Born and Bred: Colchester United

A big trip for you and a great chance to test yourselves against the best in the country!

Crystal Palace really are Liverpools bogey team

Justice- I think your expectations are a little too much...

Griffin- It'll be a tough test for sure but one I'm looking forward to. Liverpool were completely outclassed by Palace!

A frustrating set of results id imagine, but you are through in the cup and draws are a good platform to build on

I guess its fair to say good league performances were Few(ster) and far between this month! Still top of the pops, however, and progression in the FA Cup is always a positive!

Griffin: It was a very difficult month in the end, I am disappointed with the amount of points dropped, especially with it being against sides such as Bury but a little slump was bound to happen at some point. Cup progression is something to take from it, definitely.

Justice: Very good pun there.

Colchester boss McLaughlin has stated that he has turned down Scottish Premiership side Dundee in order to remain at the Weston Homes Community Stadium.

Dundee entered talks with McLaughlin, 22, however the United manager stated that he 'wants to stay with Colchester for the foreseeable future,' in the talks that lasted little over half an hour, reports say.

'The Dee,' who play their games at Dens Park these days, currently sit in sixth in the SPL, just two points off the two Europa League places which the league currently has secured. Former manager Paul Hartley, who had spent four years in the role, left to join fellow Premiership side Hearts earlier this week.

The Irishman guided the U's to the League 2 title last season and in the clubs first year back in the third tier of English football, Colchester sit top of table, a point clear of former Premier League champions Blackburn Rovers in second.

In a club statement, Colchester have stated, "Paddy was granted permission to speak to Dundee following their enquiry into his services this week. We, as a club, have always said that we won't get in his way if he does wish to part ways with the club and move onto pastures new. However, we are delighted to announce that Paddy wishes to stay with the club and has turned down the offer from Dundee."

"I'm sure we'll be in this situation again some time soon, Paddy has delivered a lot of success in his tenure here and we are certain that more will follow and with that, comes fresh interest. We now look to the upcoming fixtures in the busy closing months of the 17/18 season."

Think rejecting Dundee may be the best move for you as you seem to be on course for massive things with Colchester rather than struglging against the established elite in Scotland!

I guess you could say you have Dun the Dee-d of rejecting Dundee, to continue your (Dun)dee-d of making Colchester United the best team in England. In my opinion, it would have been (Dun)dee-trimental to leave at this stage.

Griffin- There's a lot more potential to grow here than what would have been on offer at Dundee I think, Celtic are still very much in control and I don't think that will stop for a while, simply it would have been a step backwards I think.

Justice- You can make a pun out of anything, get a hobby!

Colchester United face the almost impossible task tomorrow afternoon as they take on Premier League giants Manchester City in the FA Cup Fourth Round.

Colchester progressed to the third round by thumping League Two side Stevenage 5-0 and then followed that up in the Third Round against Portsmouth with a 3-2 win in order to be drawn against City, who beat Accrington Stanley 2-1.


In the third round, City fielded a weakened lineup in order to prioritise the squad for the midweek trip to West Ham however the Citizens don't face this problem this time around so could we expect a strong line-up from Pep's side? He has gone on record to say that he plans to give youth a chance and now seems another opportunity to do so.


Braham Diaz, Benjamin Garre, Sinan Bytyqi, Jadon Sancho and Tom Dele-Bashiru all started in the victory over Accrington and could all be inclusions in the upcoming game against a plucky Colchester side.

The League One side most recently drew 2-2 against Coventry City which kept them top of the table, however they have only won just one of their last seven games in all competitions, that victory of course came in the Third Round of this competition.

Manchester City have also been on a poor run themselves, last weekend saw them suffer a shock 4-1 loss at the KC Stadium and just ten days prior, a 3-2 loss to Everton after a late goal from Everton full-back Seamus Coleman sealed the three points for the Toffees.

Sergio Aguero is ruled out for the game, however City can welcome back Raheem Sterling who returned from a knock in the defeat to Hull. Colchester themselves are fully fit after the return Eddie Nketiah, who missed the 2-2 draw against Coventry.

