Sky Blue Sport News

Monday, November 30, 2015

Must Win!

United manager Spike, has intimated, that semi-finals and finals must be our aim, as we are doing nothing in the league. Tomorrow night the Sky Blues, travel to near neighbours Larne, in such a semi-final, the much sought after County Antrim Shield and a win is a must. Not that Larne and their management team which includes two United old boys, manager Davy McAlinden, who started his career in United's colours and assistant, Marco, who played over 400 times for the Sky Blues in an eleven year career, will make it easy for us.

But we learned (or should we say larned), to not expect any favours from opposing managers and is safe to see we will have to earn the breaks tomorrow night, if they go for us. The pitch Larne is narrow and will all the rain that's fallen in the last four or five days, we expect it will be soggy. But its the same for both teams and hopefully we should have enough firepower, to win in the ninety minutes. If we are as benevolent in front of goal, as we have been in the past, it will come down to who wants most, we fervently hope it is us.

Tony Kane, should be back from suspension tomorrow night and he will give our manager an option to change his tactics if  he wants. Anybody carrying any niggles from United's match at Seaview, will be found out on the heavy Larne pitch, better eleven fit men and no passengers. Our talisman, Cush, is in a rich vein of form at the present time and he will have a big influence on how we play. We haven't heard if the game is a sell-out and we don't expect a big crowd of Sky Blue fans, but we need to let ourselves be heard, so come on Sky Blues, lets shag those Harbour Rats!

Friday, November 27, 2015

Fire Again!

Its fire again for the Sky Blues, as they visit the reigning champions, Crues. Just over a month has elapsed since United dumped the hatchet-men out of the County Antrim Shield with a 2-0 victory. The Crues, it has to be said, were especially subdued that Tuesday night, but their league form has been exhilarating to say the least and we must expect a sterner test tomorrow, with 3 league points up for grabs.

We at 'Sport expect Spike, to select almost the same team as last Saturday, providing young Matty, has recovered from injury, but he will have to find a replacement for the suspended Tony Kane. Maybe his namesake, Owen, will come into the reckoning or maybe the forgotten Nathan Hanley, will start against his former club, but we need at least one tackler in midfield to complement Thommo and Jenks.

Spike's 4,3,3, formation worked against Portadown and maybe it could work against the hatchet-men, who like to play 'hoof ball' and fight for secondary possession, on the narrow Seaview pitch. But we need everybody focused tomorrow, we can't afford to carry any passengers, as the Crues will punish our every mistake. Spike, in an interview today hinted that Maggers, could come into the reckoning, with his no-nonsense approach.

But we think the pace will be too lively for Maggers, better to use him as impact sub in the 2nd half, but Spike, knows best. We have another of the new breed of refs, Keith Kennedy, but it least he didn't disgrace himself as that Dick Head Crangle and his underling Ian McNabb, did on the BBC programme, 'Due North'. Maybe he's saving himself for tomorrow's game, but he can't be any worse that last weeks whistler, Heth, for he was the pits.

The forecast is for gales and rain, but the artificial turf at Seaview should be alright for playing on, whatever the weather. The Crues have an edge, but if we can defend (chance would be a fine thing) and get a bit of luck, we maybe could cause an upset, but it would take an enormous effort on our  players parts. But its not over to the 'fat lady sings' and Crues have just the fat lady in Ogre, so come on Sky Blues, lets shag those Paper Tigers!

Friday, November 20, 2015

Seventh Heaven!

Will be seventh heaven for United after tomorrows game, when a win over the Ports, would see the Sky Blues leapfrog them and move up to seventh place in the league standings. It will be a tall order, for the Ports, came from two goals down last Saturday and claimed all three points and that must have done their confidence some good. Games between United and the Ports, are usually close run affairs and we won't be surprised if tomorrows match goes the same way.

They're either close run affairs, or one team heavily scores, like Ports, did in the Irish cup semi-final last season or that United did to them in the league cup two seasons ago, but in all honesty we can't see that happening in tomorrows game.  It may well come down to who takes their chances and Ports have two formidable strikers in Murray and Twigg. But United are no slouches in that department also, as we have Cush and the veteran Tippers and they both should start tomorrow's game.

It will be interesting to see if young Matty, gets the vote too, he should be rested after his trip to Russia, as he only got less than half an hour, on Wednesday night. Spike, in an interview today, hinted that maybe he could bring JT into his starting line-up and Steeky as well, but we think he will stick by Ruddy and leave Steeky, for back-up. But what do we know, we never try to second guess our Fergie, but he has a choice to make in midfield.

We had been crying out for the Barber, to be given a run out, but he flopped on Wednesday night and he may find himself on bench or in the reserves. The same could be said for the two Kane's, Owen and Tony. Then there is the enigma that is Willie Faulkner, who Spike, seems to rate, but he flatters to deceive as far as we are concerned. Maggers, playing up front, was not an unqualified success, but his shot late in the game, offered us some hope in the dying mins on Wednesday.

But we expect Spike, to go for a midfield of Tony, Owen, Jenks and Cush, with Tippers and  Matty up front. JT, could come into the back four, at the expense of Rodger or Kyley, both of whom were poor on Wednesday, but we think he has to pick one of the two of them and we would go for Kyley. We just maybe have put the 'kiss of death' on Kyley, but we hope not. It could come down to who wants it most tomorrow, so come Sky Blues, lets shag those apple pickers!

 

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Scrubbing Brushes!

It had to happen sooner or later, the call has gone out to the Sky Blues to arm themselves with mythical scrubbing brushes', for there's a dirty scum coming to the Showgrounds tomorrow night and it has to be removed. We're not talking about the referee here, Raymond D H Crangle, although he's as  scummy as they come, were talking about the Coleraine scum and it is our task to cleanse them and send them home dejected.

