IT’S time to find those U’s hats, scarves and gloves again folks.

Winter is coming.

Funny coloured footballs will be the norm now for a few months and the stocks of Bovril will take a bashing at grounds around the country.

I love this time of year.

Sadly the days of muddy pitches and huge divots playing havoc with goalkeepers are few and far between, but at least the 30-yard sliding tackle has not become extinct.

Tom Lapslie has seen to that.

So the message for tomorrow, when the U’s entertain Exeter City in a crucial home game, is to wrap up warm while enjoying the football.

Not quite sure though exactly who we will enjoy watching play.

Injuries and suspensions have started to kick in to our blinding start, and at the back we have been hardest hit.

Plenty of options for John McGreal but none really tested.

Cameron James, who I have a lot of time for, is back with us and young Ollie Kensdale is pretty decent.

Chris Forino has done well in the Under-23 games I’ve seen, and of course we could play Ryan Jackson or even Kane at centre half.

What will be, will be in defence tomorrow.

It’s up front where my concerns lie at present.

Goals for the U’s have suddenly become scarce and I’m not sure as to why.

The next six weeks sees the U’s play quite a few top ten teams and they’ll need to be finding the net so let’s hope that wherever that switch is, someone finds it and flicks it back to 'on'.

I missed the Newport trip last Saturday but much of what I have heard depicts the game as a struggle for the U’s.

Diaz and Frankie had strong games in the opinion of the CUSA members on the coach and that was good to hear, especially in the case of Wright Jr.

I think that it’s important to remember that the U’s have been brilliant so far this season in the league.

We are still in fourth place and that takes some doing.

There is also a real chance of being back in the top three again this weekend and they should be confident enough to take the game to a sixth-placed Exeter side that have not won a league game in their last five attempts.

It may feel tough at present, but these periods were always going to appear, so it’s important for the fans to keep positive.

It’s a well known fact that cheering and clapping keeps you warm after all!

Thanks for your support, dust off your thermals, and enjoy the game.

Good luck U’s!