Stu: Hello and welcome to Shell and Stripe Extra Time. That's right, I am your host, Stuart Garrard, and I am here to bring you your I have no idea what I'm doing. No idea. the AI generated description for this podcast says that in fact I'll read it I'll read it through to you. Because because why not? I think I guess I need to gauge your Thoughts on this, dear listener. And apparently this gives over a conversational and atmospheric pub chat vibe. Your post match walk from the stadium recorded brought to you by the creators of Shell and Stripe. Extra time is the place for you, fans, to digest the action, Voice their takes and debate the weekly talking points. We dig beneath the surface of the score line to deliver real, passionate and analytical chaps. You're not gonna get any of that. Each and every single week. You will get some of that. Tune in after the game, join the community on X and let us know who earned their stripes today that look, look. Let's look beyond the AI conceived bullshit. Okay? Shell and Stripe extra time. I've got a X c I've got an X account, Shell and Stripe. I thought let's kind of take this conversation further. You know, with X you can only you can only impart so much on a on a tweet. I don't know how many characters it is these days, but two hundred and fifty or what have you. Let's take this to the next level. Let's create a podcast where we discuss all things Ko you. Let's make a podcast that puts some positivity out into the world. Let's create a podcast where I can vent my anger occasionally. Let's create a podcast for Ko you fans. And I know there's other efforts out there, and that's that's fine, and good luck to them. But you know, I have what? Twelve years and counting of podcasting experience. That's not to be sniffed at. Not to be sniffed at. And I've been a Cole U I know I'm a lapsed COU fan. been going since 2020. Regularly. but yeah. Anyway, what is this podcast all about? It's as I say, it's an extension of the X account, Shirley Stripe. It is going to be a Cole U fan podcast. it's predominantly going to be myself reacting to fixtures, results, previewing, fixtures, results, talking about news, talking about rumors, etc. etc. It's gonna be roughly an hour long, I would say, and I'll record it each and every week. So yeah, that's kind of the cadence and what we're looking to achieve with the podcast. I am very rusty. I know I I proclaim to be a a top tier did I say top tier? I don't think I said top tier. I don't think I promised that. Anyway, I proclaim to be a podcaster and I've been doing it since twenty fourteen. Go check out at RenaissanceCast on YouTube if you wanna delve into that minefield. brace yourself, it's not for kids. but yeah, I thought I'd you know, my my other main passion, other than video games, film, TV shows, etc. etc., is Colchester United. And as I say Cottage United has long been in my family the team to support. You know, I've I have had occasions where I've followed like, you know, Manchester United and s et cetera, et cetera. But the love has always been there for Cole U, and I kind of returned back in twenty twenty. So you cannot at all at all accuse me of being a glory hunter. Returning to the fold for the good times. Nope, twenty twenty. although to be fair, we did reach the playoffs that season. in that curtailed season. But anyway, I've been going regularly to the ewes again since 2020. I sit in the East End with my wife and son. And yeah, we've kind of endured some tough times. And you know, we've kind of I think we're on the the upward curve again. I'm generally positive about the the state of Cole U with Danny and Nikki in charge, but I guess we'll kind of get into that. as the show progresses, not this show, but just the podcast in general. but yeah, that's that's me and that is Shannon Stripe Extra Time. I think this first episode is gonna be very much a bit of a review of kind of the postseason stuff, you know, looking at the the the comings and goings in the squad where I kind of predict us to maybe you know how I I perceive our season to go this year. yeah, and kinda just do a a general close season roundup of things and look ahead to the kickoff against Southampton in as of recording, about a week and a half. Can't wait. Cannot wait. But without further ado, let's get into analysing some of the comings and goings of KoyU this past summer. And do you know what? It's been it's been a very it's been a very cool you summer, hasn't it? You know. my lord. I hate this time of the season because, quite frankly, the COU hashtag, hashtag COU just turns to shit. Absolute shit. People just They clearly get bored and I get it. They get bored, they get impatient for news, they get a bit moony, rambly, ranty. So with that information vacuum that com usually comes from the club, you know, it breeds a lot of malcontent, discontent, discontent. So I get it. And it's probably a lot of that is on Cole for having that information vacuum. I think we could do a lot better as a club, at Engaging with the fans, keeping them abreast of what's going on. But alas, that probably isn't going ha going to happen under the current stewardship of Robbie Cowling. And speaking of Robbie, you know, he's we've had another unsuccessful takeover. this time the John Terry Consortium. What transpires? I'm not entirely sure how much input John Terry was gonna have on that. Cause it appears he wasn't gonna put much money up. I don't know, but that's kind of reading between the lines what seemed to