Its Time!

We have played 8 games in the Dankse premiership and we have been as inconsistent as the weather, we blow hot and cold in equal measures and just when you think we had turned a corner, we have blown up again. After playing out a scoreless draw at the Oval last Saturday, we had a chance to redeem ourselves on Tuesday night against DC in the County Antrim Shield and get back to goal scoring ways, but oh no, we couldn't do that, we left our goalscoring boots at home. Our next three matches, two league games and a league cup game, pit us against Warrenpoint Town tomorrow, before a double header against Ballinmallard, two teams below us in the league table and we, the 'Sports team, are of the opinion that 'its time' that our players stepped up to the mark. Nobody has a given right to beat anybody, but the smelly stuff is getting near to the fan and we need to grind out three results, if we are capable of doing it.

Steely McBride filled in for Mike Ruddy on Tuesday, but if Ruddy is fit, we expect him to get the nod. No doubt Thommo will return in midfield and that leaves Spike with one or two problems on who is rested. On Tuesday night's display, it would hard selecting anyone, as except for the central defenders and Dwayne, no-one else rose above mediocrity. Cush tried hard, as usual, but he's just not wholly fit and maybe he deserves a rest and a chance to get fully fit for the tests that are yet to come after these three games. Will Fergie persist with playing MM on the right side, where he's not as effective or will he start with Liggie and Mario who both were crap on Tuesday night. We know Spike has said its up to players to adapt to the system, but at the Oval last Saturday for long periods we were pinned in our half and we're crying out for somebody to galvanise us, but to no avail.

Ally, who should have had a hat-trick on Tuesday, will no doubt continue with his unbroken sequence of league games, as he is our corner-kick taker and penalty kick expert but who gets the nod for the other place in our forward three is pure speculation. We have a man in our panel who fits the bill nicely, Neal Lowry, but he so inconsistent it feels like you are a man down sometimes. If we could bring out his natural talent on a more regular basis, he could turn out to be the backbone of our team, but he just emits the attitude, that he couldn't care less and no amount of cajoling from our manager has any effect. So its anybody's guess as to our starting line-up tomorrow, but we need to be up for this one. If our defence can hold out, it'll be up to our shot shy forwards to deliver the goods or maybe our midfielders, perish the thought, so come on Sky Blues, lets shag those Rabbit Dwellers!

Our Shield!

We only have had it less than a year and already they're trying to take it away from us, but our manager, Spike Ferguson, says we're going to fight 'tooth and nail' to keep the County Antrim Shield, at the Showgrounds. The best way of doing this in our opinion, would be picking a strong line-up against tomorrows opponents DC, we would be in favour of Spike saying same again for Saturdays starting eleven, if fit, but we would expect him to jig it a wee bit, but not making the wholesale changes that so nearly cost us at home to Ballymoney United in the league cup. No offence to DC, who warmed up for this tie by beating Coagh United 6-1 on Saturday, United should have too much firepower, but the attitude needs to be right also. With ex-Ballymena man, Conor Downey, still pulling the strings in midfield, United will have to be wary of the threat of Kevin Hughes, who scored two on Saturday against bottom club Coagh, no half-hearted tackles, thank-you very much.

With Cush showing signs of getting back to match fitness, Spike maybe could be left with the dilemma of who to leave out, for we think the nucleus of the side that started on Saturday, will need time to gel. We still don't know MM's true position in the scheme of things, in his debut against former club, Portadown, he started as the target man, but in the 2nd half at Windsor Park and again last Saturday, he was tried wide right, where he doesn't seem to be quite as effective. Maybe we need a completely new plan of action, like an orthodox 4,4,2 with the two strikers finding space wherever they can. Will Fergie be tempted to give Johnny Taylor and Dwayne a rest and maybe Liggie and Thommo, but we hope he stops there. Thommo has started every game this season and could get rested if Jenks is free to resume, having served his suspension, or will we not bring him over for this game?

The fickle supporters of the Sky Blue persuasion have a chance to show their appreciation to the players who ended our trophy famine last December, after 23 barren years, by turning up in numbers tomorrow night, but will they find an excuse not to, your guess as is good as ours? DC will be up for the match and will want to take a big scalp and maybe get a trip to Windsor Park or Solitude in the semi-finals and get much needed money into the coffers, so we need to be on our guard. As long as the fates haven't declared that Raymond Crangle or Hugh Carvill will referee, we should be alright, but we need to be professional. When we started our Shield run against Chickenville last season, if wasn't a pretty match, but we stuck at our task and got the job done and triumphed in the end. Now a year on, nobody is going to lie down for us, we got to make sure and win at any costs, so come on Sky Blues, lets shag those Suffolk ewes!

