Colchester United have begun reshaping their squad in earnest, in readiness for their first campaign in the fourth tier for 18 years.

But what will it take for the U’s to bounce back from the disappointment of suffering relegation to League Two?

One of Colchester’s opponents in the 2016-17 campaign will be Yeovil Town, who were one of four teams to go down from League One, 12 months ago.

The Glovers ended up finishing sixth from bottom and Western Gazette sports editor Tom Seymour says it is important that teams quickly adjust to the more physical nature of the division.

He said: “There are some teams who play very direct football – straight from the back and up to the front.

“Teams like Stevenage, Carlisle and Barnet adopted that kind of approach this season and the physical and direct approach can hinder players who like to play but it can work.

“It’s tough to get out of that league and it’s fairly true for all three divisions in the Football League.

“Looking at the four teams who were relegated at the end of last season, only Leyton Orient got near to flirting with the play-offs so it just shows how tough it can be.”

Simon Mail covered Orient for the Guardian series in East London and agrees that many games in League Two are not particularly aesthetic.

“The style of football is very direct and there isn’t much quality,” he said.

“Even Northampton Town, who were head and shoulders above every other team this season, were not spectacular to watch.

“It’s pretty physical and even though it’s not massively different to League One, there’s not a lot of great football.

“The standard is weaker – that’s obvious and the gates are smaller but there aren’t a phenomenal amount of differences between the divisions.

“It’s very important that you get off to a good start, because if you start slowly then it’s very difficult to recover.

“Momentum is important and the better start you have, the more chance there is of you starting afresh and putting the misery of relegation behind you.”

Colchester have just announced their retained list, with the likes of Darren Ambrose, Nicky Shorey and Marvin Sordell all leaving the club when their contracts expire, this summer.

The U’s will be looking to bring in senior players to replace them in the coming weeks and Mail says who they bring in is likely to have a part to play in how they fare, next season.

“One or two older heads can be crucial,” he said.

“I don’t think having talented young players alone is enough to get teams promoted from League Two.

“The best idea is to get some experienced heads in who have played at that level before.

“Leyton Orient still had players who should have been playing at a higher level like Dean Cox and Jobi McAnuff but if you go down, it’s vital you sign the right players.”

Seymour said the arrival of experienced duo Darren Ward and Francois Zoko helped Yeovil find their feet in the division, after they lost five of their opening six league matches.

“Yeovil made two key signings on free transfers in November who had a big influence on the team,” he said.

“Darren Ward came in as captain and at the age of 38, is someone who’s been there and done it and he came in and organised the team, both on and off the pitch.

“Francois Zoko also came in and he’s someone who has played at that level for several different clubs and often played as a lone striker.”

Playing in League Two after an 18-year absence will certainly take some getting used to for Colchester and their supporters.

But the work the U’s do in the coming weeks in preparing for life in League Two promises to be key in determining how they fare in the Football League’s fourth tier, next season.