Colchester United play host to Walsall in League Two

The U’s have tightened up defensively since the Cowleys’ appointment as their new management team in early January, conceding only 12 goals in their nine games in charge, having previously had the worst defensive record in League Two prior to their arrival.

However, Colchester are looking for more goals having scored ten times in that period – and three goals in their last five games – and boss Cowley is confident there will be improvements.

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Cowley said: “We’ve been looking at where we can hurt opposition.

“We know that defensively, we’re a well organised team and we’re a team that’s giving up very few chances.

“The defensive statistics have been really, really good but we have to keep some clean sheets as well.

“You’re always looking to improve, particularly when you’re a new group that hasn’t been together long.

"We have another opportunity on Saturday, to show the progress that we’re making.

“The great thing about this is when you work week to week, you can make big improvements, because you’re so early in your development.

“The boys’ attitude, work ethic and focus has been very good, since the moment we came in and as a consequence, we’re able to make good progress.”

Colchester head into the Walsall game lying second from bottom in the table, a point from safety.

It is a situation that is not unfamiliar for the Cowleys, as the U’s battle against relegation.

“Nicky and I have lived this before; we inherited a team at Huddersfield in the Championship who actually had one point after nine games,” said Cowley.

“I don’t think anybody had ever stayed up from that position and we were able to find a way.

“We believe in the way that we work, we believe in our process, we believe in the players and we love what we do.

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“For us, it’s easy to be enthusiastic and to work with high energy, because we ultimately enjoy what we do.

“Of course, we’re all human beings; we saw the results on Tuesday and some of the teams around us win while we don’t play but we can’t control this.

“For us, it’s you versus yourself mentality.

“Sometimes, the stakes go up after a night like Tuesday but so do the rewards, because the reward of being able to achieve our objective has just got bigger and as a consequence, if you reframe it in your mind that way it makes it that much more exciting.

“We know what the challenge is and we’re going to attack it.”

Colchester today take on a Walsall side who are pushing for a play-off spot and have lost only one of their last eight games, in League Two.

Cowley added: “We’ve got lots of respect for Walsall.

“I think they had a good January window and they’re one of the in-form teams in the division.

“They have a clear way of playing; they play a 5-3-2, they ask a lot of questions of you defensively, they put lots of balls in your box, they carry a threat from set pieces and also from the counter attack and are well organised against the ball.

“There’s a lot to respect but there’s areas that we’re working hard at to try to get better and improve."