Horse First!

Roy Walker left a message on the United official website and 'urged' the long suffering United fans to get 'really' behind the team. Well we have news for you Roy, much as you like to blame everyone in sundry for United's diabolic defensive record, us fans are not to blame. We didn't appoint you, you were thrust upon us, we doubted our board's sanity in giving you the job, but we were prepared to give you the benefit of that doubt, but and we emphasis the word 'but', we have been proved right. The United fan is completely loyal, to the team, he'll never 'turn tail' like your Linfields, Glentorans and Crusaders fans (when things are going against them they support the other team). He'll forgive them almost anything, you'll notice we said 'almost anything', the one thing he can't forgive them is the two disgraceful displays against the Coleraine scum.

You have no idea the depth of feeling that United fans are feeling and the amount of soul searching that goes on in their hearts. You trot out words like 'United' we stand and 'only believe', well there are just words to you. Sky Blue fans are truly United but you and your team of misfits are driving us to despair. We didn't tell you to go and sign the 'dross' that no-one else wanted, we definitely didn't tell you to get rid of our Captain Gazza. Your team has no heart and after the shabby way you treated Gazza, it's to expected. You and all your first team panel should apologise to the long suffering United fans and promise us we will never have to witness that lack-lustre performances as we did in these two recent matches against the Coleraine scum.

Don't be putting the cart before the horse, getting the horse doing it's job with pride (just case any moron should read this, the 'horse' in this instance is the United team) and maybe just maybe, you'll win the respect of the most loyal and devoted fans in this or any other country, the United faithful. The Cliftonville result last Saturday was hard to take, but it was only one result and it's all down to you and your team of 'coaches', where have you be hiding the last few weeks? Rory Donnelly is the hottest prospect to come out of these shores since Norman Whiteside. The Sky Blue Sport team know that, most of the United fans know that, but you and your so called bunch of experts (shit for brains more like it),didn't think fit to try and prevent him playing as vital role as he eventually did.

What can we expect tomorrow we wonder, the Sky Blue Sport team think you're going to go with basic the same team that let you down last Saturday. But let's face it, you have nothing else. In your infinite wisdom you let Mike Smith 2 go on-loan, when we might just need him to back up your slip-shod strike force. Don't expect any applause and encouragement, you've got to earn our respect and when you earn that, we might give your team a little love, but that's a long time in the future. You got to build a few bridges in the next few matches, we don't expect you to win them all, but we do expect your team to try it's eye-strings out, do that and you'll get no complaints from us. Come on Sky Blues, try and earn our respect!

Roy's Dilemma!

United manager Roy Walker is faced with a dilemma in picking the side to face third placed Cliftonville, who have come on leaps and bounds since the Sky Blues beat them at their ground in a 4-3 thriller, back in September. Well if Roy's nerve can stand it, he'll pick the team that started on Weds night at Dergview and hope against hope, they aren't as slip-shod in defence as they were the first 20 mins on Weds night. Or does he go for the line-up that started the Portadown match, a negative team, who if they had taken their chances at not let in two soft goals, should have got something from the match.

The Sky Blue Sport team are all for the old thinking, the best means of defence is attack, or as the immortal Jonesy said in Dads Army, 'they don't like it up em' and we have to get them unsettled. There is a doubt about Eamon Murray's fitness, having missed pre-season and not trained as much as Walker would have liked as last while, but he does give us another dimension in attack and he'll give the Cliftonville defence something to think about. Maybe he can play for an hour like he did on Weds night and hope the match is won by then. Cliftonville have unearthed a young talent in Rory Donnelly and we'll have to keep an eye on him and not forgetting Chris Scannel and Barry Johnstone, both coming back into form.

It was nice to see Ally Teggart and Jordan Baker coming back into form also on Weds night and we hope they continue on the same vein tomorrow. Now a mention about the hottest property in the Irish league, we refer of course to none other than United striker, Gary McCutcheon, the man who's scored 20 goals in 20 matches, 15 in the league, a phenomenal record when you consider our league position. If hadn't been for Cutch's prolific scoring, we'd be fighting for the scraps off the table from Distillery and Glenavon. But we hope Jordan and Ally can take some of the pressure off him, we'll set a target of say 6 goals between them from now to Christmas, that shouldn't be too difficult. So it's all systems go for our second victory at home, come on Sky Blues, let's shag those chickens!

Derg Bru!

United go into tomorrow's night match against County Tyrone's Dergview with a full complement of players, including Wayne Drummond who was an unused substitution in this afternoon's under-21 game. The only absentee is Cookie Munster, who starts a two game ban for his sending-off against Lisburn Distillery, which the referee has deemed was violent conduct. Let's hope United manager Roy Walker doesn't play with an ultra-defensive team like last Saturday's selection at Shamrock Park. When you select five defenders and one defensive midfielder in your team, your attacking options are a bit limited, to say the least. Roy thought we played well in the first half, he should went to specsavers, cause he's obviously blind.

