Colchester United SA chairman Jon Burns' views on the U's

Managers come and go too, although not always through their own choosing, as we found out this week with Hayden and Alex.

Thanks for your work guys, and best of luck for the future.

Of course, when these positions are higher up the food chain, they are given a tremendous golden handshake for failure, disappear to the golf course for a year and wait again for the next lucrative job to come along. Perhaps not the case with our fallen management.

Players come and go extremely often as we all know, as they can be a fickle bunch, unless you are Tom Eastman of course, who surely must be rewarded with something along the lines of a testimonial/benefit/Queens Honour/statue for his superb loyalty any day now.

Owners of football clubs, subject to some interesting vetting protocols at times, also come and go when either the money or love runs out, or when they actually want to do something nice in the game we adore.

Owning a football club outside the plush surroundings of the Premier League, is I suspect, not for the faint hearted, and I would certainly think twice about doing so.

Wherever you are though in the top half of the pyramid, it is still a business, with customers looking to buy the product you are hoping to sell.

Those customers are of course us supporters, some of which do also come and go, where as an example, we all know many were sadly lost in the necessary move from Layer Road.

Some also have grown up following the U’s practically from birth, as I was reminded of on Tuesday by a friend.

Most also give up lots of time and money purchasing what is on sale.

So whilst I agree that the U’s is not “our” club because we don’t own it, it is certainly our passion and our reason to be utterly interested in and devoted to everything that makes it happen.

The fans are hurting again this season because it feels just like last season. And the hard part is that just before this, we were taking on Exeter City in the play-offs.

Now it seems we are faced with another scrap against relegation to National League. It’s painful and frustrating. Feelings that are no doubt being felt by the U’s themselves.

I do believe though that Covid-19 has harmed the U’s incredibly as it hit just as the club was beginning to see the benefits from the end to the ten-year agreement with the council. That’s why "budget" is such a buzz word.

However, I do strongly believe that it is now the time to invest in some managerial experience over playing experience?

Managers come and go as I have already said, so there must be a few around of that ilk up for our new vacancies.

Either or both of Oldham or Scunthorpe will hit a good patch soon and that will put the U’s under increased pressure, so we need to start winning games now.

Losing to Barrow was dreadful. Away to Sutton on Tuesday we almost ripped up the form guide by beating them.

We did play better and “looked more like a team” according to a friend whose insight I utterly respect.

Football is a very cruel mistress at times though and she reared her ugly head again down in Surrey.

We go to Salford tomorrow hoping beyond hope. What is nice though, is that our coach will be almost full for the trip, so I am really pleased that our travellers and the many others making their own way, are not yet giving up on the team.

In fact, I think we all want to be there when the tide turns.

And hopefully it will for our interim coaches, which includes a certain Joe Dunne, who I also have the utmost respect for.

Fresh voices and ideas on the training pitch, perhaps a more commanding presence in the changing room, and maybe a different perception of the game during the 90 minutes in play.

However long this interim period is, let's try or best to show them all as much support as possible.

The U's can win at Salford I am sure of it. Hope the players can also believe it and do all they can to bring back the points.

Up the U's!