With squad stability a key factor this summer manager Chris Beech admitted this week that he’s still open to additions, as long as the right type of player – one who would fit in and enhance the squad – becomes available.
“If you’re asking if we’ll have any more in before Saturday as far as Colchester are concerned tell them we’ll have five more signings tomorrow,” he joked. “Being realistic, we have to make sure we have balance to this squad.
“We tried to strengthen in January when we were doing very well, just before the different factors we had facing us. I have to say this, I use an analogy that in a restaurant, if there’s more waiters employed, they tend to chat more and do less.
“Yet if there’s less waiters, they tend to work hard and serve more. Sometimes you’re better with less doing more, than more doing less. Although that sounds a bit upside down, we’ve got to get that balance right with youth players, players we’ve recruited and players that are here, and representing those values on a Saturday.”
“But you never know what’s round the corner in football,” he continued. “You can look to plan for difference, but we’ve got a great balance in the squad. The numbers are pretty even across defending, midfield and attacking elements.
“Also we’re quite adaptable within those players, and we’ve been very adaptable in pre-season, we’ve never played the same shape or system. I’ve even been moving players within the systems, centre-forwards to centre halves, for example, to give younger players different aspects of what it’s like, and it gives them a different feeling when going back into their own position.
“Results and performances have been good but the adaptability has been really good. That means we can take our time over what we want to do.”
And with just one loan option (keeper Lukas Jensen) taken up so far, he commented: “It’s still possible that we do that.
“I don’t know what will happen – we’ve got a few games in August before that deadline day closes. A lot of people try their best to get ready for this one day, the first game.
“Of course we are, but I really don’t know what will happen. I was so excited this time last year, then you had Brennan Dickenson, Joshua Kayode and Omari Patrick not available for the first game of the season.
“We’re not in that position currently. But you never know what’ll happen in the next two days. If that happens within that and we have opportunity to look at difference in what we’re doing, we will. It’s important to try and keep that door slightly open.”
“I’ve got to make sure we keep progressing so we excel on matchdays more regularly,” he concluded. “I’d like more control within games, but who wouldn’t as a manager, and I do want to be exciting, and play fast.
“I like watching that, being involved in that. Speed is a real asset and on a football pitch we’ve got to make sure we utilise fast, attractive football and get the ball back as fast as possible. But we have to make more control as we grow as a group.
“Any new additions need to be able to cope with that and ultimately fit in with it.”