to be happening. But alas, the promise of a new horizon for Cole U, another new horizon for Cole You went down the toilet. so it is what it is, you know, the club will get sold when it gets sold, that's my opinion. You know, controversially people may think I'm an absolute bell end, but to be fair, I think there are a lot worse owners out there than Robbie Cowling. I get it, he's made mistakes and he's not perfect and he can be a bit of a twat sometimes, but you know, you can't fault the fact that he has self financed the club for God knows what, twenty years now, over twenty years. So that's not a small undertaking. And you know, I I I thank him for that. And I think we should thank him for that because there's many occasions when, you know, without Robbie's investment during a January transfer transfer window, this club would have gone and slipped into non-league and probably would never have returned. So I think, you know, when push comes to shove, Robbie does care about Cole Yu. I don't agree with how he presents himself and how he interacts with the fans. I think he's actually quite rude sometimes, very dismissive. But, you know, I I think you can't fault the fact that he has a genuine love for the club and you know, has sacrificed probably quite a lot to still be at the club. but regardless of all that, I think, you know, as a fan base, we are probably quite keen now for someone to take the reins and and move on and maybe take it to a level that Robbie quite clearly has stated in the past he can't take the club to. Not in one big push anyway, you know, he proclaims to be able to grow the club incrementally. which, you know, in the current cli in the current climate might be the best approach. I mean if you look at some of the wages like Solford Payne or, you know, some of the the the wages that a lot of these players, you know, in the in the PFA, free agents Paul are asking. League two is all crazy. And, you know, I I pick I don't personally think it's that sustainable. in fact I don't think it is sustainable. So yeah. I I I think we have to be very careful what for what we wish for because if a new aim owner comes in and fair play to Robbie, you know, he's he has said that he will only sell to someone who is able to take the club on further than what he can. And that's all we can ask, really. I think he has the club's best interests at heart. I genuinely do. He may not come across that way, but you know, I think the club could have been in a worse position that it that it is. And you know, at the end of the day Robbie is Robbie brought in Daniel Nicky and we love Danny Nicky, so he hasn't done all that wrong, has he? Let's be honest. God knows where we would be without those two. But that's by the by. My wider point being, obviously the tra the takeover did not go through this summer, which probably shifted recruitment plans quite considerably. So I'm just gonna go through some of the kind of outgoings and then the incomings that we've had in the squad over this summer. as of recording, Tom Smith has just re-signed and KVY has re signed yesterday, so that's more good news, but I don't think they appear on my list, so just bear that in mind. So in terms of departures, sadly the Ginger Messi has left us. Arthur Reed has joined York City following the the expiry of his contract at Colchester. yeah, he's he's left and and gone on to I w I would say greater things, but York. I don't know what's going on with York, but that's that's a story for another podcast. But yep, Arthur Reed has has left COU to go head to York. Matt Macy has gone to Wickham at the expiry of his contract. Award Edwards has gone to Peterborough following the cessation of his contract. Kyrgyz Lisby has gone to Reading for a fee rumoured to be around six hundred to seven hundred thousand pounds. I think people may be plucking that figure out their bums, but I would hope it was for good money. yep, so bye-bye Kyris. And Jack Baldwin has left. he's gone to Hornchurch, apparently. so yep. JK Gordon is currently without a club. Last I last I heard he was with AFC Wimbledon. Wowzers. Big Dumb Gape has left and is currently without a club. Tom Flanagan sadly retired due to injury. And yeah. That's kind of the outgoings. Incomings, we have Sean Raggart has come in at centre back, thirty-two year old from Rotherham on a free transfer. Paul Digby, another tall bastard in the central of centre of midfield. He has come from Dundee, F C on a free. Jake Leek, who hilariously some people thought was Alastair Smith, 'cause he looked very similar to Alastair Smith, but no, he Jake Leek has come from Oldham Athletic on a free. Again, he's twenty three years old and he's a a left back. And the glorious return of Bradley Ih Brad. Inhonvian. I can never say his surname. Ihonvian. Bradley Ihonvi Brad. Brad has returned on loan from Peterborough, twenty two years old. I love Brad. I absolutely love Brad. Love him. And I think he's gonna have a big, big season. I really do, really believe that. it's lovely to have him back. Lovely guy. People moan about his attitude. You know, bullshit. Bullshit. What I remember what I remember of Bradley is walking in touchline when he's not playing on that subs bench, warming up, saying hello to the kids, waving to the kids, just being a absolute gentleman to the kids. Down with the kids is that Brad. but yeah, I'm glad. I'm really glad to have Pratt back. But you know. We can also add Rob Hunt to that. who else isn't on him? Rob Hunt, he's re-signed. la