Taking Stock!

United had to change their match this Saturday to let the principle lessees, the stock cars, have the Saturday. As a result dozens of fans had to change theirs, fans who have to work on a Friday night to get Saturday afternoons off. Sky Blue Sport's intrepid reporter (who blatantly refuses to give an overview of the match), falls into this category and he may not make this match. The people who are turning in droves to this site to get a United fan's view of the match could therefore be disappointed. But we have Rusty Ray, an able substitute and he'll supply an abridged version of the match if Bruce Balmer fails to get time off.

There's not much to say about this match, Spike and the boys might need to make one change from their starting line-up of Monday night if Vaulsey, who was carried off at that match, fails to regain fitness. The obvious choice would be Tony Kane, Chris Rodgers or Sparky, but we think Kane is the best man for the job or is that Sparky. None of the long term injury victims look likely to make it so the subs bench should contain two or three youngsters. The Whites will be eager to record their first points and we must be vigilant and shackle Halliday and Ligget from the start, if we do that then we'll have a chance to continue our goal-scoring record at home. They're are no easy matches in this league, but this game could prove be a crucial one. So come on Sky Blues, let's shag those lily Whites!

Tough Game!

When we read the fixture list at the start of season, we realised this would be a bloody tough fixture, away to Ballyinmallard, after entertaining champions Linfield and a visit to Seaview to take on the Crues, the 4th best team in the league. Now after them two strength sapping games we find ourselves going to Fermanagh to take on the newly promoted Mallards, who only last week thumped Lisburn Distillery 5-0, we at 'Sport are convinced that no-one at the I.F.A. particularly likes us. Well truth to tell we've known that for years, but there's no need to emphasise that point is there. Maybe we've upset the powers that be with our appeal against being thrown out of the Irish cup last season due to the Alan D fiasco. But whatever the reason, we just have to face facts and get on with it.

Spike has intimated that he will use the same panel of players, barring injuries, so that means we expect very little change to our starting line-up, but maybe a wee tweak here and there will do no harm. We thought Ally Teggart was just not up to scratch last week and maybe Tony Kane could move into midfield and let the Cush take up Ally's position on the left. We also thought there would be a case for restoring Gavin to midfield, Archie's done a tremendous job, but Westy is the best man for that position. It'd be hard on Archie we know and Spike will maybe be reluctant to break up the Cookie/Taylor partnership, to allow Archie to slip into his more accustomed central defensive role, but we're only guessing here.

No news on the injury front, as far as we know Baker and Elvis are still out, never mind a striker who'd get goals, we can't get one that is fit. The versatile Sparky, can play up front in a pinch but he's not what we need, we need someone to take the weight off Jamie D and Sparky is not our man. Roy Walker tried playing Jenks up front but it didn't work out, we don't know about Spike and the boys, but we are fresh out of ideas. Omar said that years ago we had a centre-half, Jimmy Small, who converted to centre-forward (striker) for a season or two, maybe we ought to try Archie up there or maybe not. It being 'Black Saturday' we aren't expecting many of the faithful to be making the trip, but you never know, it is our first competitive visit to Ballyinmallard and that might just tempt a few folks to make the trip. So come Sky Blues, let's shag those Mallards (or would that be just 'ducking' the issue), we had to have at least one pun!

Costly Injury!

Elvis Costello, who picked up a thigh injury in United's trip to St James gate, Dublin in July and duly missed most of pre-season, has had a recurrence of the injury and he misses the match tomorrow against the 'hatchet' men. Jordan Baker, who had to come off last Saturday as well, looks like the obvious replacement if fully fit but having 5 players out of the 9 that were missing last Saturday available for selection, maybe Spike and his backroom staff will have other ideas. We at 'Sport were debating whether they're going to carry a substitute keeper, which restricts their options on the bench or go for broke and return the 'missing five' to a place on the bench.

Spike's sets a great store on loyalty and he emphasises that if people come in and perform well, he'll see no reason for dropping them. We at 'Sport won't be surprised if picks the same side as last week, minus Elvis and two or three youngsters could retain their place on the bench. So that only means two or three players of the five getting the nod in the panel. The most talented player is Alan D and he has to get a place on the bench and Tony 'Psycho' Kane, like or hate him, has to be the most versatile. Of the other 3, Rodgers, Thompson and Sparky, Gary Thommo gets our vote because he tweeted before last Saturday's game, how he was gutted that he was missing it and so they all should be (our words), but he was the only one who expressed his regret.

