Sky Blue Sport News

Friday, December 18, 2015

First Quarter!

The Sky Blues welcome the dark Blues of Linfield/IFA, to the Showgrounds tomorrow, the first game of a quartet of games in the next 5 weeks against the IFA team. The referee for this game, which usually is a passionate one, is none other than Tim 'nice but dim' Marshall, who is as weak as water if he has to make any major decisions and will always side with his employers if their is a doubt.

But United should know from past experience, that everything that you get from this fixture, needs to earned the hard way and our defenders need to be extra careful for Guy Bates, goes down easily where there is minimal contact and Tim won't be afraid to give the dark Blues a penalty, while ignoring brutal tackles at the other end, so we need to be on our guard.

Some United fans are of the opinion, we are on a hiding to nothing, but our manager Spike, says he is hell bent on pushing Ports or Glens, for that 7th place in the final league table, which is destined for a play-off spot to determine who accompanies, the Premier Champions, the runners-up and the Irish cup winners, into Europe next season.

By an ironic fact, we play the Coleraine scum in our next game, away on Boxing Day and Portadown away, on New Years Day and them two games coupled with tomorrows match, could go a long way in deciding our position in the league table come the end of this league campaign. So it is imperative that we give a good account of ourselves tomorrow and get a confidence boost for next the two holiday fixtures.

Linfield, by their standards are struggling and new manager David Healey, is struggling to make an impact in his first managerial post. That said the Blues will fight tooth and nail, for him and their own future, what with the transfer window coming up in January and Healey, having hinted that he will be active when the transfer window opens.

He has already asked for permission to speak to our talisman, Cush, who's out of contract in the summer, but we need Cush and the players to be focused on getting three points tomorrow. In the absence of Willie, out with a broken elbow, it should mean a start for somebody, like the Barber or Owen Kane, but we'll be dumbfounded if Spike selects Darhen.

The ex-Coleraine man, isn't flavour of the month and seems to be limited to a cameo performance as a sub, brought on with little time to make an impact. As usual we don't have any heads-up as to who is injured or if buckets Blaney, is going to continue in goals, where he has been less than impressive in the three games he has played in a row.

Its our gut feeling that Blaney, will get the nod over Dwayne, but maybe he will be on the bench, just in case he's needed. The rest of the team seems to pick itself and Spike, needs decide who is to play alongside JT (Paddy or Kyley), as JT is suspended for the Boxing Day encounter with the Coleraine scum. But its all systems go for tomorrow, so come on Sky Blues, lets shag those IFA sheep!