U's aim to keep loan duo

Boothroyd: Eyeing new deals

Colchester boss Aidy Boothroyd is hoping to keep Kayode Odejayi and John-

Joe O'Toole at the club beyond January.

Odejayi has scored six goals in 10 games for the U's but is set to return to Barnsley on 19th December, while midfielder O'Toole is due back at Watford on 31st December.

Josh Payne is unlikely to extend his loan deal from West Ham and Ipswich may recall Kevin Lisbie from his season-long loan switch in the New Year.

But Boothroyd is eager to agree new deals for Odejayi and O'Toole as the U's aim to maintain their early-season form.

"As we get closer to January we'll look to extend their loan deals or sign them permanently because I think they have made the team and the squad stronger," he told the Evening Star.

Characters

"We'll be working very hard to keep them here. I like them both as characters and players."

Lisbie has attracted interest from elsewhere after hitting eight goals in 15 games for the U's.

Ipswich look set to call him back in January so that they can sell the former Charlton forward, but Boothroyd is confident his side can cope with losing their top scorer.

"It's been said that Kevin Lisbie will go back in January because people want to buy him and we can't do anything about that at the moment," added the U's boss.

"We've just got to make sure we have a plan for if we have him and a plan for if we haven't.

No one-man team

"We're not a one-man team, though, and there are 20 other players here that will testify to that."

The U's are well-placed over a third into the season as they lie third in League One and Boothroyd is wary of disrupting his squad with too many new faces in January.

"I once signed seven players in January and it was one of the worst things I could have done," he said.

"Although it is good to freshen things up, you also have to maintain that cohesiveness in the team. One or two can make a difference, but bringing a lot in is a complete waste of time.

"I'll have to look at our situation. We've all seen how tight this league is, but I don't want to be taking two buses to away games because we've got so many players.

"I have to balance the budget for one and I have to balance the team for the other."