Colchester United’s owner and chairman, Robbie Cowling, has reiterated his wish to make an internal appointment, as a successor to previous manager Tony Humes, and has admitted that current caretaker boss Wayne Brown is “in the box seat.”

Cowling is still considering his options, following Humes’ departure two weeks ago, but he would prefer not to look outside the club, and he is hoping to make a full-time appointment as early as next week.

U’s supremo Cowling took part in a question-and-answer forum with supporters on BBC Essex radio on Wednesday evening, during which he intimated that Brown was still the favourite to take charge.

“I’d like to make the appointment some time next week, but there’s no guarantees on that,” said Cowling.

“Wayne at the moment is in the box seat, doing the role, and there’s serious consideration that we probably may appoint him as manager.

“But just like with bringing young players through into the team at the moment, we want to make sure that we bring through people at the correct time for them, and it’s a consideration with Wayne with his career as well.

“So I know that it might sound a little bit indecisive in the way that we are doing it, but it’s certainly not.

“We’re about developing the people that we’ve got. I haven’t made a total decision yet, but I do want to look at people internally and see what we can do there.

“I think, with Wayne, he’s got a great background at the club, and he was here as a player during the club’s most successful period.

“I would say at the moment he is in the box seat, but he might not want it, because it’s a bit of a poisoned chalice at the moment,” added Cowling.