Omar's moving finger writes.....

This is the time of the year when we tend to look back on our achievements to date, ours I must say don’t make for relaxing reading material. We are, after the two night games played this week, in eighth position, with 16 goals for and 24 against. With two matches to go to reach the halfway point, the best we can probably hope for is a jump of one place, maybe two if we’re incredibly lucky. The way we’ve been playing lately, the best we can hope for realistically over the next two games, is a win and a defeat. A defeat on Boxing Day is unthinkable, so we should put all our money on Institute next Friday night, in my opinion. United manager, Tommy Wright, says he is at a loss to explain the team performances of late. I could tell him quite easily and could’ve told him before United kicked a ball in earnest, we have too many players playing out of position. Kieran Donaghy holds down the right-back slot, Kieran is not and never will be a right back, Kieran’s only true position is, sweeper. Gary Haveron is holding down a centre midfield role, Gary, like Kieran, is a real ‘fish out of water’ as Gary’s only true position is central defence. Vinny Sweeney is playing as a striker, but he is only a winger, he’s struggling to hold down an ‘out and out’ striking role. Then there is the ‘supposed’ best player in the club Rory Hamill, who is not only out of position in a striking role, he’s just not giving anything like 100% commitment to the United cause either. As if this wasn’t bad enough, we have in Willie McFrederick, a keeper who won’t leave his ‘line’ for love or money. It’s little wonder we have ‘shipped’ 24 goals in 13 league games and 31 goals in a total of 21 games. When the new manager took over, we desperately needed a striker, after all we have desperately needed one since we came up from the first division. We also required a top class ‘ball winner’ and midfield general, someone in the mould of the ex-scum player, Packy McAllister, or Portadown’s Mickey Collins. Kevin Kelbie, whom we signed just before the transfer deadline, in what Sky Blue Sport termed a panic buy, is starting to look like the striker we crave, but the midfield general’s are as scarce as hen’s teeth. Added to this is the manager’s major and much publicised ‘clanger’, in releasing our first choice goalkeeper, before recruiting a suitable replacement and it’s easy to see why the Sky Blues find themselves locked in a mid-table dogfight. If Tommy Wright has visions as he says he does, of being at United for the ‘long term’, I believe it’s ‘high time’ (no pun intended), that he and his large contingent of backroom staff, began earning their wages. The time for talking is over big Tam, it’s now time for action and ‘actions’ as the saying goes, speaks louder than words!