Colchester United's heavy defeat at Burton Albion perhaps served to further reinforce how important chairman Robbie Cowling’s choice of new manager will be.

Cowling’s next appointment will be his sixth since he took ownership of the club, perhaps a reflection of the fragile and transient nature of modern-day football management.

Tony Humes’ resignation meant that his tenure came to an end after fewer than 15 months in charge, the shortest reign since Aidy Boothroyd’s brief spell at the helm.

Cowling has stated publically that he cannot see himself going for a “journeyman” manager or drafting someone in from outside of the club.

That suggests that the likes of Richard Hall, John McGreal and Wayne Brown are all in with a shout for the job.

Cowling’s comments have not gone down well with some U’s fans, who feel now is the right time to bring in someone from the outside after three in-house appointments.

Whether that comes to fruition remains to be seen but given that the U’s last two managers were new to the job at that level, perhaps appointing a more experienced Football League coach to work with the new boss might be an option if the first-team manager is once again to be promoted from within.

Hall is certainly a strong candidate; while he worked very closely with Humes as his assistant, he also has his own ideas about how things should be done.

The former Southampton defender would also bring the continuity that Cowling craves, having helped nurture many of the U’s promising young players who are now involved in the first team.

Likewise, McGreal and Brown have also played a significant role in helping Colchester’s academy establish the excellent reputation it now has.

Leading the U’s under-18s to a league and cup double in the 2013-14 season was a milestone moment in that it brought the U’s youth set-up to national attention and the duo’s stock rose, as a result.

Given Humes' elevation from head of the U's academy to first-team manager, the likes of Tony Ashby and Sean Thacker are also in the frame and past history suggests that an internal appointment seems likely.

With the U’s lying a point above the relegation zone, it clearly needs to be the right one.

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