Wise Men!

We've heard that the bible says there were three wise men from the East, when the messiah was born. We didn't know that and as our messiah is Glenn Ferguson, how we could have missed that, is anybody's guess, but miss it we did. For tomorrow's match in the Oval grounds in East Belfast, the Sky Blues hope to have four (not three), wise men in our camp, directing operations and making sure normal service is resumed. The Oval has a been a 'happy hunting' ground for us lately, and we at 'Sport see no reason that can't continue when we play the Glens tomorrow. We'll have to do without our Captain, as Jenks was sent-off for dissent at Windsor Park last Saturday and must sit out this match at least. But that will open the door for somebody else and we have sneaky suspicion that Glenn will start Alan D again, in a last gamble to see if he can regain any semblance of form.

The majority of our supporters have been crying out for Alan D to be dropped from our panel, but Glenn won't let that worry him if he thinks he's the man for the job. We, at Sky Blue Sport, are of the opinion that you can't have Jenks and Alan D in the same starting eleven, they are in our opinion, too similar and the Captains suspension leaves the door slightly open for Alan D. But it would be a huge risk to take, for he has being playing poorly since our first match and only showed a glimmer of brilliance thus far this season in setting up Liggie for the winning goal at Seaview in our second match. But is that enough for his inclusion in our starting line-up tomorrow, we confess we can't make up our collective minds over this issue. Much better to start with Neal Lowry on the right, Thommo and Archie in the centre and Ally on the left and MM and Liggie upfront.

Cush, who came on to good effect last Saturday at Windsor, needs to be kept for the 2nd half, when every player on the field has slowed down to his pace, for he is away short on match fitness. But there is some that believe a half fit Cush, is better than no Cush at all, and the 'Sport team would be inclined to side with that opinion. The rest of the team (if they're no injuries), tends to pick itself, with Dwayne retaining his place, despite a poorish game last time out and the usual back four given a chance to make amends for their lapses in concentration, that cost us so dearly last week. The Glens, like ourselves, have suffered two defeats in a row and they will want to arrest that decline and its going to a hard game and we best be up for it. But our recent record at the Oval should stand us in good stead and if we get our noses in front, we should come out on top again. So come on Sky Blues, let's prove we are the 'wise men'!

Another Monkey!

Already this season, United have laid two bogeys to rest, namely winning at Seaview against the Crues and beating our good friends, Dungannon Swifts at the Showgrounds. Now it is time to lay another 'bogey' to rest tomorrow, when they face the IFA/Linfield at Windsor Park, where United haven't won since 2004, although we been 'cheated' many times by referees including tomorrows official, Hugh Carvill and if that's not enough to have Sky Blue fans reaching for their sick bags, the fourth official is one Raymond 'dick head' Crangle. But United must banish these thought from their mind, we have a job to do and we must stick to our task and if we get our tackles in, there's no reason for us not to come out on top in this battle of the blues.

We wonder if our 'kit man' will take two pairs of socks to Windsor Park, in case Linfield have changed their colours and are now playing in white socks? Well you never know, best to be on the safe side. We also wonder if Fergie will change his formation against the 'fat controller' and spring a surprise and go for 4,4,2 and recall McBride and Cookie Munster and release Kane and Ruddy into right and left midfield, with Marky taking over rightback duties and Steely taking over as leftback and playing Mario and MM up front. Or will he stick with the tried and trusted 4,3,3 system promoting either Gavin or Sparky, to fill in for the suspended Archie or both of them if Gawley's not fit. That could mean a place on the bench for Liggie and Mario, but its all supposition on our part.

There was talk about Cush maybe taking part in a reserve game last night, but we at 'Sport think that match came too early for him, but what do we know? Likewise Steely, who we mentioned earlier, he hasn't been mentioned since he was taken off at Dixon Park where United suffered defeat at the hands of Ards. We have heard from a reliable source (Sammy Patterson's dog), that Steely refused to shake our manager's hand when substituted at Dixon Park. Maybe this is commonplace at Seaview, where the great unwashed, are precisely that, the 'great unwashed' and maybe Steely wasn't taking any chances of picking up a skin infection, they're the devil to get rid of in this day and age. If by any chance Steely has been missing, injured or for any reason not covered above, we do apologise profusely, but we'll forgo the handshake.

