Colchester United host Bradford City in League Two

And the U’s head coach is urging Colchester fans to be noisy and get right behind his side when they take on Bradford City.

The Blue White Army supporters group are encouraging fellow fans to bring along their U’s scarves, in a bid to generate a sea of blue and white at the game.

The Cowleys’ appointment has brought a feel-good factor at Colchester – and Danny is looking forward to being in the home dugout for the first time, this weekend.

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Cowley said: “I can’t wait.

“Winning a game of football is never just an 11-man job.

"For us, it’s a whole community and club effort and when they turn up on Saturday, turn up noisy and be ready to get behind the boys.

“I have a really good feeling; I think we have a really good group of players and I think this is a really good football club with a lot of good people.

“I know from experience that when you get enough good people coming together and fighting for the same cause, then good things can happen.

“The away fans at the County Ground were just incredible, from literally the moment we got off the coach at 1.20pm until 5pm, when the game ended.

“They didn’t stop singing and were with the team throughout, even when the team was suffering.

“We were unlucky to have been 2-0 down in the game but we were and the crowd could have easily have been despondent, particularly after the run the team’s been on.

“They weren’t, they stayed with the group and it helped the players so much.

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“It allowed us to find that important goal just before half-time and then second half, they just drove the energy.

“We need that again because the way we play the game requires a lot of intensity, a lot of aggression, a lot of energy and they’re the fuel.”

Colchester host a Bradford City side who currently sit 14th in League Two.

Graham Alexander’s side claimed six straight wins towards the end of last year but are now winless in four league games.

“Nicky and I have huge respect for Bradford City as a football club and the people at the club,” said Cowley, who was linked with the Bantams job prior to Alexander’s appointment.

“Graham Alexander I think is a really experienced football person.

“He was a brilliant player who made the absolute very most of his career and is a very, very experienced manager.

“Particularly leading up to the Christmas period, they had a real upturn in their results and went on an incredible run.

“They had a fantastic result on Tuesday night in the EFL Trophy at Derby, who are one if not the strongest team in the competition.

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“We understand the challenge in front of us, we know how Bradford like to play and we know where their strengths are.

“For us, it’s really important to always be aware of this but to make sure that our energy and focus remains on ourselves.

“We’re still a group that’s coming together and improving every day and this is so exciting.

“We had a really good comeback (at Swindon) where we showed a lot of spirit and character and actually from 30 minutes onwards, I thought we showed real control of the game.

“I thought we dominated the game in their half in the second half and I think this is something to build on.

“We’ve had another week on the training pitch which has allowed us to keep developing the messaging and keep instilling the principles.

“With coaching, you’re trying to bring the most important elements of the way we want to play to the forefront of the players’ mind, so that when they start playing at 3pm on a Saturday it’s absolutely clear in their mind what’s required for them.

“The more you rehearse it and practise it and the more you train these behaviours, it just becomes automatic and once it becomes automatic, then you can turn the page and start on the next layer of detail.

“This is how the team is ultimately going to improve and develop.”