WHO would you pick for your U’s player of the season so far?

We're almost a quarter of the way through the league campaign so there's plenty of evidence to sift through.

Perhaps not be guided by the majority of the home man of the match awards, as they tend to focus on the players in the lower half of the teamsheet, being the exciting attackers that they are.

I wonder if Dean Gerken would feature in your thinking? He certainly would in mine, even at the expense of my usual favourites, the two Toms - Lapslie and Eastman.

The defensive line are so often overlooked when it comes to the praise and glory.

Dean could be also be up for “deal of the season” after the U’s beckoned him in to fill the unsettled keeper position left vacant by the departing Gilmartin and Barnes.

Our former youth team glove man has made a massive difference to the U’s.

You can sense it from the stands and you can see it in the eyes of his team-mates.

A string of excellent saves, not least the point-saving efforts at Macclesfield last week,and the odd penalty shoot-out heroics, too.

The recent “to me, to you” moment with Eastman can be easily excused if Deano can help propel us to where we want to be at the end of the season.

He will certainly need to be at his very best again tomorrow. The U’s have learnt with pain several times in the past that a

wounded and under-estimated Stevenage can be very annoying opponents.

Winless and bottom of the table they may be they will come to frustrate and that can be our Achilles heel at times.

Our team selection will be important, because I think we’ll require more than skill to beat them - a fair slice of grunt will be

needed too, I reckon.

I have seen a few suggestions this week intimating that, for various plausible reasons, the fans should stand down on the banter with our former striker within their ranks. I think you know who I mean.

Nice idea but you can predict that he will probably be up and close and personal in front of S1 at some point in the game, so the temptation will too high, I suspect.

Focusing on our players is always a winner for me although who that will be is a matter for John McGreal who has been quoted this week as saying that he probably has too many players in his squad to keep happy.

A test of his managerial skills, it will certainly be.

Good luck tomorrow U’s and thanks for your support - don’t forget that if you can get over the cup competition, the U’s have another chance to beat Spurs again next Tuesday (their under-21 side)! That’s got to be worth seeing.

Colchester United Supporters Association chairman Jon Burns