| Hull | Boro | ||
| Bowen | 69′ (pen) | Assombalonga | 51′ |
| Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls |
52% 10 3 2 9 |
Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls |
40% 12 4 4 17 |
Limited kit suits limited Boro
As good a start as Boro have experienced in this seasons championship Hull’s has been nothing short of a nightmare. A club ravaged by an ongoing clash between the Fans and the Clubs Owners has not subsided and the drip away of talent plus low key replacements hasn’t improved the mood and as things stand they are tipped to follow Sunderland’s drop this season into League 1. Ever the optimist poor Nigel Adkins is charged with turning around the fortunes of the Tigers for which mere survival would be a success after a run of one win in their last five games and being thumped by fellow strugglers Reading 3-0 last time out.
It’s a cautionary tale to fans of Clubs who want new Foreign Owners in the belief that their millions will transform their club into the Chelsea of the North. During his press conference under fire Adkins confirmed that Mazuch, Dan Batty and injury prone Evandro, will all be missing for the visit of Boro. Amazingly Adkins can still call on attitudinal bad boy and Boro nemesis Kamil Grosicki who despite many efforts to the contrary still remains at the KCOM Stadium.
There have been quite a few Players to have worn both shirts in recent history, Parlour, Barmby, Ayala, Windass and Boateng but going further back Wilf Mannion also turned out for City after his time at Boro came to an end during Press allegations (or more accurately his revelations) about shady dealing in Players wages and Transfers in the game. He only managed 17 appearances for Hull before being barred from League Football by the FA.
Both Managers would have been privileged and delighted to be able to field a Player even remotely approaching Wilf’s ability today but as it stood TP’s selection had a surprise in that both Braithwaite and Downing were on the bench but with two CB’s for company and no Wing and Tav it was a brave choice. Adkins included Grosicki in his starting line up which perhaps indicated both the pressure and desperation of the Hull Manager. The game kicked off with Boro playing in a new White kit in a sparsely populated half empty KCOM Stadium as the Travelling army provided the little atmosphere that was being generated filling the East Stand corner bathed in sunshine.
Jarrod Bowen nearly opened proceedings on three minutes after Friend made a hash of defending despite his complaints of being fouled to Ref Darren England. The game was surprisingly open with both sides having a go and both sides also having Penalty claims in the opening ten minutes. There was very little in terms of quality on show and the game looked messy without either side taking control.
The first corner went to Boro after thirteen, labouring, wearisome minutes. It was delivered in by McQueen, low and at the near post in what looked like an error rather than a deliberate plan. The corner was reflective of how dire the game was at that point. Boro seemed to be playing with Friend as part of three at the back and McQueen and Shotton operating as Wing Backs.
Boro’s first real attempt came on twenty one minutes from Saville playing a ball up field to Hugill who controlled it, played it across the box into Britt’s path who disappointingly hit his shot back across the box and well wide of the exposed Hull goal leaving Marshall unruffled. Despite that miss Assombalonga and Hugill were linking up OK but there was a gap between defence and attack yet again with nothing knitting the two ends of the Boro side together. As the game approached the half hour mark Boro looked to be starting to get the upper hand of sorts in a game that thus far was remarkable only for its forgetability.
Hull’s Jordi de Wijs went down and had to go off on the half hour mark with Kingsley coming on and Lichaj going across to CB. On the restart Hugill chased Marshall down after the ball had been deliberately put out for treatment to de Wijs which finally stirred up the few Tiger fans still awake and bothered enough to boo. Despite those two changes made by TP there wasn’t much evidence that those on the field had responded in any way to the implied threat that positions were at risk. After the substitution the next excitement was when Rees Burke had to change his shirt for a large rip. When he re-joined the game he almost immediately gave the ball away to Hugill who was then scythed down by Irvine to compensate for Burke’s momentary aberration.
Hugill was again scythed down just after he re-joined the game after receiving treatment for Irvine’s previous attention but Darren England saw nothing in the challenge. With Hull now starting to look a little ragged Henricksen was next to go into England’s book for a rash challenge on Saville. Despite Hull’s obvious lack of class Boro just weren’t doing enough of whatever it was their game plan was and indeed a cross into the box from Grosicki required Saville to chest the ball out for a corner to Hull to spare Boro blushes.