la la la KVY, obviously. Ellis Iandolo, he's re-signed. Tom Smith is re-signed. So, you know, there's a good, good core. What I like about what Cole you've done in the transfer market. this season is, you know, they've they've retained Core group that have played under the Cowleys for a number of seasons now, either with Colyu or previously. I believe Raggett certainly has, hasn't he, at Portsmouth. Played with Danny under in a in a Danny Cowley side. but yeah, the Danny and Nikki are have retained a core solid group of professionals, they're good professionals, but added to it with some grit and appears to be some height and physicality and presence. Maybe lacking a bit of that up front currently, but I do think with Raggett, Digby, hopefully Tom Smith will all become number one because I think he has earned it. And you know, the the usual suspects around them, yeah, Andersons, your Jack Pain's, yeah, Iandalos, Hunt and KVY and Tucker. I think there's a really good core squad there. I like how Danny is adding Shrewd. what's the word I'm looking for? Not intelligent. Why is it intelligent coming to my head? experienced. Experienced pros. 'Cause I think that's what we were lacking last year. It's just a bit of grit. Someone to put a foot in, someone to drag us over the line when required, when it's you know, when it when we were three nil up and then conceding three goals or whatever it may be. the usual call you scenario, you know, when we we we take a healthy lead and then the opposition just claws it back, claws it back, claws it back. I'd like having players now in there that hopefully will stop that. You know, we'll s we'll kind of they'll get to a point where they just say, right, come on, lads. I'm taking us by the scruff of the necks and I'm taking us over the line for this one. Yeah. So I think the acquisitions we have made so far have been great. I don't think They're faultless, you know. I'm still worried that we lack a bit of presence up front. I assume Samson is going. I I hear rumours of him going to Knotts County. I don't know where else, but yeah, I I think it's safe to say that Samson is gonna be on on on his way, which is fine. I say good luck to him. I think it's a a good move for both parties. Samson could do with freshening up. We could do is some freshening up up front. whether Brad's the option or not, I don't I don't know. I think we need more physicality up there with him. I'd I'd love I'd love to maybe play Brad on the right, have a big, tall, ugly bastard up front, you know, have I dunno have Anderson, Bradley on the right, paying through middle with let's call him Quasimodo up front. We need our Quasimodo. that's what I want, but I I don't know if that's out there. it's Connor Wickham about let's just sign him. He's not doing anything at the moment, is he? Lordy, Lordy. But generally I think our acquisition has been fine. I know people are panicking online. You know, I see it all over the the X account when people are talking talking to us over at Shell and Stripe. I think people are concerned maybe at the level of signings that we're making, but f I feel those people are still in the mindset of or we you know no, it's probably unfair for me to say that because I th I think it's right to ex have certain expectations. You know, we would have got big money for Lisby So I think it's fair to want and desire some of that money to be invested back into the team. And I think it's also fair to say that we haven't really seen that. I mean I I don't know if Raggart and Digby and Leek and Brad, I suppose, have come in on big contracts, possibly. I don't know, but yeah. I think ultimately I'm just saying that I'm I'm quite happy with our work in the transfer market so far, but there is plenty to do. And of course, we've still got four loans we can have, I believe. Obviously Brad being one of them. so I I think I would expect maybe another bic situation like we'd we try and go for another young forward maybe a a goalie on loan to push with Tom Smith. And I don't know, maybe someone else, maybe a a a winger or another forward. I don't know. But I think we'll utilize all our loans. I think it will go to the wire as it usually does. I think Danny makes a a good point. when he's talking about in interviews recently about the World Cup and how that will affect loan deals going forward. you know, with the theory being that with the World Cup happening, star players are still kind of on holiday following that tournament. Hence Premier League clubs have gone on tours or are, you know, developing their squads w with the under twenty ones and under eighteens, etc. kind of included in that process at the moment. So until the superstars come back and then they these clubs will then look for loans for the younger players. I think it's just pushed everything a little bit further along than we would like. so I I see I'd have a lot more potential activity on deadline day, certainly after the season started. I think we probably stick with what we've got now up until the start of the season. I think that's probably it. Maybe one additional I would hope a striker. I think we could probably assuming Chamberlain is is around still in in goal. I think we could probably go with Smith as number one and then Chamberlain as number two number two for now. think I would like a another keeper ideally and another centre forward. But what do I know? In in Danny I trust, you know, in terms of kind of results this preseason, I think it's it's been generally