Colchester United has confirmed the appointment of Hayden Mullins as the club’s new head coach in a deal until the end of the season.
Mullins replaces interim manager Wayne Brown and is the official replacement for Steve Ball, who lost his job in February. Mullins inherits a difficult challenge with Colchester struggling to preserve its Football League status.
The U have won just once in their last 22 league games. They have also set unwanted records for goals and winless streaks this season.
Hayden Mullins takes over at Colchester United
Mullins is tasked with preserving the status of the Colchester football league
The former Portsmouth and West Ham United player is rising from his assistant coach position to fill Colchester’s hot spot. Mullins was part of the established training at Watford from 2016 to 2020 before joining Colchester, initially as Steve Ball’s assistant.
Mullins has some first-team management experience, having been in charge of the Hornets twice. His most recent spell was the last three games of the 2020/21 season, but Mullins couldn’t prevent Watford from being relegated to the Championship.
You face a similar challenge with the U’s. Colchester is in dire straits, fighting for their lives at the end of League Two. They are 21st, four points away from the relegation zone, but have been on a losing streak for some time. Colchester has accumulated just three wins in its last 24 league games. They had just one win over former coach Wayne Brown, but since then they have been seven league games without a win.
It’s a stark contrast to last season when Colchester secured a spot in the League Two play-offs. It’s been a tough season in more ways than one, but they have an enormously talented team that desperately needs a quick and morale boost.
They have a lot of experience with the likes of Harry Pell and Callum Harriott in their ranks. Scoring goals is proving to be the U’s biggest problem – only three teams have scored fewer, including the last two, Grimsby Town and Southend United.
Despite having players like Frank Nouble in their ranks, the goals just haven’t flowed. Mullins needs to revitalize Colchester’s attack and fast. The U have been blank in seven of their last 11 league games, scoring just five goals in that streak.
It’s a great job for Mullins, but he will certainly enjoy it. He’s got a lot to sort out with little time available, but he’ll think he can keep Colchester in the Football League.
President Robbie Cowling felt he needed to act and offers full support to the new head coach
Following Mullins’ appointment as U’s new head coach, President Robbie Cowling issued a statement: “With only eight games of the season remaining and Colchester United still embroiled in a battle to stay out of the relegation zone, I have decided to make a very difficult decision to change the head coach of the first team for the second time this season
“Wayne Brown has given everything to keep the club out of harm’s way, but his hard work, positivity and enthusiasm have not been rewarded with the results he deserved and the club needed. I cannot allow those poor results to eat away at the team’s confidence to overcome the drop, which despite our position remains high.
“I would like to personally thank Wayne for all of his hard work. He jumped in to help me when I needed him and I’m very disappointed that things didn’t work out.
“I have asked Hayden Mullins to take the reins until the end of the season and I am pleased to say that he has accepted the challenge.
“I will provide an additional update on who will assist him once it has been determined, but I will be looking for someone with good managerial experience to not only help Hayden, but also guide him through those eight games. I believe that this combination will give us the best chance of achieving all of our goals.
“I would like to make it very clear, however, that this is Hayden’s work. He will be the head coach of the first team and he will be the one who makes the final decisions regarding team selection and tactics.
Cowling admits involvement in Colchester fights this season
In addition to confirming Mullins’ appointment, Cowling also spoke about his role in Colchester’s troubles this season.
His statement continues: “I would like to go on the record once again to say that I take full responsibility for the situation this season. I made a number of financial decisions that I believed were necessary during the pandemic and those decisions have had a negative impact on the results. If there hadn’t been a pandemic, I’m sure we would have been fighting at the other end of the table.
We are where we are. There is a pandemic and I have handled it as I did. If we stay awake, the decisions I have made will prepare us very well for the future and will be considered very sensible. If we go down, they will be considered fools.
“However, one thing is for sure? We will fight for each of the twenty-four points that we have left ”.
Hayden Mullins has eight games to save the U from relegation
It’s the old cliché, but Colchester United have eight cup finals between now and the end of the season. Survival is imperative and Mullins will be determined to deliver the goods.
However, he faces a very difficult journey for the fit Bolton Wanderers in their first game in charge. Bolton are currently on the longest undefeated streak in English football. That’s currently 13 and impressively, Ian Evatt’s team has won 11 of those. It’s a daunting task, but any positive result could be the perfect morale boost for a desperately lacking confidence.
Your status in the Football League could depend on the next four games. His trip to Bolton is followed by a six points that he must win against his fellow Barrow. Both sides are dangerously close to the bottom two and victory in that match could push one further out of harm’s way.
This is followed by a trip to Oldham Athletic before a doubleheader against teammates Walsall and Southend, three more games that will be crucial to their chances of survival. It could be argued that if they win these matches, they will retain their Football League status.
Their next games will be vital as Colchester will face promotion chasers Cheltenham Town, Salford City and Tranmere Rovers in their last three league games.
There are 24 points available and certainly there are games that Colchester can win. Hayden Mullins knows all about relegation battles and will be even more motivated after his experience at Watford last season. You don’t want a second demotion added to your manager résumé.
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