Born and Bred: Colchester United

John- I'm very pleased with how things are going in all honesty, I don't think we'll be able to beat that winning run for a long time.

Griffin- Definitely. Hoping we can continue the second half of the season just as well as we did the first.

Justice- A bold aim but very possible, let's hope so!

Colchester United boss Paddy McLaughlin has told fans to "expect nothing" ahead of the January transfer window next week.

Many fans expected a somewhat busy window as the U's looked to consolidate their squad ahead of the remainder of the season however McLaughlin stated in a press conference this afternoon that "business will be kept to a minimum' as he is 'happy with the current squad at his disposal."

The club currently sit top of League One, two points clear of second-placed Peterborough and five of former Premier League champions Blackburn Rovers, who occupy the first play-off place in third after 25 games.

United were quite active within the Summer window, bringing in nine players before adding Adam Le Fondre and Yaser Kasim to the ranks in October, whilst only releasing four in their promotion to the division following a 1-0 win to Yeovil Town on the final day of the League Two season to win the league over Mansfield.

The Irishman McLaughlin said, "We were very active in the Summer and therefore spent a large chunk of our budget for the season. It's no secret that we aren't the richest and therefore can't afford to throw around money like some clubs and so we look to spend wisely. Even if we did have the funds available I doubt I would use them."

"I'm very happy with the squad at my disposal and I don't want to disrupt the positive ethos at the club. Adding new faces can always unsettle a few and it's something we don't want to chance on when it's not needed. Perhaps some would call it a risk but I think it's strategic planning financially and enables us to provide a stable future."

"Expect nothing this window, if a deal is made then I would be very surprised. A few players might go through the exit-door, most likely on loan rather than permanently, but that's the route we'd go down is any business is to be conducted during the Winter."

Colchester will begin 2018 with a trip to Oldham Athletic before playing their first home game of the New Year against Bury a couple weeks later.

Damn, was hoping Colchester would sign Pogba! Paddy Power were giving good odds (not that they ever pay out)!

Why risk an impressive team bond with new faces, plus at that level all pennies saved will help long term, especially if this current crop manages to achieve promotion!

Justice- You can never trust them lot! As for Pogba... maybe in the future?

Griffin- Exactly. We don't have too much as it is so we need to manage our money closely.

Kurtis Guthrie and Lewis Kinsella have both left Colchester until the end of the season, joining Barnet and Wrexham on loan.

Guthrie, 24 has only made one appearance for the U's so far this season, adding to his previous 13 the last campaign before being shipped out to National League side Gateshead for the remainder of the season after scoring just three goals, struggling to feature regularly over Chris Porter and Bradley Fewster.

Having joined last Summer from Forest Green Rovers for an undisclosed fee, the forward has stated that he is 'happy to be back in the National League with Barnet' and that 'he hopes that he can impress to forge a way back into the plans at Colchester.' Barnet find themselves in fourth in the National League having been relegated from League Two last season.

Full-back Lewis Kinsella has also joined National League opposition, however will be playing at Welsh side Wrexham for the rest of the season. The 22 year old has failed to make a single appearance since joining from Aston Villa after a successful loan spell at then National League side Kidderminster Harriers in 2016.

Kinsella said on Twitter, "Delighted to be given the opportunity by @Wrexham_AFC, can't wait to get on the pitch and play once again." The departing duo add to the list of players who have been shipped out on loan this season, Macauley Bonne, Dion Sembie-Ferris, Louis Dunne, Liam Barnes, Eli Phipps and Sammie Szmodics have joined York, Forest Green, Gateshead, Woking, Aldershot and Yeovil respectively.

Probably for the best, if they're not playing. I'd imagine you have a very set regular team in mind and it would be detrimental to mess with a winning formula at this stage!

If they're not playing at this stage they're mosr likely not good enough and never going to play so was probably a smart move!

Kinsellas career has fallen away since his Villa days!

Justice- The team rarely changes these days, it's nice to have a preferred team with very capable backup players.

Griffin- A few of them are young players so they are gaining first-team football which could help their development although I can't really promise much there... Kinsella certainly has fallen from grace a little bit in this save hasn't he.

PORTSMOUTH 2 (Folivi 38, Chaplin 65) COLCHESTER UNITED 3 (Dickenson 36, Nketiah 58, Fewster 82)

Colchester United have progressed into the Fourth Round of the FA Cup following a 3-2 win over League Two side Portsmouth at Fratton Park.

The U's came into the game off the back of a 1-1 draw against Oldham Athletic to begin the New Year whereas the home side obtained a point of their own in a 2-2 draw to overachieving Leyton Orient.

