Born and Bred: Colchester United

Former Swindon Town fan-favourite Yaser Kasim has joined League One side Colchester United following his departure from the club this Summer.

Kasim, 26, left the Robins following their relegation to League Two after spending four years with the club. The midfielder has made 31 caps for his national side, once captaining the team and has also scored five goals.

After coming through the youth ranks at Spurs in 2006, he failed to make a first team appearance before leaving to join League One Brighton & Hove Albion, making a single start. He then left on two separate loan spells to National League sides, first Luton Town and then Macclesfield Town as he found himself failing to add to his solitary appearance with the Seagulls in their first two seasons back in the Championship.

Swindon Town captured the central-midfielder in the 2013/14 season where he went on to make 34 appearances, scoring two goals. The next season proved just as successful for Kasim as he went on to make an additional start to that of last season, scoring the same amount. A short injury found Swindon struggle to cope with the loss of the Iraqi international in 2015, sliding down the table after looking set for promotion, he went on to make 27 starts scoring a single goal.

Last campaign proved a disappointing one for both Kasim and Swindon. After missing out on just five league games for his side, Kasim made 41 appearances, scoring a personal best of three goals as Town were relegated to League Two for the first time since their promotion in the 2011/12 season. He was granted his release as his contract expired, despite outcry from fans for it to be extended.

Speaking of the move, Kasim said, "I am looking forward to a new challenge here with Colchester. It was very sad to finally leave the club that gave me so many opportunities, but we parted company on good terms. The team have started the season well and I relish what is to come over the season."

An experienced international with fantastic football intelligence, they're hard to come by! He'll prove to be a superb purchase for the U's!

Looks like the next legend of the U's has arrived

Have fond memories of this guy from a FIFA career a few years ago so hopefully that converts to FM and he becomes a real stalwart for you!

Justice- I was very surprised to see him still on the expired list, personally think he's too good for us!

MJK- Who knows, hopefully!

Griffin- He's a good player in real life too, hopefully all of it can bond into FM.

A very mixed month, but not a terrible one. Considering your expectations ahead of the season, you're still doing very well. I just have this gut feeling that if you win your next thirty five league games, you'll win the league.

A few rough matches a few good ones! Keep you head up and you will do fine. Don't worry about that loss to Leicester.

Considering you were only promoted in the summer youre doing well and have plenty of ground to build upon and really push on this year!

Its a shame about the leicester defeat but all dreams come to an end eventually!

Justice- Aye, just got to keep trying to pick up results and focus on ourselves only for now. Let's hope we can win all our remaining games I suppose.

MJK- The Leicester result is something to be proud of I think, goes to show that we can compete as we really weren't outclassed really!

Griffin- Exactly, we can't expect to start off brilliantly when we are new to the division, got to take each match as it comes.

After a rather successful start to the season and life in League One once again, we knew that we had to try and continue that by trying to at least match our form in a tricky September fixture list. The transfer window may have closed, but business was very much still ongoing, as I type this we are very close to sealing a deal to bring one of our targets over the Summer into the club, at last.

However the month began with a home game to a struggling Fleetwood side, languishing at the foot of the table and yet to record a point. Today we certainly expected a result and I was pleased to see it was delivered, comfortably. I cannot sing the praises of our loanee striker Eddie Nketiah enough, he has came into the club with a slight bit of pressure on his shoulders to bag the goals for us and has yet to let us down, as seen in this game when he scored a brilliant hat-trick.

The second game of the month was to Coventry City, a club in real demise over the years and this was very much continuing this season. Under the 'terror' of SISU, the fans were very vocal of their hatred towards the board and even during the game staged a protest by throwing objects onto the pitch and therefore delaying the match in the process for a short time. The Ricoh Arena, the same stadium they were thrown out of only a few years ago, was silent. A once great club had certainly fallen.

Nevertheless, the game finally started and it certainly didn't disappoint for the neutral. With the game ending at three apiece, we travelled home with a solitary point after a goal from Nketiah and two from Fewster were cancelled out by a late Abreu goal in the 80th minute. I cannot lie, I felt devestated at the full time whistle as we certainly played some brilliant football, but it was one of those topsy turvy games where it just wasn't meant to be.

Next followed Luton Town, a side who were promoted alongside us last season via the playoffs and were also enjoying a good start in League One upon their return to the division. We maintained our unbeaten start to the month, an early goal from Drey Wright, someone who was certainly enjoying the step up judging by his form thus far, however Luton pegged back just before the break and the game would remain at 1-1.

The 'historic' night came once again for the club as we went toe-to-toe with former Premier League champions Leicester City. Coming after a bore draw to another promoted side Mansfield Town. To even reach the third round, for the second year running, was something I was proud to say I had achieved. Even if we were to lose the game, in which we ultimately did, I knew that the team would do me proud on the night and not be shown up. The whole town of Colchester came out in force, got behind the team and that is something I won't ever forget – the incredible support shown from the fans still hits me.

A 2-0 result was certainly not to be frowned at, we had given a strong Leicester side a very tough game and were very unlucky to not score a late goal and who knows what could have came from that goal? Football is a strange sport and that goal could have really spurred us on, however everyone came away from that game knowing they gave it their all and that is all I can ask for as manager, we certainly have a professional and determined squad.

The next game against Northampton proved to be a difficult game for us all, I think the game against Leicester had certainly affected us and the defeat proved to be no surprise. Bradley Fewster was definitely a huge miss in the game, he had sustained an injury just before the midweek game and so was still not available for selection. Eddie and Brad had formed a formidable partnership and to see that broken up was a problem, as the whole system had to be rotated round.

Usually we would line-up with a flat back four with two central midfielders, the right winger (Drey Wright) would then be in a more attacking position compared to the left winger (Brennan Dickenson) with Brad and Eddie leading the line. However we had to drop one of the strikers in favour for Vlad Dragomir who slotted just behind Nketiah and with the added lack of fatigue, it provided us with little chances to score, costing us.

The concluding game of the month was against AFC Wimbledon and ahead of the game came extra preparation to try and gain familarity with the new system. Fewster was just a few days away from regaining fitness, however this obviously meant he wasn't fit enough to start the game. The lineup would remain the same but following Nketiah's strike, he would have to come off with a knock and this is still to be assessed as I write this.

Tom Elliot would level the game but early on in the second half, Drey Wright would put us ahead once again. Lyle Taylor would score to take a point for Wimbledon, meaning the end of the month would tell the story of the month as a whole, far too many draws and a lack of being able to hold on when we needed to.

October's fixtures are as following: Southend United (H,) Bradford City (H,) Port Vale (A,) Rotherham (H,) Bolton (A,) Rochdale (H.)

Tell you what, that Nkethia lad is special for you!

Indeed, Eddie has been quite the player for Colchester. Let's hope he can continue to find the back of the net regularly!

You have made an extremely impressive start to life in league one and the club as a whole deseeves an awful lot of praise!

Jack- He is! A real gamble that has paid off thus far.

Justice- I'm very confident he can, he has the real attitude to do so.

Griffin- We have been very good so far, I couldn't wish for anything better!