Frank Nouble has yet to score a competitive goal in a Colchester United shirt, but he is adamant that the goals will come soon.
Frank Nouble has yet to score a competitive goal in a Colchester United shirt, but he is adamant that the goals will come soon.
Nouble has been ever-present in the U’s starting line-up during the first few weeks of the League Two campaign, starting each of the first five games.
The 26-year-old former Ipswich Town attacker is yet to get off the mark, despite playing up top in a central role, but he has already had a big impact in helping the U’s front-line, and team in general, to score goals on a regular basis.
John McGreal’s men have enjoyed a good start to the season, and are well-placed in sixth spot going into tomorrow’s trip to Cheltenham Town.
They will certainly be looking to bounce back from their first league defeat of the campaign, a 2-1 home reverse to Northampton Town last Saturday, and Nouble will be targeting a landmark first goal for his new club.
“It’s been a bit frustrating, having not scored yet,” admitted Nouble.
“Sometimes it takes time, but I think that I’m playing well so I am sure that the goals will soon come.
“It doesn’t really nag me, not scoring. It can nag a little at the end of a match, but not after that, not when I’m back in training the next day.
“It doesn’t matter if I don’t score, and we win 6-0!” added Nouble, with reference to the 6-0 home drubbing of Crewe Alexandra from 10 days ago.
Nouble continued: “It’s been a good start from the team. There have been a lot of positives.
“We’ve had two wins, two draws and one defeat, so it’s a good start, although there is a long, long way to go.
“I think we have a lot of attacking flair in the team, and that has showed with the way that we have been playing.
“The manager (John McGreal) has brought in a few new players, myself included, and we are playing well together.
“I think the club has more options than it had last season, and the most important thing this week has been to get the Northampton result out of our minds.”
London-born Nouble began his professional career at West Ham, one of 14 English clubs that he has already played for during his still-short career.
He has been on the books of the Hammers, Wolves, Ipswich, Coventry, Gillingham, Southend, Newport and now Colchester, and had loan spells at West Brom, Swindon, Swansea, Barnsley, Charlton and Gillingham, in addition to a stint in China.
“I’m happy here and I’ve settled in well at Colchester, especially as I knew a few of the boys beforehand,” explained Nouble.
“But then I’ve been to so many places that I tend to know a few faces from every dressing room!
“I’ve enjoyed playing down the middle, in a central role, because at Newport last season I played out wide for most of the time, because that was a way for me to get on the ball more.
“At the moment, others are scoring goals in the team, which is great. There have been lots of different names on the scoresheet.
“I feel that I have contributed in that with a few assists, and so long as we are winning, it doesn’t matter where the goals are coming from.
“I manage to drag defenders to me, which has created space for others, like Sammie Szmodics.
“In fact, Sammie is a much better player than I thought he was, before I came here. He’s been doing very well.”
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