Table Football!

There's a blizzard coming on, how I'm wishing I was home, are the opening words to an old song and it's pertinent here as its snowing outside. Well we are at home, but we'll venture out tonight, if the match at Windsor Park featuring Norn Iron against Russia in a World cup qualifier goes ahead. Like lambs to the slaughter we'll venture out tomorrow when United take on Chickenville at the hen run (Solitude), on the 3g pitch that resembles table football, in our opinion. United welcome back Cush from his one game suspension but must do without the traffic Policeman, captain Alan Jenks. The traffic Policeman, aptly named by Sammy Patterson at Shamrock Park last Saturday, is himself suspended for this game courtesy of five bookings, who will take his place?

We figure its a toss-up between Thommo and Alan D, two non-tacklers and we can only afford one against the league leaders, we learned that the hard way last time we met the Reds. We have stopped the rot in our last two matches, getting clean sheets, but as for going forward, we have no idea. In Alan D we have a player who could swing it for us as he is our best passer by far, but on that surface passing is a lottery. We don't think Dolan will be risked as that surface is unforgiving to blokes carrying an injury and it looks to be Liggie playing a lone furrow upfront again, ably backed up by Ally and Cush. We can't see Spike starting Duffin, he has had ample chance to start the young fellow and resisted the temptation and looks like a 'backs to wall' policy tomorrow again.

With the news that Stephen McBride (Crues), has signed a pre-contract deal with United, it's not hard to guess what our tactics will be next season as well. Omar says the best means of defence is to attack, but we need skilful players to do that and of this moment they are as scarce as hens teeth and in absence of them, we're signing another defender, who can't get his place in the Crues team, but he's good for us also-rans. At least he's coming from a team at the top reaches of our league, Spike's last two acquisitions came from the bottom two teams in our league and they're not setting the world alight, now are they. This is our last match that has any relevance this season, not for us, but for Chickenville.

They can take another grip on the Gibson cup with a victory, hopefully we can put a 'spanner in the works', but its not going to be easy. We need everybody playing as if their life depended upon that game, or their livelihood anyway and some are playing for a contract and maybe that might make them try a little harder. It promises to be a cold and bleak day, but maybe United can lift our spirits with a battling display and we'll need that at Solitude tomorrow. It's a horrible ground to watch a match, stuck behind the goals and everything that happens at the other end is like a blur, but maybe it'll be on the radio and we can get a running commentary or maybe not, but we'll be there anyway, come hell or high water, come on Sky Blues, lets shag those Chickenvillers!