SAD Disorder!

At this time of year so many people are affected by SAD disorder, which is a form of depression brought about by the winter months and those old dark dreary days. But for United fans it is brought about by our teams continued failure to even match the Coleraine scum or give them a game. Last Saturday we had the perfect opportunity, when Coleraine, obviously feeling the effects of their Setanta cup match on the Monday, were a shadow of the team that snatched victory in the Irish cup. But they were were still too good for our bunch of plodders and Spike and his backroom staff will have a hard job turning them round for our next five matches, but turn them round they must. With the news of Ross Black's release and not in possession of the facts, we must assume that Spike's happy with the form of Ruddy and Vaulsey, both of whom were diabolical last Saturday and before some 'smart Alec' jumps on the bandwagon and declares Ruddy was playing out of position, not so, he played there when we entertained the Crues at the Showgrounds in November. Maybe Vaulsey was acting on orders giving Tomelty of the scum so much room and Ruddy seemed to be everywhere, but where he was supposed to be, but what do we know.

That brings us to tomorrow's match at Mourneview Park and tomorrows opponents, Glenavon, who like ourselves have flattered to deceive. Their manager Gary Hamilton has been widely quoted as saying their performance last week will not be tolerated and he's looking for a reaction against us. We too seek a reaction, but we don't hold out much hope, if Fergie is going to continue with his insistence of playing Thommo and Captain Jenks on the same team, we will have an uphill task. When it was mooted that we were going to sign Thommo, the 'Sport team were asking the question of where is he going to fit in to the scheme of things. He wasn't a wide right player, or a ball-winner or tackler, in short he was almost a replica of Jenks. Jenks is great about directing, if you watch him in most matches, when the opponents are attacking, he's pointing the finger and not picking anybody up himself. Thommo meanwhile is standing in 'no-man's land, threatening to close people down but never actually getting there, that's not what we need, we need everybody committed to the cause and returning tomorrow having served a two-match suspension, is the very man, David Cushley. Oh how we missed him against the scum, he really is our talisman.

In the absence of Ally who's troubling by a knee ligament injury, we will have to put up with Cush's corners which are usually too long, but if we had a striker worthy of the name he could use these to his advantage. Well in truth we have a striker who has played with Cush, Gary Ligget and surely he should know about his corner kicks. We don't expect him to know when Cush is likely to have a pop at goal, nobody knows that, we expect even Cush doesn't know, but he is a potential match winner and maybe Liggie can feed on the scraps provided by Cush. The whole back four had a stinker last week, but we expect Ruddy to replace Vaulsely and then it's perm any two from three of Chrissy, Maher and McCullagh. Archie came through 45 minutes in the reserves on Tuesday night but we expect him to get a place on the bench at best, but what do we know. Tony Kane, who had been playing well recently had a stinker a week ago, but he is our first-choice rightback and if he's fit we would expect him to get the vote. Is it too much too ask that the team turn up and try to play football, or are we stuck with this drivel they served up over the last two weeks. Come on Sky Blues, get a little pride back and shag these Lurgan men, in short go and do the business!

Pot Scrubber!

It's not known at the time of writing this if Spike is going to introduce his latest asset, Mark McCullough to his squad in the hope of getting our season back on track. In order to eradicate the scum, we think he will have to use a pot scrubber and we're told that Mark fits the bill. We understand he's a native of Randalstown, which used to be a happy hunting for the unearthing of United footballers and a United legend, Mark Carlisle is from Randalstown's neighbour, Antrim. So you see he has the pedigree to become an integral part of the United set-up, for many years to come. That said we don't envisage Spike making many changes from the side that had their hearts broken so cruelly when the scum scored in the 90 minute last Saturday, to send the caravan dwellers home happy or as happy as you can be in a caravan. Spike has said players will have to adapt to the system and if all players are fit, we envisage him sending out the same team as last Saturday.

Liggie proved he can score if he gets the service and his equaliser was a typical strikers goal, getting between the two scum central defenders and making his header look easy, that's what all good strikers do and he learned his trade from the best. If we can get the supply to him, he certainly has the talent to score a lot of goals in a Sky Blue jersey, but he can't do it all on his own. In the continued absence of United talisman, Cush, serving the 2nd game of his two game ban, United need another man to step up to the plate and pinch hit for him. After a lot of indifferent performances, it's time for another Whites old boy, Gary Thompson, to show his considerable talent and get back to what he does best, running rings around the opposition. But Gary can't do it all on his own, he needs Gavin and Captain Jenks to help him, then and only then will we begin to exploit the scum's sluggish defence. It looks like Spike will keep the same back four as that which done duty last Saturday and hopefully Shaun and Dwayne will come to some understanding of who's going for the ball and try avoid any repetition of gift-wrapped goals.

Spike is the man in charge and he could make wholesale changes, bring back Cookie Munster or bring Bingham or Duffin into the team, but he is a man that has a vision in his mind and he believes in sticking to his guns. There's talk among United fans about the possibility of playing a 4,5,1 formation, with either Dolan or Liggie on the bench and Neil Lowry in midfield, but we don't subscribe to that idea. we think that Spike wanted the two men, Liggie and Dolan, to spearhead the United attack and just because it hasn't worked so far, doesn't mean its a bad idea. They've only started four matches together and it will take time to develop a partnership and we got plenty of that but in the meantime we got have somebody else willing take some of the weight off Liggie and Dolan's shoulders and in the absence of Cush, it's got to be Ally. There's never been a better time for Ally to assert himself and steal the limelight off his fellow strikers as they struggle to come to terms with Spike's system, in short Ally, start scoring, come on Sky Blues, let's shag those caravan dwellers!

