A Whole New Saga
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"I've come back from injury and completely been isolated out of your plans, it's not right. I was promised that I would be playing regular football before I retired – I know I haven't got long left and this was the club to come to for what I wanted. Instead, I've not even been on the bench and not getting the football I want, screw that... deserve," said Lloyd Doyley. He had joined on a free after being released by Watford and then Rotherham before I arrived.
"I can't go offering first team places to anyone Lloyd, you were promised by the previous manager John McGreal that you would be getting those starts, not me. I'm afraid you are going to have to prove your value in training and the reserves matches you are placed in – coming into my office and ranting and raving at me isn't going to change anything," I told him assertively. I felt sorry for the guy really as he'd been very unfortunate with the injuries he had sustained in the past few years. He had only got three appearances down last season for Rotherham mostly down to that and only six the year before at Watford.
The thing is, Doyley was one of the problems at the club and secretly he was someone I was waiting to sell. I don't want to put the signings of McGreal down, but he was one of a few players I am shocked to see knocking about. He's claiming a large bit of money (£1,500 a week) and is obviously coming towards the twilight years of his career, it was a huge gamble bringing him in and I'm not surprised to see how much it had backfired on us.
"How can I show 'my value' when I don't get the first team chances? I understand that you tell me to play reserve football but it's a completely different thing to playing League Two football week in week out. I am happy to be a rotation option at least, as long as I get on that pitch somehow within the coming weeks otherwise I do think my career may be over and I can't lie to myself and say it isn't because the amount of games I've had over the last three years speaks volumes-"
"So how can you blame me for the injuries you've sustained? I'm sorry Lloyd for what's happened to you but this isn't the right way to get game time. Please, get your head down and carry on and you'll get the game time you 'deserve.' With that I indicated him to leave, in which he did shaking his head and walking out of the training ground premisis, with the January window right ahead of us it was the right time to look to get him out of the club until the end of the season and from there let his one year deal run down.
In other news we've had long conversations with a few of the first team squad about recent performances – the most noteworthy was Chris Porter. I'm not sure what has happened to Ports but since his injury he has scored to find the goals, he did bag a hat-trick against Plymouth but the goals have dried up once again since. The good thing about Chris is that he is a very determined individual and knows when he needs to up his game and he understood that his recent form was not up to standard – from the start of January I do expect to see that clinical finisher back, trust me.
I've had a few talks with the chairman Robbie Cowling too. The man is very up to date with modern football and knows what it takes to build a successful club and so has the right tools in order to help me lead Colchester to a bright future. We've discussed a few policies we have put in place for the upcoming window and the budget I have to work with – in which I am happy with and hopefully can work on the targets we've set, between myself and the scouting team from Summer until now. Expect to see a window of change, for the better I hope.
Sad to see you move down the table and go out of the FA Cup, too. Hope you can pick it up from here at the midpoint of the campaign
