This Time!

United go into this Irish cup replay against the Welders minus at least three first-teamers, as JT, Tony and Gavin are all suspended. Tony has reached the dreaded 10 booking mark and will be due another spell on the sidelines, maybe it will be the following two matches which could mean missing our derby with the Coleraine scum or a match with Linfield in the Irish cup as long we see off tomorrow night's opponents first as well as the match at Portadown. That isn't going to be an easy task, but hopefully the players fully realise the gravity of the situation ahead of them, lose this match and we can say goodbye to any hope of silverware this season, win it and its all to play for.

As usual we haven't clue when it comes to team selection, but we only hope Cookie was taken off with 18 mins to go on Saturday to save his legs for the game tomorrow night, rather than him being injured. In the absence of  JT, Marky seems to be the ready-made replacement, but Spike may want to jig things up a bit and play Ruddy at leftback and start Archie alongside Cookie. Sparky, who was rested for the games against Dungannon and Linfield, should come in to replace the suspended Tony, like for like. Are Spike and three baldies willing to change tactics and push Jenks up alongside Darboy and go for the kill or must we wait for them to dictate the pace, it didn't work last time.

Frenchy Lacroix, ineligible for this game, will have to be replaced in goal by Shan and it'll be interesting to see how he performs on his home debut, but hopefully he'll be mainly unemployed. Or maybe it will be big Wes who takes over from Frenchy, 'we done know nothing' (please forgive the grammar). We'll just have to leave it to Darboy and Cush, ably backed by Ally and Captain Jenks to get us of this mess we find ourselves in. There's two men we haven't mentioned yet, they are Thommo, due a big game and new recruit Jimer, who has had a sensational start to his United career. If Jimer can play at the same level as he has done so far and Thommo can raise his game, we think we'll  have too much talent for big Gary and his Welders.

Not that it'll be easy, we feel sure that big Gary will have his team well up for the replay, but they are missing big defender Simpson and it will be interesting to see who plays in his place. Spike has said the players have been warned to play to their strengths, in other words no 'pussy footing' around and for fecks sake cut out them short free-kicks, they are killing us. They wouldn't be so bad if the recipient knew he was going to get a short one, but it seems he's the most surprised man in the field when he gets the ball, thankfully we got that off our collective chests. So come on Sky Blues, let's break these Welds (not literally), COSB!