Summer sales shopping

With classic amateur psychology I`ve been distracting myself. With the new baby 'Oxide now a sturdy 3-month-old that`s not as tricky as you`d imagine but there are still momentary lapses.

The majority of the talk on the message-boards recently has been about who we can and will keep for next season. Talk of 'relegation release clauses` in contracts is worrying to say the least, not to mention a little short-sighted if true.

The optimist in me says: "Of course Kevin Lisbie will stay. The only reason he`s hit the first real scoring run of his career is the regular football he`s getting at Col U." That voice says: "Johnnie Jackson was with us in League One a couple of season ago, why would he leave now?"

You don`t want to know what the pessimist in me says.

So instead, I`ve been looking outside the U`s to see who we could bring in to improve our squad. Bearing in mind the disintegration of the team before the start of this season has not only deprived us of the majority of the lads that got us to 10th in the Championship but also most of the players that got us into the Championship in the first place.

Sorry, I`d be a terrible psychologist wouldn`t I? Pointing out WHY a depressive is depressed probably doesn`t help, right?

Target time

Looking for players to bring in is, I think, always a tricky time. If you suggest players you`d like to bring in, the assumption is that they`re replacing someone - so therefore you`re indirectly criticising those players.

So I`ll stick to what we know George wants - players in positions he`s tried to bring in or has brought in on loan. It`s a fair guess to say he thinks those are positions squad areas we need to strengthen.

I may indulge myself with a few additional targets but mostly in a "wouldn`t it be nice if…" rather than anything more sinister.

George, despite his and the club`s efforts to the contrary, publicly courted a couple of left-backs this season. So I`ll start there.

I`m not sure how many of you have digital TV; how many of those have Nuts TV; how many of those even knew Nuts had their own channel; how many of those are allowed to watch it by the missus and how many of those bother to. Am I left with anyone? Just me? Right…

There`s one half-decent programme on there (no, honest there is!). Football Hurts follows the fortunes of AFC Wimbledon. I won`t bore you with a plot summary but they`ve got this left-back called Mike Haswell. He`s highly rated but I needn`t tell you that as he reminds me of a left-footed Greg Halford.

Now Greg had his knockers (no jokes please) but two teams don`t pay £2.5m for a player with no talent. Obviously the Ryman League is a fair few steps from League One but players can and have made the step-up if they have the talent. The biggest difference is the fitness levels and a decent, professional pre-season can soon fix that.

Haswell is tall, quick and has a vicious left-foot. He gets forward well and is strong in the air. Sounds like an ideal left-back to me. He also started out in the Essex area so it shouldn`t be too tricky to tempt him back this way.

George was after a left-winger too. Looking down the leagues for young, promising talent again how about Albert Adomah?

Plymouth are, apparently courting the Barnet winger but that`s just paper-talk. He`s 6`1" (big for a wide-man) and zippy-quick. He`s only 21 and has already averages 1 goal in 3 games for Barnet.

Barnet use him mostly on the left but he can cross with either foot or drift in as another striker too. With his weight and height that`s a decent auxiliary striker to worry defenders! Again, north London`s not a million miles away from Colchester. Plymouth is a million miles away from everywhere!

Finally how about that silly-fast striker George thought he`d snared in Izale McLeod before his knee-knack?

The world and his wife are supposed to be watching Stuart Fleetwood at Forest Green in the Blue Square Premier. Fair enough really considering the lad`s scored more than 30 goals in all competitions this season.

But how many players have we heard that about? Who`ll actually put their money on the table and take the risk? Word is only Crewe actually agreed a deal with his club this season. This`d be the Crewe currently 20th in League One. For all their famous "conveyor belt" surely we can offer a more tempting proposition?

Whisper his name but - Freddie Eastwood stepped up from non-league to do ok for himself. Once again everyone from West Ham to Altrincham is on his trail too after he`s been languishing in Wolves` reserves. A cheeky (but successful) bid would not only bag us a serial goal-poacher but really put the Seaweed`s noses out of joint.

Ah, local rivals. Noses out of joint. I`ve come full circle. Please win today lads - my internal optimist is already on life-support!

Up the super white and blues!