Erstwhile Colchester United player Perry Groves and current BBC Radio Essex commentator Glenn Speller both think the writing is definitely on the wall where the play-offs are concerned.
Groves, also once of Arsenal, is famed for his straight talking and told the BBC`s Late Kick-off East show this week his ex side have endured “relegation form” following a dramatic downturn in results over the past ten games.
The U`s are without a home win since they impressively defeated Swindon at the start of the month, making it just three points from the past eleven games during a luckless run which has seen the side spectacularly drop points despite playing well.
Colchester even took the lead through winger Ian Henderson during last week`s away game at Hartlepool, only to allow the relegation-threatened side a comeback win, their first of the season, as they retrieved the deficit successfully after going behind.
The result saw United surrender the chance to dictate their own promotion fate this season and effectively ended all hopes of achieving a top-six spot. Another win for Huddersfield, the side above them, would leave Colchester with nothing to play for when the sides meet next weekend.
They face lowly Stockport County on Saturday while the U`s host Tranmere Rovers.
Commenting on the decline, Speller summarised for BBC Radio Essex last weekend: “Colchester, right until just after Christmas, were top six material. Huddersfield aren`t a great side. Huddersfield haven`t got into the play-offs by playing great football – they`ve slipped up – what they`ve done is make the most of Colchester`s slips.
“Colchester have handed Huddersfield that final play-off spot, they`ve handed Charlton a cushion, they`ve handed a play-off sport to Millwall, they`ve handed a cushion to Swindon. To be honest with you, no-one expected it, no one saw where it was coming from,” he added.
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