Scum Bashing!

The Sky Blues need to do unto the others as they have done unto them and beat the Coleraine scum into the ground. We know we are good enough, but for some unknown reason over the last number of matches we seem to flop, especially if we go a goal down. This has to be some problem in United's players head, for when we go a goal down, we should have the ability to bounce back right away. We have the players to do it now, signing two new strikers and a new central defender and all three will be making their debut in this the first derby match of 2013. The positive news out of the United camp, is that Shane Dolan is fit to partner Liggie up front, in their budding partnership that has yet not taken off, but United boss Spike is convinced that it will bear fruit. Where better to start repaying Spike's faith in them, than at the Warden Street grounds, in front of a bumper crowd of home fans.

The Sky Blue crew have returned refreshed after their trip to sunny Spain to recharge their batteries and are raring to go for this one. It's fair to say, after watching the highlights on TV of last weeks match against the IFA/Linfield, that United rode their luck at times, but we prefer to think that Dwayne had got his angles right and Cush supplied two decisive goals to draw us level. The 'Sport team had made a case for Cush to get a start last Saturday, knowing how he likes the wide open spaces of Windsor Park and we're glad to say that Spike agreed with us. In the quest for league points, Glenn picked Cush, when he could've been tempted to try something else knowing that Cush would be suspended for the cup tie and we hope he has an ace up his sleeve, to play in place of Cush. Neil Lowry had a good performance last week, when he came on as a sub, but Spike might be reluctant to take a chance on him, for he knows he can blow hot and cold. Far better to stick with Captain Jenks, Thommo, Ally and one other, anyone from the three of Gavin, Alan D and Sparky.

The 'Sports team would like to make a plea for Sparky, even though we criticised him for attending a wedding at the start of the season when United could have done with him. But he is a local man and like Chrissie Rodgers, he knows what it's like when United play their fierce rivals, the gassers. No doubt Spike will select the men he thinks are capable of doing the job, but we have to careful for the man in charge, referee Davey Malcolm, has already sent one United player, namely Gavin Taggart, off this season and we can't afford to be losing any more players due to suspension. The word is Shaun Maher will get the vote to partner Chrissie at the back ably backed up Kane and Vaulsely, who seems to be preferred to Ross Black. Dwayne Nelson has no rivals for United's number one jersey and if he can get an understanding with his defence we can advance into the next round. It's not going to easy, it never is against the Gassers, but we can do it, come on Sky Blues, lets shag those ewes from Windy Hall.

Side Show!

This is the appetiser for the biggest match of season on Saturday, but the IFA in its wisdom decided we got play a postponed game before the most crucial of fixtures on Saturday against the Coleraine scum-bags in the Irish cup. Unlike the premiership in England, the 'cup' is the biggest thing our league has to offer, but the IFA decides we got to risk players getting injured before Saturday. That's if the match takes place at all, what with the reports of the weather getting wintry again, but if it takes place United better be up for it, for DC are fighting to get up the league and Packy will have them all fired up. As for team news United will have to make one change from the team that drew with IFA/Linfield at the weekend. Two goal hero Cush is serving a suspension for running up 10 bookings which will see him miss tomorrow nights match and the cup match on Saturday.

If Shane Dolan is fit, Spike could throw him straight into the action against his former team, but maybe a place on the bench is all that he can hope for. Far better to promote Neil Lowry, who had a cameo role when he came on as a sub on Saturday at Windsor Park or start Alan D or Sparky, he has so many options. Liggie who had a poor game at Windsor on Saturday, should be given another chance to see if he can break his scoring duck since he became a Sky Blue. If he can get a goal it will give him and us a huge boost before the cup match. No doubt Spike will be telling his team to banish any thoughts of Saturdays cup match, it's 3 league points that up for grabs tomorrow night and boy do we need them if we are to have any chance of a top six finish. Our fate is in our own hands, starting tomorrow night we need to be focused to the job in hand, so come on Sky Blues, lets shag those Suffolk ewes!

Blue Heaven!

This may seem a wicked headline but we mean a 'Sky Blue' heaven of course, how does that old Bachelors song go, 'I'm in heaven when I see you smile, smile for me, Sky Blue fans', at least I always thought that's were their words. Sky Blue fans could do with a little relief, after pounding the Dung defence on Tuesday night and getting nothing for their efforts. Linfield/IFA have to do without Trevor Gault and that world traveller Johnny Black but they have so many in reserve, their omission will hardly be noticed. United on the other hand could have to start with new signing Shaun Mahon and give Cookie Munster a deserved rest. The rest of our defence seems to pick itself, with Kane, Rodgers and Vaulsey at the minute holding down the places, ably backed up by the impressive Dwayne in nets. it's in midfield where we face our greatest challenge. in the absence of true wingers we're forced to play horses for courses so to speak and we at 'Sport would like Spike to start with Cush, Ally, Jenks or Thommo and Gavin.

Ferguson seems to favour a 4.3.3 system and he might bring Alan D into his starting line-up and drop either Cush or Ally, but as Ally is our leading goalscorer with 7 goals, we think Cush might get a place on the bench. It'd be a shame, for the exciting Cush will relish the wide open spaces at the park and the chance to put one over on big fat DJ. Shane Dolan, who limped at Dung with a recurrence of his hamstring injury, assured Sky Blue supporters today that he would be available. We were worried that he had come back too soon and we really need him for the Coleraine scum game which is looming. But before that United have 6 points up for grabs and we really can't afford to lose any more ground in the quest for a top six finish. We know its no easy game, we are playing the league champions in their own backyard, but we believe we can do it, so come on Sky Blues, lets shag those village people