We did create three or four chances in the first half, but we were unable to take them, nothing new there then. He says we were scoring plenty of goals this seasons, but letting in too many at the back and he says we have corrected that. But if you have to play a defensive team, your not going to score too many goals and we probably need 5 or 6 chances to score one goal, so we need to create a lot. Saturday was typical, we created in the end 9 clear-cut chances and scored one goal. But even worse, the goals we let in were 'soft' goals, both could and should have been prevented, so the defensive set-up didn't work, much more pleasing to have a go and maybe rock Portadown back on their heels and they 'were there for the taking'.

Now Roy has said Joe McCall has compiled a dossier on our opponents Dergview, is this the same Joe McCall that was at the Showgrounds under Kenny Shiels, who told lies about George McNeeley who was stand-in manager? Let's hope he's found the lord or something or we'll be in trouble tomorrow night. We need to play our best attacking team, which means Eamon and Ally both getting a start and Sparky starting in midfield alongside Jenks. Although he wasn't good for the last two matches, Baker will probably get the nod to partner Cutch up front and the fullbacks are, perm any two from Woods, Kane and Vauls. The central defenders should come from Archie, Watson and Rodgers and surely they'll be the room on the bench for Elvis and Aaron Boyd, although Boyd was a virtual passenger when he came on last Saturday. But it's all systems go for the semi-finals, it'll be tough, but we got to get going, come Sky Blues, let's shag those Tyrone Dergviewers!

Prayer Meeting!

We definitely like to state here that is not new tactics instigated by United manager Roy Walker. No, it's the only excuse Eamon Murray could get away with and be welcomed back into the fold. Sky Blue fans shouldn't need reminding that Murray's non-appearance last Saturday at Coleraine (that really is a nasty word), threw Walker's plans into disarray and almost single-handedly led to our defeat. Well we're being over-dramatic here, Roy Walker himself admits that he might not have started, but he would definitely been on at halftime. Who he would have replaced is anybody's guess, every player under-performed, he could probably have made a difference in any position. But there was a another Sky Blue stalwart at Ballycastle Road, who would definitely have made a huge difference, Gazza, but Roy Walker thinks he's not good enough, on this showing Roy, the players you brought in (and that includes Liam Watson, who had a stinker in the first half), aren't fit to lace Gazza boots.

But enough about nostalgia, we go into tomorrows tussle with Ports with Cookie Munster available, having served his penance for his sending-off and it'll be interesting to see who Roy picks for his defence. Teletext tells us we have Tony Kane, Dicky Vauls and Eamon returning tomorrow. Kane and Vauls had stinkers in United's previous encounter with the high flying Ports, but who didn't, but unless he's injured, it would be hard to leave Curtis Woods out. We don't know what Roy targeted from these two away fixtures, the scum last week and Ports tomorrow, but anyway we need a victory tomorrow to give us confidence for the long trek to Castlederg on Wednesday and our only real chance of picking up some silverware this season. Surely Roy must surely stick Sparky back into midfield, where he was badly missed last week and we have to hope that Ally was only having a off-day, or maybe he knew there was no pressure on him due to Eamon's absence.

Baker had another poor display at Coleraine (that word really sticks in the craw) and had we anybody else he would be dropped, but we need him to take some of the pressure off Cutch. Boyd, when he came last Saturday was less effective and the man he replaced, Downey, was badly missed in midfield, although his ball distribution left a lot be desired. If fit, Rory could come into the reckoning tomorrow, but Roy would need to be confident he could last the full ninety minutes. We reckon Elvis is history, he's been scoring goals for the reserves, but he's not made the bench in the last few matches. So we guess it's more of the same team, with one or two changes and Roy's vote of confidence in our goalkeeper, would indicate that he has no intention of resting him, unless the I.F.A. request it. So it's all systems go for three points tomorrow, come on Sky Blues, lets shag those Portadowners!

Scum Clearance!

It's time for our annual scum clearance, it usually happens about once or twice a season, where we go to that stinking cesspit (Coleraine Showgrounds) and eradicate the opposition. They'll be stinking even more than ever this time, having beaten the crap out of us at Ballymena, but it's got to be done. Hopefully our lads will will not need an incentive to play well, they should know how much it means to us 'dyed in the wool' Sky Blue men(and Ladies). The good news is that we only envisage one change to our starting line-up of last Saturday, Cookie is suspended, so Liam Watson comes in. Unless Roy springs a surprise and goes with two wingers, Ally and Eamon, but we expect him to stick with Conor Downey on the right.

The United defence will have to watch Leon knight, he's been known to take a dive in the box and we have a less experienced referee, in Ross Dunlop, so we hope he's not conned. Giving United's away form we expect them to win, but only if the ref don't make any silly blunders, aka Raymond Crangle, which led to first dropped points on the road this season. Our centre-midfield two, Sparky and Jenks, should have a field day and Cutch and Baker should celebrate Guy Fawkes with a fireworks display of goalscoring. The only downside we can see, is listening to that bore Alan Simpson, but hopefully we will soon shut him up. So come Sky Blues, let's shag them ewes from Windy Hall!