Ward: Last Season`s Inquest Has Begun

John Ward believes last season`s sudden loss of play-off momentum - one that ultimately cost Colchester a League One play-off place - is best as a lesson learned for the upcoming 2010/11campaign.

The new manager says an insight into the mentality of his side when times are tough, as they undoubtedly were during a very barren back-end to 2009/10, should serve the former assistant well next time around.

The goal next term, although he hates to commit to it, remains the same: escape League One, by fair means or foul. This will prevent Colchester fans from having to seek any form of bittersweet solace elsewhere, by checking up on the progress of either of the former coaches, Aidy Boothroyd at Coventry or Paul Lambert with Norwich.

On last season, Ward explained: "It had good potential, for 36 games, and then it fell away. We`ve got to find the reasons for that - it`s a difficult one. People expect us to have the answers to all those sorts of questions."

"I learnt a lot about the players; in adversity you learn a lot about everybody around you. I think that will stand me in good stead. If it had happened at the start and risen to eight at the end, you`d have all been on. But we didn`t. Having said that, it was the fourth-highest position this club has ever achieved," he said yesterday.




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