Colchester United have appointed Danny Cowley as their new head coach alongside his brother Nicky as his assistant.
The U’s have moved quickly to hire a new permanent coach following the sacking of Matthew Etherington on New Year’s Day. The former West Ham midfielder won just two matches in charge, losing a further nine since he was appointed on the 16th of November.
Cowley will be the third man to take charge of the club this season, with Ben Garner also being removed in October. The Essex native returns to management in the county following his first role as manager of Concord Rangers and later at Braintree Town.
The 45-year-old is best known for his stint in charge of Lincoln City, where he led the Imps on a famous FA Cup run, knocking out Ipswich Town, Brighton & Hove Albion and Premier League Burnley with the National League side.
He has experience in the fourth division through his time at Sincil Bank, finishing 7th and then as champions in 2018/19. They also won the EFL Trophy the season prior, beating Shrewsbury Town at Wembley.
Boasting a 50.3% win percentage during his time in management, Cowley alongside brother Nicky take the reins at a Colchester United side fighting at the bottom of League Two.
Sitting 22nd, The U’s have only won once in their last nine matches, a 2-1 home victory against fellow strugglers Salford City. The next game this weekend sees them travel to Swindon Town, a team they beat 3-1 earlier this season.
In an interview with the club, the brothers were eager to get started. Danny stated: “It’s a privilege to be here. We feel very fortunate, we’re local boys, and we know how much the club means to Colchester and the community.
“For Nicky and I, we’ve been lucky enough to manage a number of clubs over the last 15 years. We’ve been looking for that kind of alignment, the right people. I look at a club that has a lot going for it.
“The challenge now is to get the final bit, and that is on the pitch.”
Writer’s View
This is a massive appointment for Colchester United. The Cowley brothers were rightfully seen as some of the best managers available on the market, so for the U’s to secure their services is quite remarkable. With them being Essex lads themselves, it seems to have been a major factor in their decision, and hopefully, that translates to a fanbase that were seemingly lost and disillusioned with the previous head coach.
Appointing successful and proven managers is no doubt a major boost for the club and squad, with them having the chance to bolster where they need to with most of the January transfer window left. The optimism that this appointment can bring will certainly be seen through the next few games, with their opening home match against Bradford City next week a chance for the majority of fans to see their new leaders in action. It should certainly be enough to steer the club away from the drop and look at a move back up the footballing pyramid.
1st Class Honours in Multimedia Journalism at Salford University. Writing mainly about League Two.
