Cup Finals!

United go into this game which marks two-thirds of the pre-split league, 22 games played and 11 to play, 9 points adrift of the top six. Nine points are nothing if you are playing well, but if you are on a run like United are with 6 league defeats in a row, it's a mountain to climb. We have 12 games to play, starting tomorrow, before the split and we need get as many points as we can in those games, 24 points should be good enough, but we can't afford to think like that, we need the team to fight for every ball as if their lives depended on it, then and only then can they say they gave their best shot. We need to treat every match as if it was a cup final, no shirking tackles, no hiding when there's throw-ins to be taken and above all getting into the danger areas in our opponents box.

We have just suffered at the hands our derby rivals, the Coleraine scum, but that match is history now, tomorrow's match is a clean slate and we need a monumental effort from players who have been only going through the motions in the last six league games. The players to a man talk about the great facilities at the Showgrounds, but on their last six displays in the league they don't deserve them, maybe we should get a prefab converted for them, with no hot water and basic changing facilities, that would harden them, we think. As for team news, we know Tony Kane is available again, but Alan D is still injured, so it's down to the same panel of players. We, the loyal fans deserve an apology, but the best apology would be to see the team put in 100% effort, if that's not good enough, so be it, but please try your eye-strings out.

You are living the dream for us fans, don't let us down, you already showed us you have the skill, but have you got the stamina for a fight? According to reports there's one, or possibly three new faces coming in at the January transfer window, so some of you are playing for your very contracts, so give it your best shot. When Spike calls you into his office on next Monday night, you'll want to have a recent good match to fight your cause, not the abject crap you've been playing in league matches in the last seven weeks. We've had our fair share of injuries in the last month or two, but then all teams get injuries and it's how we cope with them that makes us a stronger unit, but at the minute we aren't coping well. It's been a pretty miserable Christmas so far, lets not make it any worse, come on Sky Blues, lets shag those Lisburn ewes!