If But!

Or should that be but if? We are like Roy Walker and the Sky Blues, we haven't got a bloody clue. Can United, with a 4-0 win and defeats for Coleraine and Distillery, claim an unlikely and undeserved sixth place? If the United manager had addressed the two problem positions that United have had since he took over, poor to average goalkeeper and below average goal-scoring ratio, we would surely have had the coveted sixth place weeks ago. Instead he chose to sign a keeper he obviously never watched, or at least we hope he never watched, because if he had watched him, surely he would never have signed him. He then released Kevin Kelbie without offering him any terms and signed Gary McCutcheon who only averages a goal every three games, if this is progress we can't see it.

But maybe we're being premature here, maybe Roy has an ace up his sleeve, some young striker he's going to unleash on the unsuspecting Newry City defence tomorrow. We think not, surely his selection of Mr negative himself, Gavin Taggart, for the game away to Dungannon just about sums up our attack minded management. Taggart's philosophy seems to be, 'why make a forward pass when you can pass it back'. Caff, having served his suspension on Tuesday night will be available for selection, if the manager wants to select him. Surely we're at the stage where its 'win or bust' and we must come out with 'all guns blazing', admittedly a positive result will only count if other results go our way, but if we must fail, let's fail with a bang.

Even the prospect of four home games if we are doomed to the bottom six would be of scant compensation, given these two big factors. Firstly, except for Glenavon, not one of the likely candidates for bottom six (Newry, Dungannon and D.C. are definitely in there), can bring anything but a mediocre crowd. Secondly our home form is so crap we'd be lucky, nay very lucky, to get more than two points from our home games. Much better to be in the top six and only at home to Cliftonville and Linfield, two draws in these games and seven points from the other three will do very nicely. OK, so we're dreaming, but it doesn't cost nothing, so why shouldn't we. Let's hope our dream is still alive after tomorrow's game at the Marshes. So here we go, come on Sky Blues, let's shag those canal boys!