DANNY Cowley says he will be aiming to bring a winning culture to Colchester United’s squad ahead of their first game in charge at Swindon Town this afternoon.

Danny and Nicky Cowley are aiming to begin life as the U’s with a victory, after taking over from Matty Etherington on Thursday.

Colchester are looking to get back on track after a run of eight defeats in their last nine matches, which has left them just above the League Two relegation zone.

And Cowley is keen to bring consistency in performance to the U’s side, as they look to move up the table.

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Cowley said: “We’ve seen quite a bit of the team.

“We love football, so we watch football all the time and it’s our responsibility to understand the levels that we work in.

“I see a lot of talent, I see a lot of young players with real potential but we have to try to turn that talent into a team that plays winning football.

“We’re used to winning, we like winning and we expect to win.

“We’ll be trying to bring that culture to the group.

Gazette: Danny Cowley

“I know the team need some help and some support, I can see this and we’ll be doing all we can to do that and implement that.

“I think it’s obvious where the team needs to improve, defensively particularly.

“When I look at the team, I can see we can help the team in terms of its structure against the ball and this is what we’ve already been working on.

“But you can talk about tactics and structure and organisation but with that, you have to bring real intensity and commitment.

“With the players, we give them clarity on how we play and how we work and in turn for that clarity, we expect their commitment.

“I think if we get that, then we get a consistent level of performance and that’s ultimately how you start bringing success.”

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Cowley is keen to ensure Colchester are a difficult team to play against, as they bid to move away from relegation danger.

The U’s currently have the worst defensive record in League Two, with their second-half performances proving particularly disappointing over recent months.

“We want to play exciting, attacking football but we want to be really difficult to play against,” added former Portsmouth and Huddersfield Town boss Cowley.

“I think that’s the area in particular where we can really help and support this team, particularly in the short term.

Gazette: Danny Cowley (right) and Nicky Cowley

“In this first period, it’s for us to understand the club, to build relationships, to see what’s happening at the club already and what’s really, really good but also to see where we can get some quick wins.

“In first-half performances, I think the team is in eighth position and in the second half, they’re 24th.

“It’s always for us to understand why.

“You want to work out the whys when you win so you can replicate it but also when you come up short, you want to work out why – is that game management, is that a lack of impact from subs, is that a lack of fitness, is that a lack of concentration?

"These are the questions that ultimately, we have to try to answer.”