COLCHESTER UNITED SUPPORTERS' ASSOCIATION CHAIRMAN JON BURNS DELIVERS HIS EXCLUSIVE WEEKLY COLUMN IN THE STANDARD WITH HIS VIEWS OF THE U's: After all of the frenzied activity leading up to transfer deadline day when this past week has had a more soothing and calmer feel about it.

Something close to £400 million was wasted – my apologies – spent on players, but football is drawing its breath this week, sitting back in the armchair and watching the home countries battle for Euro qualification.

It has had all the excitement of a damp teatowel, though, unless of course you could get your hands on a certain Dutch referee north of the border!

Meanwhile, the U’s were visiting Scunthorpe, newly-relegated from the Championship and an old adversary of ours.

I have to admit that I was delighted that we came away with a point.

Most of us would have taken that before the game and it gives the U’s a platform to build further and improve on their away form.

However, the game did highlight our occasional difficulties when we have the numerical advantage.

In the Barnet game, not only could we not claim at least an equaliser, we also allowed the cardinal sin of having the ten men score a goal.

I would suspect there would have been some nervous U’s fans last Saturday, worried how the U’s would get along playing an extra man for 45 minutes.

My memory also takes me back to Plymouth last season.

Thankfully Gillespie spared our blushes, but it wasn’t easy – another man-of-the-match performance from Mark Cousins proves that.

So do we have a problem?

Somewhere on that pitch the U’s had a spare player so in theory, with accurate passing and movement, possession should be retained at the very least.

As you keep the ball you can work the chances.

On the other side of the coin, when a player is sent off, most teams will leave one up top and get the other nine behind the ball.

Now even the best teams in the land can struggle to get through a well-organised defence and midfield.

England on Tuesday night springs to mind.

Managers will practice both scenarios in training, but what they can’t legislate for is the attitude of the ten men.

Barnet had nothing to lose and they went for it, Plymouth had just made a financial future announcement so they rolled up their sleeves and don’t forget how proud you felt when the U’s held out brilliantly at Southampton when Kem Izzet was harshly sent off.

So is it a problem?

No, but it’s definitely something to keep working on.

Let’s just hope that when Orient visit tomorrow that both teams finish with 11.

It should be a good game of football and I’m looking forward to it.

Interesting, because Orient have had a bad start despite their ambitious signings and they’ll be hungry for their first win yet eager not to lose again.

The U’s will be almost at full strength and I don’t expect much in the way of change despite the clamour to have Kayode and Gilly together.

David Mooney and Jamie Cureton could well be leading the opposition and giving Magnus and Matt a bit of huff and puff, but they’re more than a match for the task.

So why not come along to this U’s derby?

It would be great to see some more new faces supporting the team.

Don’t forget it’s £2 cheaper if you pay before matchday.

Up the U’s!