Twenty-five Minutes!

There's an old Johnny Cash song that goes, 'They're building a gallows outside my cell and I got twenty-five minutes to go, and the whole Towns waiting for to hear me yell, with twenty-five minutes to go.' Now United manager Roy Walker has got 25 players in his squad and the whole town is waiting to see him deliver or to fall flat on his face. But will he pay ultimate penalty this time, losing his job, or are we getting complacent and thinking that bottom half in the league table is as much we can expect anyway. Roy has publicly stated that he hopes we can pick up a trophy like the League cup, or the County Antrim Shield this season, but if we don't, will he tender his resignation, we at 'Sport don't think so. But away with the negative thought process, let's get positive and see we can get away to a winning start for a change.

What the formation going is to be we don't have a clue, but wonder if Roy gave us a heads-up to what he was thinking in the last two friendlies, away to Larne and home to Ballymoney United, with an attacking 4,2,4. The Sky Blue Sports team can't remember the times when 4,2,4 was a regular ploy and can only remember one United 4,2,4 line-up in the last twenty years. That happened under manager Alan Frazer when we turned on the style away to the scum in a knock-out cup match, with Deckers McGreevy and Paul Muir in midfield and we won with plenty to spare. Somehow we can't see our present manager Roy Walker having the nerve to try that formation away to the Whites tomorrow, anyway Alan Jenkins and Conor Downey haven't the young legs of Deckers and Muir. But what is the line-up going be we wonder, but here's what we think, for what's it's worth.

We are undecided if it's new signing Aaron Kerr, or the reliable Dwayne Nelson in goals. Kerr looked decidedly jittery in the match against Larne and didn't start against Ballymoney, which makes us doubt whether he'll start against the Whites, going on body language alone, we'll go for Dwayne. We stick our necks for the fullbacks, Tony Kane and Ross Black, definite starters, but our central defensive pairing is going be harder to anticipate. Walker has been impressed by Chris Rodgers, but he also picked Archie for vice-captain and we can't see him pairing the two of them for this match, too much inexperience. Far more likely to go with Davey Munster and Archie, with Rodgers and Denver on the bench. Three certain starters in midfield, if fit, should surely be Ally Taggart, Alan Jenkins and Conor Downey.

The other midfield berth is up for grabs and we see as a straight tussle between Rory Carson, Sparky and Eamon Murray. The manager might decide to select Jordan Baker in that position, but we feel the side would have a better balance if the final midfield role was between Rory, Sparky and Eamon. The strike force should pick itself, Cutch and Elvis. We will be surprised if these two don't deliver the goods as long as they get the service. Jordan Baker may have to settle for a place on bench, but somebody has to miss out. So for the first time this season we will give the rallying call, 'Come on Sky Blues let's shag those lily Whites'!