Manager ahead of the Colchester game
United manager Greg Abbott spoke to us ahead of the final training session of the week as the lads complete their preparations for the visit of Colchester United on Saturday.
“It does seem unbelievable that it’s the last game this weekend,” he said. “It’s flown by even though it has been a very tough ten months since we all got back together last July.
“I think we’ve said a few times that it hasn’t been the season we wanted, but we’ve worked hard to overcome the problems we’ve faced and the reward for that has been the improvement in results and performances we’ve seen over the past few months.
“The challenge will be for us to continue that into next season. The work for that has already started as we look to assemble a squad with the qualities which will drive us forward and give us a real chance to compete.”
“The game on Saturday is a good chance for us to say thank you to our fans for what they have done for us this season,” he told us. “They have been patient and they have stood with us through some difficult periods. We really appreciate that and it would be nice if we could go out on a high with another good performance.
“Colchester will come here knowing that we won’t be going out there to do them any favours. We have our own job to do, for our own reasons, and we have to forget about the significance of the game for them.
“Joe [Dunne] will expect nothing less and I’m sure his team will be fired up and ready to go. They will not be happy with the situation they find themselves in at all but I’m sure they will come here to get the points they need on what is a massive day for them.
“Whatever formation or selection we go with, they will be sent out there to do their jobs. I have never really held with the thought that there is nothing to play for. In terms of where we are in the league, the points don’t hold as much importance for us as they do for Colchester, but it’s still extremely important to me and my staff that we get a result. We’re a professional football team and our main job is to win games for our fans, ourselves and our club.”
“I think the lads are ready for a break now because it has been a tough season,” he added. “Having said that, they’ll have their holiday, or whatever they’re going to do, and I know for a fact they’ll all be itching to get back to it within a matter of weeks. A good result on Saturday will make that so much easier because it means they’ll go away from here on a high.
“There are still a few issues to sort out, but that’s for next week. The focus right now has to be on getting a result on Saturday afternoon.”