Looking at the Boro bench Batth, Braithwaite, McNair, Downing, Fry and Mo Besic didn’t look to be able to give TP the options he now needed to change things radically from what had gone before. A last minute First Half chance in the form of a Clayton launched Free Kick from the half way line was wasted as Ayala couldn’t resist the opportunity to give away a stupid foul and with it the chance to maybe nick a half time lead.
No creativity, no pace zeal or zest and absolutely dire set pieces yet again and the worst 45 minutes witnessed under Pulis which worryingly is now becoming more commonplace. The questions being asked from fans during the interval was how on Earth can Wing and Tav not get in ahead of that load of dross? Boro came out for the second half surprisingly with all starting personnel still intact, for how long though was the question on everyone’s lips?
Hull kicked off the second period with a statement of intent that the dross was likely to continue by hitting the ball straight out of play. McQueen and Saville then contrived to feed Friend who burst through towards the Hull box but his shot flew well over in keeping with the predictable accuracy of Boro’s shooting. In a game that on paper Boro should be bossing with ease it was a Grosicki sloppy ball conceding a throw in that provided the break through. From the quickly taken Shotton throw the ball was launched in by Howson to drop on Britt’s toe in the six yard box to tap in putting Boro fortunately one up. A minute later Britt nearly added a second as Hull had now started to push up and some space at the back opening up.
Hull were now applying some pressure, constantly seeking to find Bowen in the hope of him getting them back into the game. Another throw in was launched in from Shotton and this time Flint’s header went just over Marshall’s goal centrally as he outjumped the attentions of two Hull defenders. The obligatory Clayton booking came next after a clash with Bowen arguing that it was just a coming together.
From the resulting Free Kick Randolph collected it and was kicking the ball out as Martin got in the way of it bizarrely and earned himself a yellow card. A few moments later a Hull penalty claim was waived away but seconds after Ayala clashed with Martin for a clear penalty given away cheaply for a push in the back. Martin was just inside the box facing away from goal and there were three Boro defenders behind Ayala. It has been mentioned on a few occasions that Ayala’s discipline could cost us and this was a game that we looked to have been grinding out a result and frustratingly and unnecessarily threw it away. Bowen calmly stepped up and sent Randolph the wrong way to bring the sides level.
Pulis responded by preparing a change as Hull buoyed by their equaliser had now found a little inspiration and Bowen came close yet again. Downing came on for the ineffective McQueen and Clayton came off for Besic and Braithwaite went on for Hugill. Meanwhile Grosicki had been simultaneously brought off by Adkins for Frazier Campbell with 15 minutes remaining. The game had slumped back into the mire again and as frustrations were building Aden Flint was booked for presumably offering Darren England a view on his earlier penalty decision. Hull now looked the livelier despite the triple Boro substitution who had struggled to make an influence on the game. Another silly foul this time from Besic had Boro defending in numbers from which Boro broke but the attempt ran out of steam. Formation wise it now looked to be four at the back with Saville in for Clayts, Braithwaite and Downing out wide with Howson and Besic central.
A nervy moment from Shotton as he let the ball bounce had us with hearts in our mouths as we feared the Typical Boro moment. Downing set Howson up in the final minute but Marshall put it round for a corner. Besic hit a low corner which considering the height of the Boro players in the box was a complete mystery to me as the clock ticked down. The game ended in frantic mayhem and chaos with Shotton almost allowing Bowen in to nick it. There was a feeble Boro penalty claim in the last minute in front of the travelling army as the ball went out for a corner. The corner was sent in by Downing and Braithwaite connected but sent it over the bar. That was the final piece of play in what was a very poor Boro performance and an even worse Hull one.
I can’t award a MOM because Boro were almost as bad as when Strachan was here with the players looking as disjointed and confused as under Monk. From the kick off they lacked the confident swagger of a team about to go top of their league. The cold truth is poor selection, poor tactics and even poorer execution has been a continued story of late and as a consequence we threw points away yet again. The one common theme in all this is TP clinging to some very overrated and overpriced Men at the expense of Boys who can actually make a difference.
That performance was nowhere remotely near good enough from anyone in a White shirt which was a good colour choice based on the display. As a third kit I can’t see many sales ensuing based on the memories it created today. I’m guessing we will have Hummel working on a Yellow kit as we speak. The form table is showing that we are now in an undeniable decline from the early season threadbare squad optimism. There was no evidence today that Pulis recognises or perhaps accepts the glaring deficiencies that are staring most of us in the face. If he does then his diagnosis and cure is worse than the disease.