentality in terms of turning up and working every week and performing on a matchday that is the last little piece of the jigsaw to fall into place and we have to make sure that we’re doing that every game in order to fully respect the club, the supporters – everyone pays their hard-earned money to come and watch and make sure that we’re 100 per cent in every minute, in every game.

“If anyone doesn’t apply themselves fully, even in training let alone a matchday, I don’t think that’s acceptable.

“I can accept mistakes and players missing a chance or missing a penalty, whatever it may be as long as the effort is there and the commitment is there.

“That’s what I’d hope will be the case, moving forward, that we are committed, we are hard working, we are together in every single minute of every single game because if we do that, I think we’re a really good side and there’s great potential for us to move forward and grow as a football club.”