Topsy Turvy!

I think my headline  sums up United's season so far, we started off at a phenomenal rate in the first round of matches and then went into free-fall in the 2nd round of games. We still have two games to play yet, at home to Crues tomorrow and away to 'Stute next  Saturday, but two draws is the best we can hope for in those fixtures, given our penchant for conceding soft goals. Fergie reacted to our seven goal hammering at Solitude by dropping Dwayne as he did when we lost 8-0 to the same opposition back in 2012. I wasn't at the Solitude game, but those who were, were adamant that without Dwayne's saves, it couldn't have been a real hiding.

Spike, in my opinion, needs to change his tactics, he's still playing the Linfield way, but hasn't got the players to do it. We desperately need all round players in midfield, who can be ball-winners/tacklers as well as setting up attacks and incisive passers. Our players are too one dimensional. Captain Jenks is a great player going forward, but rarely tackles. He threatens to close men down but all too often he stands off them and lets them cross or pass at will. Thommo is another player who amazes me, his only asset is running with the ball, but he is too slow for the nippy midfielders in almost every team in the league.

I noticed him on Saturday and he was giving Linfield men acres of space, at least 15 yards, instead of closing them down and he can't tackle worth a damn. Our two wide men, Gawley and Ally, were found wanting on Saturday not giving our fullbacks, Tony and Steeky, any back-up. It reminds me on what Marko Carlisle said about Dessie Loughrey, he only seen him when the game started, he never gave him any back-up, but unlike Gawley and Ally, Dessie had other strings to his bow. He wasn't afraid to take a man on and he could score goals, we have nobody like him except for the injured Cush, in our team squad now.

But I digress, I'm sorry to say the future looks bleak for United, Fergie said in the Ballymena Guardian, that he had a plan for the Crues game on this Saturday. I hope and pray its not his 4,5,1, formation with only one tackler in midfield, either Tony or Sparky (Surgenor), or he could play both of them, but Sparky is only another  one-dimensional player, he can tackle, but he can't pass for love or money, mores the pity. But if Sparky was the complete midfielder that we crave, we couldn't hold on to him, the big money spending clubs, would have taken him away long ago.

A few weeks ago, Bill Wray, the editor of the Sky Blue Review, the United programme, published in his 'Memorable Match' series, my (Omar's), most memorable match, the Irish cup first round game between, the high flying Glentoran and the lowly Sky Blues. The legend that was Alex McRae, had taken over in his second spell at the Showgrounds and he devised a plan where United won against the odds. But we had five defensive stalwarts in out team and three midfielders who would stand no nonsense and one midfielder, who could place a ball on a sixpence and a lethal striker, methinks the present United line-up, is short on all these positions.

But as they say, 'hope spring eternal' and we have a league cup semi-final to look forward to next Tuesday. The only thing I see wrong with it, is the venue, it's at Ballinmallard's  home ground Ferney Park and United haven't even scored a goal down there, never mind won. With all the will in the world, I can't honestly see us win the tie, unless we take it to penalties and Stuarty Addis is in goal for us, Stuarty usually saves one or two, that would be the one occasion I would rest Dwayne, 'horses for courses' as they say. If Fergie does indeed have a plan and he gets it right this Saturday, it could give us a boost for the rest of December, but I have my doubts, like any pessimistic United fan.

To sum up, our team and management, need to get their collective fingers out. With 20 matches gone, top six is still a possibility and Glenavon, our conquerors in the Irish cup final are going through a bit of a slump recently  and the Coleraine scum remain in our sights, but we need to start accumulating points, or by the time January comes along we'll have blown our chance. But all is not lost yet, but its definitely squeaky bums time at the Showgrounds, at Ferney Park and at 'Stute. Two wins and a draw will set us up nicely for a victory on Boxing Day, over the Coleraine scum and we will have a league cup final to look forward to, I hope, Merry Christmas, COSB