‘It’s a frustrated dressing room’ – admits U’s Saunders

Sam Saunders, on his U's full debut, is challenged during yesterday's 2-0 defeat at Bury. Picture: PAGEPIX (Image: Pagepix Ltd 07976 935738)

Saunders marked his full Colchester United debut with a man-of-the-match performance, in the middle of the park, but his performance was of little consolation to the 35-year-old as his new club slipped to their fifth defeat in the last six outings.

As a result, the U’s are now five points adrift of the play-offs, with just four games left.

“It’s really frustrating,” rued Saunders.

“It’s a very frustrated dressing room, and at the end you could see the frustration of the fans as well.

“We had a game-plan, and I thought the gaffer (John McGreal) set us up well. We looked in control when we won the ball and turned over possession, and there was space to hurt them.

“But I just felt that we were lacking, whether that be the final pass or the right decision, with just a little bit of quality in the final third.

- Carl Marston’s U’s Player Ratings

“For me, coming in (signing as a free agent), I see a lot of talent on show and many good individuals.

“But what I do see is perhaps a lack of belief and a lack of confidence. They are a little bit down.

“The gaffer gave us all the information that was needed, there was no stone left unturned. We were set up how we wanted to play.

“I felt the game-plan really worked, so I am frustrated, and I am frustrated for the gaffer as well. There’s no one working harder to turn it around than him.

“It’s a good working environment that I have come into. I haven’t come into an environment that should see us stringing together these set of (poor) results that we have had, because we are a better team than that.

“We are more organised than that, but it’s just silly mistakes – not picking up from corners and not clearing your lines.

“As a result, the momentum builds and Bury get more and more pressure. The crowd gets up and up and up, and finally we fold and they score,” added ex-Brentford and Wycombe veteran Saunders.

Meanwhile, boss John McGreal said: “We cannot buy a goal at the moment, while individual errors are costing us at the other end.

“I thought our first half was one of our best performances of the year, against a top team. We certainly didn’t lose that game tactically, instead it was mistakes that cost us.”