U's Legend Believes In Dunne

U's legend Micky Cook has affirmed that he is positive that Joe Dunne is the man to not only keep the U's up this season, but also to help the club rise again in the years to come if he is given the necessary time.

Cook, now aged sixty-one, is the club's all-time record appearance holder having made over six-hundred appearances in the blue and white throughout the seventies and early eighties.

He told the club's official website during Saturday's victory over Preston that he sees no reason for the U's not to be fine this year.

'I'm sure that they can stay up with Joe and Mark [Kinsella] at the helm and the passion and experience they bring,' he admitted. 'He just needs the time to bring in his own ideas and bed his players through.

'If he is allowed that, which I think he will be, then the club will just rise further and further up the table.

'Joe is Colchester United through and through; he's one of those characters who is passionate and wants the club to do well but it comes down to time.

'He needs time to implement changes, and there are lots of new, innovative things going on that are very exciting.'

Cook spent a number of years at Layer Road involved heavily in the youth development side of the club, and it is an area that has undergone significant changes in the years since he left in 2004.

Notably this year is the introduction of the Elite Performance Player Plan (EPPP), as well as the huge investment made into both the training facilities and the youth side of the club by chairman, Robbie Cowling, this year.

The veteran was one of those responsible for bringing through Lomana Tresor Lua Lua, for example, and he confesses that selling players such as Lua Lua on is one of the key purposes of such development.

'The demands of youth development have to be getting youngsters into the first team, which is starting to happen,' he continued, referring to the emergence of talent such as Drey Wright and Alex Gilbey, amongst others.

'Can they establish themselves as we've all had to and then the economics; can they go on and be sold like Lua Lua or [Greg] Halford to help get some money back into the coffers.

'The money involved now means it is a very exciting time for youngsters, but do they have the necessary ingredients to make it?

'The opportunity is now wide open for young boys to become professional footballers.'


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