We feel sure big DJ will be aware of our defensive shortcomings and we fully expect a barrage of 'long ball' tactics being used against us and we have got to be prepared for that. If Spike does go for his favoured 4,3,3 system, we at 'Sport would be inclined to start Sparky, if he's fit and have him play deep when the Linfield defence tries to turn defence into attack. It isn't going to be a pretty spectacle, it seldom is at Windsor, but we have just got to weather the storm and try to exploit this Linfield defence, which is as low on confidence as our own and if we get ahead of them, they'll have to commit more men to attack and maybe, just maybe we could spring a surprise on them. But its not going to be easy, but if we truly believe, we can do it, so come on Sky Blues, lets shag those villagers!

Red Trickle!

It used to be a red tide when Chickenville came to town, but now it's more a red trickle, but the team are still as hard to beat as ever and maybe even more so. But their confidence has taken a battering of late with two home defeats in their last two games, practically unheard when they marched to the Premier league title last season. Is there a chink in the Chickenville armour, or was them two setbacks just a small glitch and will the real reds turn up tomorrow against the Sky Blues. Listening to the weather forecast I don't think it's going to be a classic, but it all comes down to which team wants it most and we at 'Sport hope it's the Sky Blues.

Our manager Spike is faced with a dilemma? Does he start with the same eleven who he finished with on Tuesday night, or if Mario is fit, does he restore him to the team. It would be kinda hard on M M, but its horses for courses and maybe M M would be better coming on after halftime with his fresh legs. Certainly we cannot approach tomorrow's game with the slip-shod performance we showed in the first half against Portadown on Tuesday night and with referee Richard 'Dick Head' Crangle in charge we better make sure there isn't even a hint of a back-pass, he believes in the 'letter of the law' against us. So we need everybody playing at the top of their game and to that end we can't see Alan D getting a start, anyway the conditions will not to be to his liking.

The budding partnership between Johnny and Marky will be tested to the limit against the two best strikers in our league last season, but if Ruddy and Tony can not let crosses come in and our midfielders tackle instead of pussyfooting around, we might make their job a bit easier, anything else will be a recipe for disaster. The two crucial men in our team will be Neal Gawley and Ally Teggart, they have to tackle back when we are defending and give whatever forward we have up front, support if we get a chance to break. Much has been said about Chickenville's ball playing quantities but if the weather forecast is half right, the pitch should be in no state for that type of game.

It promises to be a hard game, a game for men, but not a dirty game and bad and all as he is, we don't expect that Crangle will put up with any nonsense. As long as he doesn't drop any clangers, like we saw him do many times, letting one team get away with a tackle from behind and then pulling the other team up for the same offence, he'll get no complaints from us, but he makes us nervous nonetheless. United need to come out of the blocks fast tomorrow and try to stamp their authority on the game and a victory could propel them to the top of the league table, because the Glens, on top on goal difference, face a difficult hurdle at home to the Crues. But that's for the future the only thing in the mind of this United team should be getting the 3 points on offer tomorrow, so come on Sky Blues, let's shag those Chickenvilliers!

Popping Ports!

United have to put that reverse on Friday night against Ards behind them and concentrate on popping the Ports bubble, for it can be popped. Somebody said, maybe it was Stephen Baxter, commentating on the big two match, that the way this league's going at the moment, anybody can beat anybody on any given day. We, at 'Sport think so too and we think United have a good chance of putting one over on the Ports, but we have to cut these silly mistakes out. On Friday night Dwayne Nelson was let down by his defenders and they had better be on their toes tomorrow night, with Twigg and Braniff in the Ports team, but if we can cut out the supply to them, we might have a chance.

To that end we think Spike needs to change his midfield somewhat, if he's going to continue with that 4,3,3 formation he has to at least have one tackler in midfield and we at 'Sport would prefer two. If he has to play Archie in front of the back four, so be it or if it's Gavin or Sparky, or both, so be it. We think he can only afford one non-tackler in his midfield and we think he'll have drop Alan D and Thommo to the bench, if he persists with his present midfield three, it's a recipe for disaster. But knowing United we are liable to pick virtually the same team and play out of our skins, but we don't honestly think so.

Transfer deadline signing, Mike McClellan, in our opinion should get a start, whether it's a place of Gawley or in a three striker prong along with Dolan and Liggie, we don't care much, but we fans need to see him and he needs to play. Fergie broke his habit of not changing a winning team last Friday and we lost, so how does he react in his selection tomorrow night. At 'Sport, we don't expect him to change the team much, he'll just put it down as a bad result, but maybe he'll realise the folly of playing three non-tacklers in midfield and one of them, Alan D, seems to have lost the plot, so we need to bring somebody fresh on. So come on Sky Blues, let's shag those Portadowners!