'Pivotal' time for Colchester takeover - Cowley

Danny Cowley led Colchester to 10th place in League Two this season

Colchester United head coach Danny Cowley says the proposed takeover of the club comes at a "pivotal" point for the U's.

Chairman Robbie Cowling, who has owned the League Two club since 2006, is in advanced talks to sell the club to US consortium Lightwell Sports Group.

Cowley's side missed out on the play-offs on the final day of the season and he may soon have new owners to work with as he begins to prepare for the next campaign.

"It's a pivotal time," the 46-year-old told BBC Essex. "Lots of decisions need to be made and it's harder to make decisions when you don't have complete clarity.

"The timing plays a big role because we can't move in terms of provisions, staffing and player recruitment."

Colchester went unbeaten in 13 games between the end of January and mid-March to push towards the play-offs but failed to win any of their final four to fall short of the top seven by three points.

Nonetheless, it was a campaign of progress for the club, after finishes of 22nd, 20th, 15th and 20th in their previous four seasons which were mostly spent battling to avoid relegation.

"We'll just continue to work," Cowley added. "We have clarity on where the team is and what we need to do to move forward. I think the club is in the best place it's been for a number of years and I really believe the future is exciting.

"We're in an important period in terms of planning to move forward, trying to give players certainty and looking to recruit in the areas we need to.

"Our challenge is to try to keep this group together as much as we can so we don't need a complete rebuild. We feel we've got a platform now that we can push on from. We're hoping we can find a springboard to propel the club forward."

'We've lived these moments before'

Dealing with change at boardroom level will not be a new experience for Cowley and brother Nicky, also on the U's coaching staff.

"I lived it at Lincoln where Clive Nates took over as we progressed from the National League," Cowley said.

"When we went to Huddersfield, Phil Hodgkinson had just taken over from Dean Hoyle and that wasn't straightforward by any stretch of the imagination.

"And at Portsmouth we had just signed new contracts, then the next day the CEO Mark Catlin told us he was leaving. We've lived these moments before and we'll try to use our experience to navigate our way through it."

Cowley also paid tribute to Cowling after 19 years of ownership.

"I hate to think of the millions he's invested of his own wealth," the head coach added. "Nicky and I have really enjoyed working with him.

"Whenever I meet really successful people I always try to work out what makes them so successful. With Robbie it's clear: it's just a relentless determination and work ethic.

"It's inspirational the way he works across all of his businesses. The bit that stood out for me was his unconditional love for the club."