Form Guide
Man City - WWLWL
Colchester - DDLDD

The Mirror's prediction:
If all goes to plan City should win this one, even if they do field a slightly weakened lineup. Colchester will be be up for the game and full of fight but Pep's side should have enough about them to win comfortably, 3-0 win for City.

pffffft easy

Haha city who?

Justice/Griffin- The pressures on now!

MANCHESTER CITY 1 (Jesus 38) COLCHESTER UNITED 3 (Fewster 11, 47, Nketiah 88)

Colchester United have stunned Premier League giants Manchester City in the FA Cup after a 3-1 win at the Etihad Stadium.

Billed an impossible task ahead of the game, Colchester stunned Pep Guardiola's side to progress to the Fifth Round of the FA Cup. A double from Bradley Fewster were added to by a late Eddie Nketiah goal to ensure the shock result.

The Premier League side did make some changes as expected, Andrew Burns, Jorge Mere, Roberts Veips, Tom Dele-Bashiru, Phil Foden, Jadon Sancho and Marlos Moreno all featured amongst a much changed side from the hosts. However a few of the regulars did start such as Joe Hart and Gabriel Jesus.

The occasion certainly didn't get to the U's, straight from the off they started as they continued, very much in control despite the two league difference between the sides. A goal came very early on as Semi Ajayi's ball over the top proved too much for the young defender Veips as Bradley Fewster used his pace to latch onto the ball and place it comfortably past the England number one, Hart.

Colchester seemed to be in control of the ball for the majority of the first half and the two seemed to be heading in with the League One side in front at the break, however Gabriel Jesus levelled with seven minutes to go. A pass into Moreno from just outside the area allowed Moreno to move inside and put in a low cross for the Brazilian to finish, seemingly settling the hosts nerves.

A youthful City side seemed to grow into the game within the second half but still seemed to be second best to an impressive Colchester side. Another ball over the top proved to be too much for the City defence once again, Nketiah threading through Fewster once again who had the nerve to beat Hart one-on-one for the second time.

Perhaps Pep may be ruing his decision to field a much weakened side, the occasion seemed to get more to his own players rather than the lower league oppositions. The likes of Phil Foden and Dele-Bashiru in midfield did impress however for the Citizens, the duo are examples of the ever growing City youth academy.

Sinan Bytyqi came on in an attempt to take advantage of the tired legs of full-back Lawrie Wilson, however he did just about enough to ensure the youngster remained fairly quiet for the remainder of the game. Wilson, 30, has been ever impressive since joining on a free following his release from Bolton Wanderers in the Summer.

Late on in the game it was apparent there were nerves in the legs of the United defence, however those were settled when Eddie Nketiah continued his impressive season on loan. A long ball forward was headed down by Thomas Lapslie, enabling Drey Wright to pick the ball up, run into the open channel and play a picture-perfect ball into the Arsenal loanee who wrapped the game up with a couple minutes to go.

A day nobody in the history of Colchester United will forget for a long time I'm sure, manager Paddy McLaughlin, the youngest manager in football will certainly not forget the night he beat Pep Guardiola's Manchester City side at the Etihad Stadium. Colchester are through to the next round of this historic competition and who knows, they could go on to win it.

Manchester City: Joe Hart, Andrew Burns (Joel Latibeaudiere, 70), Joel Mere, Roberts Veips, Sead Kolasinac, Alfred N'Diaye, Tom Dele-Bashiru (Benjamin Garre, 70), Phil Foden (Sinan Bytyqi, 60) Marlos Moreno, Jadon Sancho, Gabriel Jesus.

Substitutes not used: Maartan Paes, Bryan Gildersleeve, Aleksander Kolorov, Martin Newell.

Colchester United: Dean Brill, Lawrie Wilson, Semi Ajayi, Paul Digby (Luke Prosser, 67), Sean Kavanagh, Yaser Kasim (Sean Murray, 80), Thomas Lapslie, Drey Wright, Brennan Dickenson, Bradley Fewster, Eddie Nketiah.

Substitutes not used: Sam Walker, Frankie Kent, Vlad Dragomir, Adam Le Fondre, Chris Porter.

Referee: A.Fielding

Attendance: 54,307