Thomas Lapslie, who was sent off during the draw to Oldham last weekend, was suspended for the game, however Colchester lined up as usual beside this - a much different story to last season when United were trying to juggle numerous injury problems towards the latter end of the season.

Portsmouth, who lost in the playoffs last season after finishing sixth, found themselves in the playoff mix once again this season alongside a mini cup run that saw them outclass Non-League opposition Hungerford and Kidderminster Harriers en route to the third round.

Colchester boss Paddy McLaughlin was quizzed once again about the competitions prestige, stated that he believes the 'competition is still as valuable' as it was all those years ago.

It was his side who got the first goal of the afternoon as winger Brennan Dickenson saw his shot from outside the area beat David Forde in the Pompey goal. However they equalised just two minutes later, Watford loanee Michael Folivi levelled the tie with a well-placed effort of his own to send the two sides in at one-a-piece at the break.

In the previous meeting between the two, Colchester ran out 2-1 victors after a late stoppage time goal from Bradley Fewster in March last season - a win that cemented Colchester in the promotion picture at the time. It was Fewster who combined with Nketiah to give the away side the lead once again as a quick one-two allowed Nketiah to go one-on-one with Forde and slot home confidently.

Many have stated that Portsmouth simply don't belong in League Two, not only because of the clubs stature but because of the strength of the team. They proved this again as they quickly replied. Conor Chaplin, a man who has attracted interest from a host of League One clubs over the January window, found the top right-hand corner with a sweet strike from 20 yards.

Ultimately though, Colchester shown the difference a league can make yet again. Bradley Fewster turned goalscorer to conquer the Portsmouth defence for the second successive time and tucked the ball home to give the U's a ticket into the Fourth Round draw.

Portsmouth: Forde, Carmona, Burgess, Clarke, Stevens, Close (May 59), Kruijsen, Lalkovic (Roberts 45), Dowell, Cerutti (Chaplin 53), Folivi.

Substitutes not used: O'Brien, Talbot, Maja, Whatmough.

Colchester: Brill, Wilson (Bradley 81), Digby, Ajayi, Prosser (Kent 69), Kasim, Dragomir, Dickenson, Wright (Guthrie 65) Fewster, Nketiah.

Substitutes not used: Walker, Murray, Le Fondre, Slater.

Three points in the bag, regardless of the score!

Doesnt matter how the job gets done so long as it does and you're through to the next round!

Justice- Or in this case, progression to the next round.

Griffin- Definitely, it's always difficult to travel to Fratton Park anyway, that's my excuse.

As the Premier League and Championship sides entered the competition, a National League side stood amongst the giants. Tranmere Rovers took on Newcastle United from the Premier League however were sunk in a 2-0 loss against the six time winner of this competition. They'll take on Fulham in the next round.

Manchester United may have featured in the fourth round draw, however they will be joined alongside Oxford United who held the Reds to a 0-0 draw at the Kassam Stadium. The winner of that replay will face League One side Milton Keynes Dons at home.

In the greatest shock of the round, Crystal Palace, a side who are under much resurgence in the Championship following relegation last year under the eye of Claude Makelele, swept Liverpool aside in a 4-1 victory at Selhurst Park. The Eagles face another difficult draw as they travel to Stamford Bridge to play Chelsea.

Colchester, Peterborough, Bury, Walsall and Southend join fellow League One side MK Dons in the fourth round, these six sides are the lowest league opposition left in the competition after numerous League Two sides were dumped out in the previous round, alongside National League side Tranmere.

(PRM) Leicester vs Tottenham (PRM)
(PRM) Manchester City vs Colchester (L1)
(PRM) Arsenal vs (CH) Leeds/Huddersfield (CH)
(CH) Brentford vs Everton (PRM)
(CH) Derby vs QPR (CH)
(PRM) Manchester United/Oxford United (L2) vs MK Dons (L1)
(PRM) Stoke vs Ipswich (CH)
(L1) Bury vs Norwich (CH)
(CH) Brighton vs (CH) Barnsley/Nottingham Forest (CH)
(PRM) Chelsea vs Crystal Palace (CH)
(L1) Walsall vs Milwall (CH)
(CH) Reading vs Peterborough (L1)
(CH) Fulham vs Newcastle (PRM)
(CH) Birmingham vs Southend (L1)
(CH) Preston vs Watford (PRM)
(PRM) Sunderland vs Southampton (PRM)

Big trip to Man €ity, but I'll be expecting you to win by a minimum of five goals.