Colchester United host Forest Green Rovers in League Two

The U’s are aiming to record back-to-back wins for only the second time in League Two this season, after their 1-0 triumph at Morecambe, last weekend.

They face a Forest Green side who are bottom of the table but have recently appointed Steve Cotterill as their new manager, in place of Troy Deeney and have made a number of new signings.

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Cowley says it is difficult to predict how the visitors will line up but the U’s boss has stressed it is important they focus on themselves, ahead of today’s clash.

Cowley said: “We expect the unexpected because it’s so difficult for us to predict what they’re going to be.

“They’ve been really, really aggressive in their recruitment and from an analysis perspective, there’s lots of work for us to do.

“Steve has often played a back five; he’s a very intelligent coach and tactically, very good.

“I have no doubt that he’ll have been able to influence the group during this week but for us, we put the energy and focus into ourselves.

“We were able to do that in the lead up to the Morecambe game over nine days and as a group, we’ve still got so much to work on.”

Colchester will be aiming to continue their defensive improvement against Forest Green.

The U's have only conceded three goals in their first three games under the Cowleys and kept a rare clean sheet in the win at Morecambe, last weekend.

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“It’s the players that do this – they’re the ones that step over the white line and put their bodies on the line for the team," said Cowley.

“The expected goals against in open play has dropped dramatically which is credit to the players, because we’ve worked hard on our organisation against the ball.

“If we want to become a team that we envisage this team becoming, if you go back to last Saturday’s performance, we were pleased with the outcome and the 1-0 win but had we been a bit more clinical with our final action and the lead up to our final action, then I think we win that game 2-0, 3-0.

“That’s certainly what our hopes are, going forward."

Cowley has decisions to make against Forest Green, with the likes of Conor Wilkinson and John Akinde impressing off the bench against Morecambe.

He added: “You want competition for places.

“I always judge my teams by the quality of the bench; it gives me a really good indication of where we’re at.

“The ambition was to leave the window stronger than we went into it and I think we have."