The Crues are missing Owen's and Coates and it will be interesting to see how they cope with Jamie D's pace and the quicksilver runs of Cush. On paper it looks a tough match, but if we can upset their rhythm as we did against Linfield we think we'll come away with the right result. They had a match in midweek and they bound to be feeling the strain of two defeats in a row so we need to hit them early and often. As Seaview is quite narrow maybe Spike will opt for a more attacking 4,3,3 which could mean promoting either Thommo or Alan D and omitting Cookie from the defence and Arch moving to his more accustomed back-four position. Whatever plan Spike and his henchmen come up, it will be all systems go for 3 points, so come United. let's shag those paper tigers!

Think Positive!

United go into this first Dankse Premier league match with four players missing through suspensions,Rodgers, Kane, Gary Thompson and Gavin Taggart, added to this Alan D and Ross Black are injured along with long term absentee Denver Gage. If that's not enough Sparky, who otherwise would be an automatic choice to replace Gavin or Kane, has cried off to go to wedding. We are a professional outfit supposedly, we are playing in the top league in our wee country and Sparky misses the big kick-off because of a wedding. Is Sparky really committed to the cause, or does he think he's still playing amateur league and no doubt about it, he's given our management team a huge headache.

With no obvious right-back and Sparky absent, Spike has to find a suitable replacement, he could play young Reid or Vaulsey could switch over and Archie could cover at leftback, but then he needs a holding midfielder, Sparky again absent, in order to free Jenks to back up our attack. So you see Sparky, our utility man, is the key but that door will remain closed tomorrow. With Cushley and Ally playing on the flanks there may be an opening for Corey Price in centre-midfield and we are sure he will grab the opportunity with both hands (maybe that's not a perfect analogy),if selected. If Archie is drafted in at leftback, that will mean a recall for Cookie Munster, to partner Johnny Taylor in central defence.

Dwayne has been our number one keeper in the season just passed and we fell he will keep his place, but maybe big Wes will have other ideas, we'll have to wait and see. Despite a frantic search in the close season,we haven't replaced Cutch and we will be relying on Baker and Elvis to deliver the goods, goalscoring wise. They haven't set the world alight it has to be said, in pre-season, but Elvis missed a huge chunk of it with a thigh injury. But we at 'Sport haven't seen them gel and it's vitally important for our cause that they do. We are normally optimistic for the new season, but we can't help thinking we might be sitting ducks for a slick moving Linfield team with something to prove. But we'll try to remain positive, so come on Sky Blues, let's shag those village people!

Three Months!

We can hardly believe it, it's only been three months since the season ended and it's only one week until it begins again in earnest. So much has happened in that time, Cutch has gone, Rory has gone and we signed three new players and blooded some youngsters in a so far unbeaten friendly run and if that's not enough to whet your appetite, we have signed Alan D on a year's contract. Things are looking up for the Sky Blues, but there's a concern being voiced in a few circles we are told, about Spike's failure to land a top class striker to replace Cutch. We at 'Sport aren't worried and we'll tell you why, the solution is within our midst.

Back in the sixties (Omar says), United had a prolific striker named Arthur Thomas, a Birkenhead schoolteacher. After two seasons of knocking goals in for fun, with a 'real' ball made of real leather (Omar's words), Linfield came knocking and Thomas duly moved to Windsor Park. There was weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth we can tell you, a prominent United fan, dare we say an institution, even was so incensed that he went to a few Linfield matches, before returning to the fold. There was no way United could replace Thomas, they had to promote from within. As luck would have it, they had a stocky left-winger, named Mal McDonnell and he stepped into the breech. To say he was a revelation is to make a gross understatement and though he didn't last long, Omar says it was privilege to witness Mal's skill.

Now we find ourselves having two left-wingers, Cush and Ally, little and large so to speak. Of these two we think Ally is the preferred option. He's quick, has superb dribbling skills and he can strike with either foot. Cush is no slouch either, but we at 'Sport think Cush is best suited to a midfield role, where he can set up attacks and surprise keepers who have strayed off their line. He also is a dead ball expert, or so we are told, but we have heard that before. With the signing of Alan D, it looks likely that new signing Gary Thompson will find himself pushed out to right-wing and if Spike decides to go with a 4,4,2 system, on the bench. Anyway we think we're in for a new exciting chapter as United embark on another season. Come on United, get those shagging boots on (thigh waders for uninitiated)!