Let's ruffle a few feathers

WE’VE spoken about the final two games and about how it’s important we finish strongly, to take that momentum into the new season.

Hopefully we can go to Exeter City for our final game of the season on Saturday, ruffle a few feathers and pick up a win, to finish off with.

Being the last game of the season, I’m sure there’ll be a bit of a reflective atmosphere coming back on the long journey home afterwards.

But before that, we’ll go there to do a job.

It might have finished 0-0 but there were positives to take from the Swindon Town game last Saturday, like the clean sheet we kept.

Games can be difficult when there’s not much riding on them, because it’s difficult to build up any momentum.

But I still felt we played a very good game – I thought it was a good performance but we didn’t create the clearcut chances needed to win the game.

With regards to my own future, at the moment I’m just focusing on the Exeter City game.

Once that’s done, I’ll then have a conversation with the club in the first week or two of the off season.

It was certainly a different experience for me last weekend, being on the bench against Swindon.

It’s not one I’ve had at Colchester before, apart from the odd cup game but it was interesting to watch the team from that perspective and see how well they move the ball.

Not playing last weekend means that unlike last time, I won’t go through the whole season having played every minute of every league game.

It’s one of those things and it’s just a stat.

It would have been nice to have seen out a complete league season but it wasn’t due to fitness or form.

It was the situation and it was a time to give players opportunities who wouldn’t have got those opportunities before, because of what we had been doing in the league.

Delighted for Dillon

I WAS absolutely delighted for Dillon Barnes who made his league debut for us against Swindon Town last weekend – I felt like a bit of a proud older brother!

I’ve worked with Dillon at Colchester for a while now and along with James Bransgrove last season, we’ve developed a close-knit goalkeeping unit.

Both Dillon and James are very hard working lads and there’s been a very good spirit and camaraderie both under George Bankole and this season, Rene Gilmartin.

I thought he was excellent throughout and calm and assured in everything that he did.

Making your league debut can be immensely daunting.

I remember doing so at Barnet when I was 19 and it can be nerve-racking but Dillon deserved to keep his clean sheet.

It was a good game for him to come into – it wasn’t particularly high pressure given the fact that neither team could make the play-offs.

I had a good chat with the manager and I could completely understand where he’s coming from.

It was the perfect opportunity to give Dillon a go and as soon as I was told I wouldn’t be playing, I wanted to go and give my support and lend any experience in any way I could.

The Great Escape is on

IT looks like an exciting final day of the season is in store for my old club Barnet, this weekend.

They go into the last game of the season at home to Chesterfield, who have already been relegated, knowing that a win in that game and a defeat for Morecambe at Coventry City will keep the Bees up.

Martin Allen has done a great job there since going back and he was the first manager I played under when I was on loan at Barnet, even though I only had him for a couple of weeks.

It’s a very difficult game for Morecambe against a Coventry side who will be looking for a high finish, ahead of the play-offs so if Barnet win, there’s every chance that they’ll stay up.

They’ve made a bit of a habit of doing these things over the years and I wouldn’t put it past them doing it again, especially as they have past experience of these kind of high-pressure situations.

Mistakes can happen...even at the top

IT really was a cracking Champions League semi-final between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, on Tuesday night.

A lot of people have been talking about the mistake from Bayern goalkeeper Sven Ulreich’s that led to Real scoring a crucial goal but it just shows you again that it can happen at the top level of football.

In fact, in some ways there’s even more chance of happening at that level, simply because of the amount of pressure there is in that kind of match situation with thousands watching in the stadium and millions of people watching around the world.

Unfortunately, these things do happen.

A lot of fans and pundits have spoken about what happened and he seemed to get caught in two minds with the backpass.

In a different situation, he probably would have had a bit more clarity of thought.

We’ve all been there as goalkeepers at some point, at whatever level it is.

Real haven’t been at their best in this season’s Champions League but they always seem to find a way of getting to the final.

There'll be lots of love if Wenger does it

ARSENAL will be looking to make the Europa League Final tonight.

And even though Atletico Madrid will go into the semi-final second leg as slight favourites having got the away goal at the Emirates last week, it would be very dangerous in my opinion to write the Gunners off.

They are capable of winning any game and they will be doing everything they can to get to the final and win it for Arsene Wenger, in his final season there.

The romantic in me can see Arsenal going there tonight and pulling off a mini shock.

Chelsea win the FA Youth Cup...again

MY old club Chelsea secured their fifth successive FA Youth Cup win on Monday night, after beating Arsenal 7-1 on aggregate.

Having won the competition myself with Chelsea back in 2010, I usually get a bit of stick from the rest of the lads in the changing room but I’ll definitely be mentioning it again today!

When we won it eight years ago, we bucked a trend as Chelsea hadn’t won it for 49 years prior to that – I’m really proud of that fact.

It was very fitting that they’ve won it in the same season where we’ve lost two Chelsea favourites – Ray Wilkins and Dermot Drummy.

Dermot in particular was a big part of us bucking that trend in the FA Youth Cup, so it was a nice way to respect his memory.

Chelsea have won the competition for the last five years in a row now but we haven’t seen that many players break into their first team and stay there, so perhaps that will change next season.

But they have a huge amount of pressure on them to succeed and I also understand why managers at times find it difficult to integrate the younger players, as talented as they are.

I was a programme collector

IT’S been interesting to hear the debate about matchday programmes this week and whether or not they should be retained by clubs.

As a kid going up the road to Portman Road with my Dad, I was big collector of programmes but I’m sure I still have the collection.

They’re part and parcel of the matchday experience – I understand that we’re now in a world of social media but I personally think there’s still a place for them.

Whenever we go to a ground and there’s a pile of programmes left for us in the changing room, I always have a look and I think we have a very good one at Colchester United.

Most players have a flick through and see what’s being said about them and there’s usually a banter about who the star man is!

It’s even funnier if the wrong picture is used for the wrong player!

Getting shirty

IT was funny to hear about Penarol keeper Kevin Dawson, who was apparently forced to borrow a shirt from a supporter after leaving his kit at home.

It can happen and there are always things like shin pads going missing.

My boots are packed and I’ve had them left behind at the training ground before but fortunately, we were at home and it wasn’t really a problem.

But I always make sure I carry my own gloves to games, as they’re the last thing I would want to lose.

Hopefully, there won’t be anything left behind this weekend – it would be annoying to get all the way down to Devon and discover something’s been left!

Awards and rewards

I’VE cast my vote for our End of Season awards next Tuesday – but I’m keeping it close to my chest!

It’s always a really good night and the club do a great job with it, every year.

It’s been a long but in many ways, productive season.

There’s been a lot of individual improvement and we’re a very tight-knit squad.