We can beat anyone on our day

WE host Mansfield Town on Saturday and I think it will arguably be one of our biggest tests of the season so far.

They beat Notts County 3-1 last weekend which was a great result for them and they are certainly not to be under-estimated.

Like any Steve Evans team, they’re likely to be big and physical and in our faces and it’s really important that we stand up to them and stamp our authority on the game.

But given their budget and squad, I think Mansfield will be one of the promotion contenders this season and results like the one they got against Notts County show that.

But we know that we can beat anyone on our day.

We’re on a high after taking four points out of six from our last two away games and we want to follow that up.

It was obviously disappointing to concede so late on to lose against Gillingham, on Tuesday night.

We looked like we were on course for a draw and another clean sheet and to let a goal in so late was a bitter pill to swallow.

There was nothing in the game and we had hoped that we would see it out at 0-0.

We wanted to win on Tuesday night but I think we also have to put it in the context of it not being a league game.

It was a Checkatrade Trophy game that was separate to the league and we still need to be very positive about the last two games, in League Two.

It was a proper 1-0 win at Yeovil Town last weekend and it was a really good feeling to not only get that first away victory but also keep a first clean sheet of the season.

It was a nice early birthday present for me.

There were lots of positives to take from it, not least the return of Kurtis Guthrie after seven months out.

He’s a big character for us and it’s brilliant to have him back in and around the squad.

No-one is expecting him to come straight back in and hit the ground running and he’s been out a long time but the quicker that he can get back up to speed and firing on all cylinders, the better.

The same goes for Craig Slater, who came back for the first time in nearly two months when he played as a substitute for us against Gillingham the other night.

He’s a technically-gifted player and there’s a fierce competition for places in that area of midfield at the moment.

Thankfully, it seems as though the injury list seems to be diminishing – it feels like ours has been big but I’m sure other clubs have the same problem.

Money talks

APPARENTLY the so-called Premier League big six clubs are pushing for more money from overseas income.

They see their fair share of TV money already and the last deal that was struck was quite frankly ridiculous.

But there’s no doubt that the Premier League and its clubs are big business.

It’s such a competitive and exciting league.

The TV guys definitely help that with the coverage and how in-depth it is.

They’re not just football clubs anymore – they may still send 11 players out to play football on a Saturday afternoon but it’s much bigger than that.

The business side of the top end of the game is huge and the chief executives are looking to get the best deals for their clubs.

Checkmate

SO Roy Keane has reportedly told footballers to “play chess” if they’re worried about getting hurt.

I think it’s fair to say that there aren’t too many in our squad who know how to play it.

It was a typically bold thing for Keane to say but given the news of Kevin Doyle’s retirement and Ryan Mason’s head injury last season, it’s a subject that needs to be taken very seriously.

When my old Chelsea team-mate Petr Cech suffered a serious head injury back in October 2006, it was before my time at the club.

But I spoke to him about it on numerous occasions in the years that followed and I have an immense amount of respect for him.

He still has to wear the protective headwear 11 years on from the incident but I think it adds further weight to the cause of him being one of the best in the Premier League.

Playing games

HELP! FIFA18 fever has taken over our changing room after training!

I’m feeling a bit left out, as it seems like the majority of our squad have been on it, apart from the likes of myself, Lofty and Pross – I’m feeling quite old!

From what I understand, Drey Wright is the man to beat but the likes of Laps, Kins and Murray fancy their chances, too.

Apparently, you can now even spend actual money on buying players for your team, which I find completely baffling.

Well Pasta sell-by date

I WAS astonished to read in yesterday’s Daily Gazette about the 40-year-old bags of pasta donated to Colchester Foodbank.

It got me wondering what the oldest food item we had was and we do tend to hang onto things.

We put something in the cupboard but it tends to find its way to the back and get forgotten about.

I once got some stupidly hot sauce for my 18th or 19th birthday and I think I still have it – I’m not sure if it would be particularly edible now!

Other than food, I still have my first cricket bat somewhere, which must be around 20 years old now.

I can’t see myself using it – I find normal cricket bats a little too small for me to use sometimes because of my height, let alone a kids’ bat!