okay, you know. We've kind of had the the usual smattering of local fixtures, the obligatory Peterborough match, which we drew to too. We stuffed who do we play? Harlow and Taybridge, as you would expect, beat those, you know, we've no, West Ham's 2-2, wasn't it? Yeah, West Ham was 2-2, Peterborough's 1-1? I think. Could be wrong. I should have it up on the screen, but I don't. I'm completely unprepared for this episode. as you can probably tell. But going forward, I will put some planning and thought into it. Yeah, so you know, in terms of preseason I'm I'm kinda happy of of of where it's gone. I never really put much stock into results from preseason. You know, I like to see people score goals. It's nice to see Brad's got some goals, Jack's got some goals, Harry's got some goals. yeah, I think it'll be much the same as it was last season, to be fair. I hope the goals are spread around the midfield. it's great that Raggett scored a a fantastic header. I think scored a couple in preseason. So I'm hoping that We're gonna have a much better set piece presence this year, both defensively and off and offens offensively. So I'd like to score more goals from set pieces. yeah, generally I th I'm quite happy. I know people moan and I think a lot of people were burnt by the the takeover talk, and I get that. But, you know, I've expressed my opinions earlier in show and I think we're in an okay place. Do I think we'll push for promotion? I don't know. I don't know. I guess we'll kinda come on to to where I see Colchester ending up at the end of the season, but I just hope we have a good start. You know, I I don't think we will. I think we'll be a slow starting team again, just because of the nature of how we do our business. I think it's inevitable that, you know, we take our time in the transfer market through necessity. And that just naturally it it takes longer for us to, you know, forge that kind of understanding of formations and patterns of play, etc. So I th I think we will probably not get off to the greatest start. I do think we'll beat Southampton, I have to say. And Yeah, but we will see on that. That's gonna be an interesting fixture. but yeah, in terms of where we'll finish this season, I really don't know. I think we'll be fine. I think I'm thinking certainly thirteenth up thirteenth upwards, you know. We could be thirteenth, we could be third. I have no idea. League two is just so mental. Who would have thought this time last year that that Bromley would win the league champions? And that's that does give me hope. Because, you know, to some degree I think we are trying to emulate that model. You know, certainly Bromley, the you know a a fantastic manager who's, you know, earned their trade in the lower leagues, has kind of been with Bromley a while, has forged a good team spirit under a a core group of good professionals, and has bought in, you know, players to enhance that that core group and play to a certain style. And I go back to the Bromley game away last season, which we lost after playing really well. Really well against Bromley. But coming up short, I think it was one nil, wasn't it? And yeah, you could see Danny in that post match interview kind of, you know I I think something had clicked with him. You know, I think he realised he has to approach League two, I guess, in a different way than what he has been the previous couple of seasons. You know, w we need strength and physicality in that team because it was lacking. You know, we need a bit of guile and you know, a bit of grit. And I think we've d I think we've I think that's reflective i in excuse me, in the acquisitions that we've made. I really do. Whether it it plans out like that, I don't know. And whether we do dramatically change the way we start, whether we go d more direct, I don't know. I I really don't care how we play. I'm I'm I'm one of these people that result is always key for me. I don't care how we play. I'd I'd rather play you know if we're gonna win a game, if it gives us a better chance of winning a game, then play ugly. Absolutely play ugly. Dark arts all the way. absolutely shit house our way to to getting out of this league because I think you have to. I think we've been too try be too cute. try play too too much expressive football. and it's we've been found wanting. But you know, I'm optimistic. I'm optimistic. yeah. So I just realize that my prediction is from anywhere from thirteenth upwards. It's not not incredibly specific. But there we go. There we go. I don't really have much o else I want to talk about. Obviously This is being kept a bit shorter than a normal episode would be because obviously we'll be analysing matches and previewing matches, etc. I'm gonna need to edit this up and chuck it out and hopefully people enjoy it. So if it's a bit rough round the edges, please bear with me. I'm entirely unprepared. But I thought I'd give it a go and yeah, see where this takes us. But yeah, thank you for joining us. You know, if you wanna if you wanna follow us on X, you can do so at at Shell and Stripe. where, you know, I run that account and chat all things, call you. hopefully I'm not prick, but if you wanna call me prick, that's fine. I try to be respectful and have an open positive discussion, but it's hard sometimes because people are so reactionary, particularly with when they're talking football, but yeah. Come and have a chat, come and give us a follow, and yeah, we'll kind of see where the season takes us. Until next time, up the ewes.