Windsor Park trip is perfect timing says United boss

A trip to the national stadium to face the reigning Danske Bank Premiership champions wouldn’t be everyone’s cup of tea on the back of that 8-0 loss to the Reds but Ferguson is bullish about what his side has to do to get back on track, with the County Antrim Shield final just a week away.

“I would rather be going to Windsor Park than Stangmore Park or Ballyskeagh this weekend,” said Ferguson.

“It’s a great place to go – there’s no better challenge for them to step up.

“If you can’t raise your game and want to play well at Windsor Park, you shouldn’t be in the game.

“It’s a place to go out and express yourself and work hard against the league champions.”

Ferguson insists that the players shouldn’t need any intervention from the coaching staff to pick themselves up after the Cliftonville defeat.

“There are players who need an arm around the shoulder and to be told how good they are – there aren’t too many who can be told that on the basis of Saturday’s performance.

“Footballers shouldn’t need to be told whether they’ve played well or played badly.

“I knew when I had played well and when I had been rubbish – I didn’t need anyone telling me.

I went home, had a good think about it and tried to put it right the next week.

“There was no excuse for our attitude, work-rate and desire at the weekend – players who train with us week in, week out know what we expect.

“They may not have the wee bit of quality of some of the players who are out of the team but there’s no excuse for the work-rate.

“It would be easy to make the excuse for instance that we lost Allan Jenkins after the Coleraine game but we’ve only lost a couple of times since then.

“No matter what players you put out, if they carry out the instructions they are given, they have a chance of winning games.

“We don’t have that big a squad but I would rather have people who can go out and do as they’re told, knock their pan in and put in a good honest shift than someone who thinks they should be in the team simply because they’re a first team squad members.

“The players have been told that if there are changes made, they can come and rap the door if they want but they better have a good reason behind it,” added Ferguson, who has midfielder Gavin Taggart available after completing a one-match ban.

Seven Towers Supporters’ Club transport to Saturday’s game leaves Henry Street car park at 1.45pm. Seven Towers Sc will also be running two buses to next week’s County Antrim Shield final, leaving the same location at 6.30pm

Paramount Supporters’ Club holds its monthly table quiz in the Bowling Club this Friday evening. The quiz starts at 8.30pm and all teams are welcome.