Colchester Sport
Ward: we need to see progress
10:54am Friday 30th July 2010
Improvement is going to be the key word for Colchester United manager John Ward this year.
While he won’t be making any grandiose statements of promotion intent, the new U’s boss is demanding some definite progress from his team.
That will include finishing higher in npower League One than the eighth place that they did last year, but Ward is confident that the squad he has at his disposal is capable of achieving that.
Former boss, Aidy Boothroyd, was quick to state promotion as his goal throughout his tenure last season, but Ward (pictured) isn’t going to go down that route now it is him at the helm.
Speaking at the club’s annual media day, Ward said: “What I want to achieve is improvement.
“I’m not going to go the way Aidy went and say we are going to do this or that, but I will say we want to improve.
“To improve on last year, we are going to have to be at least the fourth best team the club has ever had, because last year was the fourth highest finish after getting promoted to the Championship, being in the Championship and then getting relegated.
“For us to get better than eighth in League One is going to take a massive effort.
“But it is one I’m prepared to challenge the team to do.
“I’m not foolish enough – and I’m not saying Aidy was – to say what we are going to do because so many things can alter in ten months.
“However, we will try to improve if we can."
For the full story and a 2010/11 U's squad poster see this week's Essex County Standard.