Danny Cowley keen for togetherness at Colchester United

The 45-year-old was today appointed alongside brother Nicky Cowley as the U’s new managerial team, on a two-and-a-half year deal.

The Cowleys inherit a Colchester side currently situated just above the League Two relegation zone after a run of defeats and the former Portsmouth and Huddersfield Town boss wants everyone to stick together, as they bid to move up the table in the second half of the campaign.

Danny said: “Our message to the supporters is just to reset - nobody can affect what’s happened in the past; let’s look forward, onwards and upwards and try to see the best in our players which I’m sure that they will.

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“Short term, it’s going to be a tough ride and there might be some bumps along the way but stick with us and keep trying to see the best in the players.

“I know that collectively, together we can achieve what this football club and certainly the supporters deserve.”

The Cowleys have returned to football management almost a year to the day since leaving their former club Portsmouth.

Danny says he was impressed by what U’s chairman Robbie Cowling had to say, prior to him accepting the job.

Cowley said: “We had a really good conversation with Robbie and Dmitri (Halajko).

“It happened really quickly and we were particularly impressed with the way that Robbie spoke about the club.

“It was clear that he has a real affiliation and love for the club.

“I’m so impressed by the structure of the club.

“There’s so many good people – I think it has a brilliant academy and I think the club is doing so many good things, off the pitch.

“Now the ambition is to get it right off the pitch and of course to achieve this, we’re going to need everybody.

“It’s never a one or a two man job; it’s going to take the players and staff and absolutely the supporters as well.

“Hopefully we can come together and start to work towards making Colchester United a successful football club.”

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The Cowleys have today been busy acclimatising to their new roles, both at the JobServe Community Stadium and at the U’s Florence Park training ground, in Tiptree.

“Human connection is everything and I think it only grows and develops over time,” added Danny.

“We know that we’re just a cog in the wheel and for the wheel to turn as quickly as we want it to turn, then we need everybody doing their job and their roles to the best of their ability.

“I always think that the best organisations have alignment; they have clarity over where they are today, they have self awareness of where they are today, they know where they want to go and they’re clear on the vision.

“I think once you get a start and a destination, then the stepping stones become that bit clearer.

“But we need everybody to feel a part of that and feel valued.

“The best organisations I’ve worked for is a sense of belonging, where everybody feels part of it and that they contribute – it doesn’t matter if they’re making the tea or you’re a 25-goal-a-season number nine.

“You can all contribute and the supporters as well – we know that for Colchester United to be the very best version of themselves, we need everybody fighting for the cause.”