Former Portsmouth manager Danny Cowley, now Colchester United’s head coach, admitted to smiling when his team was drawn against Southampton in the Carabao Cup first round. Cowley, who managed Pompey for nearly two years between 2021 and 2023, is well aware of the rivalry that exists between the clubs due to his time living on the south coast.
"I did smile when we got drawn against Southampton," Cowley confessed. "Having lived in Portsmouth before, I know that rivalry pretty well. It's an exciting fixture for us. It will have a lot of media attention, for obvious reasons. For us, it's a great game. We play probably the highest-ranked team in the competition at this stage.
Like all good teams, when you play against them, they give you instant feedback of where you're at. It'll be a really good test and live on Sky. It'll be a great game for our players, particularly our young ones. It's a really good opportunity for them to showcase their levels," Cowley added.
Meanwhile, former Portsmouth defender Sean Raggett is also at Colchester having signed from Rotherham United earlier this summer. Raggett joined Pompey after Saints' 4-0 win at Fratton Park and said that he may still get some jeers from travelling supporters.
"To start off with a tie against Southampton is going to be a big challenge but one everyone is really looking forward to," Raggett stated. "You want to play against these good sides, so we're looking forward to it. It'll be interesting – I wonder if any of their fans will pick up on that. I might get a few jeers! It's on TV and it's good exposure for Colchester United, especially for the younger players – it's a good chance to show what you're about and the senior lads too, of course.
The match will be broadcast on Sky Sports with kick-off scheduled for 5:30pm. Saints have sold out their full allocation of 1,500 tickets.