Its not going to be easy, scum have habit of getting deep-rooted and we need get stuck in from the start and we have got to cleanse them early and guard against them getting a foothold in the game. Our task is not made any easier, by the fact our leading scorer, Cush, has to serve a one match suspension and fellow striker, young Matty, is just back from Russia with the Norn Iron under-19 squad and our manager needs to assess if he has the energy to fulfil a worthwhile role in our panel.

We'll be surprised if young Matty, makes the starting line-up, but that decision is down to our manager and his backroom staff. In the absence of a recognised striker, with Tippers also suspended and Darhen, out of favour, Jenks, will probably be our lone striker. The rest of the team,  bar the suspended Cush, will probably be on the usual lines, with possibly Leroy, getting a start in a 5 man midfield.

The weather people are predicting gales and sporadic rain, so it will be whoever wants it most and there's no doubt United, are the experienced team when it comes to knock-out football, but in saying that the Coleraine scum are the form team this season so far. But there's an old saying, 'the bigger they are, the harder they fall' and we just hope United can plot the scum's downfall tomorrow night. So come on Sky Blues, lets shag these ewes from Windy Hall!

Friday, November 13, 2015

Cup Final!

We at Sky Blue Sport, think United should approach this game like a cup final. If we lose, we will slip further behind the elusive 7th spot, which guarantees entry into the play-off for our league's third Euro place and we want to be involved in that surely, its our one realistic aim. Our manager was at pains to say we had a fully fit squad and we think this includes striker Tippers. If Tippers is fit, he should be brought into the starting line-up for we will need his guile and cunning tomorrow.

Young Matty, is unavailable as he is in Russia with the Norn Iron undr-19 squad and we will have a need of a proven goal-scorer, to back up our talisman and leading scorer, Cush. Tippers, doesn't entirely fit the bill, but he's all we have got, in the absence of young Matty and Darhen, who's completely out of favour, only 5 appearances so far this term. The experiment of playing Jenks, up front has shot its bolt as far as we are concerned, but Spike, may think otherwise.

We were crying out for a bit of width last Saturday, but Spike's sub, when he took Faulkner off, was like for like, as he brought on Thommo. We are not saying Thommo, didn't play well when he came on, in truth he was our best player in midfield, but we thought we were crying out for a wide player, to get round the back of the Glens defence and maybe carve an opening, instead of the usual crosses from deep, which the Glens defence dealt capably with.

Our opponents tomorrow the Ducks, are usually well organised in defence and like to get the ball down and play. As their keeper, Alvin Rouse, was sent-off last week, we could face their second-string keeper and we will be looking for Cush, to test him early on in the game, if he has his shooting boots on, you never know with Cush. But he is if nothing unpredictable and that's why we love him, he is a real match-winner and a wholehearted player to boot.

The weather forecast is not looking too promising and maybe the weather will play a part in the result of this game, it could be survival of the fittest. Unfortunately we will not have a presence at this game, as our Sammy, who was due to drive has been told, in no uncertain circumstances, he has to stay at home and Omar's not confident about driving so far. We will not be there in body, but we will be there in spirit, so come Sky Blues, lets shag these Ducks!

Friday, November 06, 2015

Double Vision!

We don't really why our manager, Spike, selected the same personnel to do duty on the ploughed field, that is laughingly called the Loughshore Arena, as overwhelmed the Crues, on their artificial (3G), surface, but he did. It nearly worked, but with United leading 2-0 with less than 20 mins to go, ref Ian McNabb, pulled United central defender Kyley, for winning a header. The ref has a different explanation, but its all a load of nonsense.

In saying that, the ghost foul, was no reason to excuse our defenders and goalie, for not lining up the defensive wall properly and allowing S. Kane, room to squeeze his free-kick round the so called defensive wall and into the net, leaving our keeper Dwayne, stranded. Worse was to follow, when Carrick were allowed to cross a ball and Dwayne decided to punch and it dropped invitingly and Carrick scored an equaliser.

We had nothing left, as we lost the toss and were playing up the slope in the second half and believe me that surface takes the stamina out of you. Our own pitch at the Showgrounds, could cut up tomorrow, if we get all the rain that's forecast, so it could be another slog tomorrow against the Glens. Our former manager, Kenny Shiels, turned down an offer to be the next Glens manager and Fergie will have to pit his wits against another Linfield legend, in Roy Coyle.

Coyler, has taken temporary charge of the Glens team since they sacked their manager Eddie Patterson, a few weeks ago. Coyler, is a wily old fox and Spike, will underestimate at his peril. He will use every trick in the book and he will want to win at all costs and give the new manager whoever that proves to be, something to build on. As usual, we haven't a clue as to team selection and who is fit and who's not fit.

But we will be surprised, if Tippers and young Matty, are not playing and Jenks has not returned to midfield. It will be interesting to see, who gets the remaining midfield slots. Cush, seems a certain starter and that leaves Faulkner, Tony and Gavin fighting for the reaming two places. We figure the ground will be too heavy for the Barber and he flopped at Carrick last Saturday anyway. Will Spike start with the same defence or will he tweak them a little, it remains to be seen.

Its not known if on-loan central defender Gareth Rodger, is fit again, but if he is he might get the nod at central defence to partner JT or Kyley, Mike Ruddy, was the pick of our defenders at Carrick and it will be surprising if he does not retain his place in the team. If everybody's fit, we should be able to match the Glens, in work-rate, but they will punish our every mistake. We have to be focused from the start tomorrow, no sluggishness, so come on Sky Blues, lets shag these wise men from the East!