Gavin Massey has admitted that it was a “shock” to learn of Joe Dunne’s decision to stand down as Colchester United manager at the start of this week.

The U’s winger thought that the Dubliner would still be at the helm to mastermind the team’s upturn in fortunes, following such a disappointing start to the season.

But Massey is already looking ahead to this afternoon, and feels confident that the U’s can celebrate new boss Tony Humes’ first game in charge with a victory at fellow strugglers Walsall.

“It’s been a strange week, but these things happen all the time in football,” insisted Massey.

“We will just get on with it and go again this weekend.

“The gaffer going was a shock. Obviously the results have not been going our way, but the performances have been good.

“I never thought anything was going to happen, in my mind. If anything, I thought he would probably have had a few more games, because the results were always going to come.

“I woke up to hear the news on Monday. It was a shock, but we can’t dwell on those sort of things.

“I think we can turn it around at Walsall this weekend.”

Ex-Watford winger Massey will always be indebted to Dunne, who left the U’s by mutual consent after one month short of two years in charge.

It was Dunne who signed front-runner Massey on a permanent contract in the summer of 2012, after an earlier loan spell, and the 21-year-old has already rattled up 83 league games for the Essex club.

“The gaffer (Dunne) has been great to me, and a few of the younger boys as well,” continued Massey.

“I’d like to say ‘thanks’ for everything he has done, but we have to look to the weekend with the new gaffer in charge now. We’ve got to put things right.

“It was the old gaffer who brought me here. I had a good first season under him, though last season was obviously a bit on-and-off with my injuries.

“But he’s helped me play stable first team football, and I appreciate evervthing he has done for me.

“But now I have to kick-on with my own career.”

The U’s have so far lost five of their first six games this season, including four in League One, managing just one solitary point with an opening day 2-2 draw against Oldham.

However, Massey had no inkling that Dunne was about to leave the club, following last Saturday’s 3-1 home defeat to Peterborough.

“You can understand the decision if we had been getting beaten every week, and playing terrible,” explained Massey.

“But the thing is we have been playing well, and losing out by the odd goal here and there.

“I think that refereeing decisions have also not gone for us, and we are certainly not getting opened out week after week.

“There was no indication what was going to happen after the game on Saturday.

“He (Dunne) said what he said. He was obviously feeling down, but we just thought we would come in on Tuesday and crack on again.

“He had obviously analysed the game, and told us – ‘we can’t really be playing this well and getting beaten every week, it’s got to turn’– but he didn’t have the chance to make things right.

“Now we have to make sure we do this under the new gaffer,” concluded Massey.