Spike's Obsession!

United manager Glenn Ferguson, reverted to type last night and played a 4,3,3, formation against Glentoran and United suffered defeat because of it. But not only that, they had to have a bit of slip-shod defending as well which added to the misery. There seemed little danger when new keeper Tall decided to throw the ball to JT, instead of hoofing it away up the field. But Glentoran don't let the opposition play and JT was closed down and his only option was to play it back to Tall. I was at this stage getting concerned and my concerns proved to be justified.

Tall had another to chance to hoof the ball up-field, but he tried to find Jimer and only found touch to hand the possession back to the Glens. Referee Keith Kennedy, allowed the visitors to take the throw-in from the wrong place and the thrower found Stephen McAlorum, down the left wing and from his cross, Curtis Allen flicked a header on and Gordon headed past Tall. If this wasn't bad enough, two mins later a Jimer pass was intercepted and Gordon found the unmarked Scullion and his shot was tipped by Tall, into his own net.

Was this a mistake by Tall? Did he think he could parry the ball and catch it, or maybe the shot was too good, that remains a matter for speculation, but the crux of the matter is that this game was virtually over before it had even really started. We at 'Sport were thinking on the manager making two changes from his victorious starting line-up of last Saturday's Irish cup match. Dropping the non-performers, the Barber and Cutch and promoting Darboy and McAllister, hereafter called, Maca. Not only did he rest the two players mentioned, Cutch was not even in the panel and didn't come over from Scotland, citing work commitments.

Gawley made the bench, alongside Ally, Ruddy, Brian Mack and Maca and Thommo got Gawley's place in the team and we reverted to 4,3,3. This formation only works if the opposition is playing it too and you have midfielders who can tackle and we don't. It works better if you have pacey players and we don't, Thommo is slow and Jenks has lost his legs and that leaves Tony to do the most of the work. The amount of space the Glens players were finding in midfield was criminal and it needed to be changed, but Glenn stuck to his formation.

United tried to get back in the game and Darboy came close when he cut inside and unleashed a left-foot shot that Morris, the Glens keeper, pushed round the post for a corner. A Glens defender made a goal-line clearance at the expense of another corner. At the other end, Tony's pass was intercepted and but to my relief McAlorum's shot was easily saved by Tall. United won a free kick approaching halftime and this time Cush, laid it back for Tony, but his shot was straight at Morris, who pushed it over the bar. From the corner, taken by Tony, Jenks headed over the bar.

I was beginning to think we would never score when our defenders took a hand. Despite limping, Paddy Mac, found Steeky with a great pass and Steeky's left-wing cross was drilled into the net by Tony, to halve the deficit, to 2-1 in the visitors favour. Could we complete the comeback in the 2nd half I wondered idly and I said to Sammy I thought we needed to change it, but he wasn't impressed, he merely said, Glenn will stick to his guns and he was correct in his assumption.

2nd half
Fergie's hand was forced seven mins after the break, when Paddy Mac limped off to be replaced by Maca, with Jimer going to centre-half and Tony reverting to fullback and we now had no tacklers in midfield. With a bench of four midfielders and one defender, Spike had limited options I know, but why did he pick that squad in the first place. Was there was no room for the versatile Sparky, someone to call upon in an emergency, were those five players the only fit players available?

Glens missed an easy chance to extend their lead when McAlorum took advantage of Jimer's  misjudgement but screwed his shot wide. Maca, who was a surprise target for Glenn in the transfer window, had a run down the right but his cross went abegging as none of our forwards could supply the finishing touch. That was almost the last seem of him in attacking role, but he did manage to get one shot away later on, but it didn't trouble Morris in the Glens nets.

Cush managed to make Morris save his fierce shot at the expense of a corner, but he was not getting the service he craves. With 20 mins to go, Glens missed another chance to take the match beyond United, when Allen volleyed wide when well placed. Five mins later Spike made a strange substitution, when taking off Cush and replacing him with Ally, I thought he was almost saying, 'I'm happy with the 2-1 defeat, let's give Cush a rest,' or am I judging him too harshly?

Five mins later he took off Thommo and replaced him with Brian Mack and I couldn't understand this move either, but its true to say the only tackler worthy of the name on our bench, was Ruddy, but Fergie went for a holding midfielder, who looks about 50% fit, but he is the manager after all. But the Glens wrapped up the points when Allen outpaced JT and beat Tall, at his near post, to complete a 3-1 victory, a deserved victory it has to be said and leave United in the lower reaches of the league table and facing tough fixtures in the rest of this campaign!

Tall (5), Jimer (5), Steeky (7), Paddy Mac (6) (Sub: Maca (6), JT (5),  Thommo (5) (Sub: Mack 5,), Jenks (5), Tony (6), Cush (6) Sub: Ally 5,),Tippers (5), Darboy (6)

Man of the match: Steeky