Now for the answers provided by Freddie:
How long have you supported Colchester United?
I have supported the U’s since I was about 9, so 8 years now.
Where did you finish last season?
Rather disappointingly in 13th place, after just missing out on the playoffs the season before, we were way below the mark last season, with the second half of the season really damaging our league position.
What do you think of your Manager?
I’m happy to have John McGreal as our manager, having previously gone through a lot of managers in a short space of time, it’s refreshing to have someone stay longer than a season or two. This being his 3rd season at the U’s, McGreal has built up enough experience now to get us out of the league.
What are your hopes and expectations for this season?
My hopes are that we finally get the promotion to League One through the automatics, but realistically we have to be getting a playoff place at a minimum with the team we have.
One(s) to watch?
We have been a real handful in front of goal this and a lot of players have caught the eye, but if I was to pick 3 stand out players it would be:
Luke Prosser: Captain of the U’s since he arrived in 2016 and shows great leadership and experience on the field, without him commanding our defence we would have definitely conceded a lot more goals this season.
Harry Pell: Since arriving from Cheltenham in the summer, Pell has already become a fan favourite and one of our better players. A tall, box to box midfielder who can put in the dirty work in defence, but shows attacking prowess as well when going forward.
Luke Norris: Another summer arrival, this time from Swindon. Having had a delayed debut due to injury, Norris hit the ground running as soon as he was given his first start against Cheltenham in the Carabao cup, scoring a cracking effort from 25 yards. Having already hit 8 goals this campaign, he sure knows where the goal is not afraid to hit the ball from range.
Who do you think will finish in the top 7?
I think like every season, this will be a tight league and will go down to the final day, but here is my top 7:
Lincoln City, Milton Keynes, Exeter City, Bury, Colchester United, Mansfield Town and Stevenage (in that order).
Who do you think will finish in the bottom 2?
Sadly, I think Macclesfield already look down to me and I can’t see them clawing their way out of the relegation zone, it’s hard to pick who goes down with them, but I think I have to go with Morecambe.
Morecambe and Macclesfield Town.
What are your thoughts on Lincoln City?
A thoroughly good team who deserve to be currently top of the table, seem to have all round great team from defence to attack, and in terms of attack – clearly are not afraid to score. Definitely, one of the best teams League Two has seen in while and more than likely will go up as Champions.
What do you think the score will be?
I think it will be a tight game, with a few goals, as much as I would want a win, I’ll go for a 2-2 draw.
What will your likely default formation and style of play be for this season?
McGreal isn’t afraid to change formation throughout the season, having played both a 4 at the back and 3 at the back formations. McGreal opts for an attacking style of play, with quick build up and also hitting teams on the counter-attack. Although does like his team to sit deep and defend when winning a game, which can be the only downfall to his management style.
Random fact about your Club?
Colchester United are one of only four winners of the Watney Cup which was a cup held from 1970-74. United beat W.B.A 4-3 on penalties having drawn the game 4-4.
If you could steal one Lincoln City player for your own team, who would it be and why?
Had to think about this, and I would pick Micheal Bostwick, due to the fact of his versatility in midfield and defence and also experience in the game.
What are your proudest and most embarrassing moments as a Colchester United Supporter?
The proudest moment has definitely got to be beating Preston 1-0 to avoid relegation to League Two back in 2015.
The most embarrassing would be losing 3-0 to the Southend the season we went back down the League Two, due to the sheer fact of who scored and how they celebrated, I don’t even want to mention their name!
Who would you say is your most underrated player?
Would have a to be number 4 Tom Lapslie, does all the dirty work and hard grafting in the midfield, not a showpiece player, but someone who you can rely on consistently to perform well.
Do you have a Supporters Trust and what role do they play at the Club?
We do, and that would be the CUSA (Colchester United Supporters Association) and they play an important role at the club. From organising transport to arranging Q & A and many other things, they allow the fans to have a voice and be heard by the club.
Which was your favourite match involving Colchester United?
It would have to be when we faced Preston at home and had to win to stay up, it would be George Moncur who would save us on that day with an 82nd-minute strike to keep us in League One. The match wasn’t great, but the atmosphere was top draw.
Which was your least favourite match involving Colchester United?
It would have to be when Burton beat us 3-0 comfortably to send us down to League Two. Will always remember the deadly silence when the final whistle went.
As the erstwhile capital of Roman Britain, do you have spiwit?
I’m not a fan of Monty Python ;).
If you could build the stadium again, what would you add/remove from a supporters perspective?
Would definitely want all 4 stands joined together, as I always feel Stadiums with no open corners create a better atmosphere. I would also want a permanent bar for both home/away supporters to use and enjoy.
I can’t think of anything I would want to remove, perhaps the food kiosk as it doesn’t sell that many nice foods!
"Even though he is in his third season in charge, to me he is not improving."https://t.co/kNfef0LXdx#ColU #Colchester #ImpsAsOne
— Vital Lincoln City (@VitalLincoln) October 26, 2018
https://www.facebook.com/VitalLincolnCity/posts/1904311509605085
