Matty Etherington appointed as U's Head Coach
He's been in 'temporary' charge for the last three weeks - and guided the U's to an unbeaten four game streak
Last updated 16th Nov 2023
Colchester United has officially announced the appointment of former Spurs, West Ham, and Stoke winger Matty Etherington as the club's new Head Coach.
Etherington, who initially took over as interim boss for a three-week period, will now lead the U's permanently following a successful stint that saw the team earn ten points from four league fixtures.
In his temporary role, Etherington guided the team to an impressive run, maintaining an unbeaten record in league games and narrowly losing 3-2 in the FA Cup clash against League One side Shrewsbury Town.
Etherington, boasting almost 500 appearances in his playing career, had been with Colchester United as the U21s Lead Coach since the summer before stepping up to take charge of the first team.
In his first interview since the permanent appointment, Etherington expressed his gratitude to the chairman and Dmitri for the opportunity.
He highlighted the positivity within the team and emphasized his commitment to ensuring the club's success:
"Extremely pleased, obviously grateful to the chairman and Dmitri for giving me this opportunity. I'll give everything I can to make sure this club is successful. It's been a decent start in terms of the league form. But we just need to make sure we maintain that moving forward, but definitely a positivity in the building at the minute around the place, players seem in a good, good place. So hopefully we can keep climbing that."
When asked about the rapid transition from interim to permanent head coach, Etherington admitted it was a significant decision, mentioning that he had no initial aspirations for the role when he joined as the U21s Lead Coach. .
Etherington explained, "Yeah, I genuinely had no aspirations when I came here. I was thinking maybe a year or two down the line I might give first-team management another crack. But this has happened quickly. I'm a big believer in what's meant to be will be, and here we are. So really looking forward to it. I'll give it everything I've got. I believe in the way I work. I believe in the work that I do, and I'm hopeful that the fans can see the benefits of."
With Colchester United having a relatively young squad in terms of League 2 football, Etherington sees the youthfulness as an advantage.
Etherington commented, "Yeah, there is a really young group here and there's some really good senior players which complement that really well. They're good people and all of them are, to be fair, but they still need development, younger boys especially. And have to make sure that they're getting that extra session, etc., but plenty of talent to work with 100%"
Looking ahead, Etherington acknowledged the challenge of managing a busy schedule with game after game but emphasized the importance of adaptability.
Etherington explained, "Yeah, obviously a preseason would be perfect, but that's not the case. We gotta go with where we are now. And yeah, it'll be bit by bit...
"I don't think you can overload them with too much information straight away, so it'll be bit by bit... fundamentals of what I want to see week in, week out in every single time and yeah, being adaptable, I think that would be really important throughout the season as well against different kinds of opposition, especially away from home against top teams might need to do certain things differently."
The first game under Etherington's permanent leadership will be a tough encounter against Stockport, a team that has recently secured eleven consecutive victories. Despite the challenge, Etherington expressed confidence in the team's recent form, discipline, and togetherness, outlining his belief that they can compete positively against tough opposition.