CONFIDENCE, consistency and complacency - three words that are getting bounced around a lot in the football world at this time of the season.

At the JobServe Community Stadium on Saturday there was plenty of conversation about each before, during and after the impressive performance against Cheltenham Town.

The new-found confidence was there for all to see and I feel that's due to the additions during the January window.

Ben Stevenson has such a relaxed attitude on the ball, he looks at times he is playing on a different setting to others.

This in turn then leads to the rest of the team feeding off the calmness; the ball is getting moved around in such a way that at times it looked as if they were making Cheltenham run around for fun.

Then there is Abo Eisa, a player who you simply expect to have an effect every time he gets the ball.

He makes football look like a dance routine with his dribbling and forward play.

Whether it is scoring or for the assist, he is definitely making a name for himself.

Rather than upset the apple cart, as could happen in some teams, he's in fact brought a number of the squad up a level, almost like they look at him and think if he can do it, so can I.

We look like scoring, or at least creating chances every time we go forward now.

So all this new-found confidence over the last few games, now has to be channelled into consistency.

The squad are good enough, we have the additions who have, as I already touched on had an on-field impact.

But I am sure on the training ground have really ignited the competition for places.

With every player now fighting even harder to get in to the starting eleven, we really need to get a good run of results together.

We have had our blip (hopefully) and now are back in the play-offs, with games still to play against teams around us.

For once the 'six pointer' games are for the right reason and not the dreaded relegation battle.

Then we have the dreaded complacency. It is an easy trap to fall in to for players, staff and fans alike.

Things are going well, everything seems right, then bang along comes a team we should beat with ease and it all goes wrong, sometimes with out any standout reason other than the thought this will be easy.

There really is no easy game in this league, it really is a case of the only easy game was the last.

So there we have it - the three Cs. I for one am confident that John McGreal and Steve Ball and the squad are up to the task and that for the rest of the season, we will only be talking about confidence and consistency.

Roll on Saturday and the trip to Macclesfield.

Si Collinson, Colchester United season-ticket holder