Hull City - Player by Player 2018/19

Hull City - Player by Player 2018/19

 

David Marshall - All comps 44 starts (0 subs) – 0 Goals

Marshall enjoyed his first spell as undisputed number one at City since Mike Phelan left. After struggling to justify his place pre-Jakupovic and looking shaky in his rare appearances since, we finally saw the best of him. He’s an experienced and agile shot-stopper but not a keeper who leaves his goal-line very often. He was worth a point or three on many occasions and was probably player of the first half of the season.

Future? Marshall is out of contract and leaving. He’s the most expensive goalkeeper we’ve ever bought and has wages to match. George Long was brought in to take over next season – and to get Sheffield united promoted apparently.

George Long – 5 (1) – 0 Goals

The heir apparent stepped in towards the end of the season to get himself accustomed to the role that will surely be his next season. Long is tall, athletic and confident. He kicks well and has the confidence of the manager. He’s not yet conceded a goal he looked responsible for so it will be interesting to see how he responds when that comes.

Future? He’s next season’s number one. The interesting question will be whether the management bring in a keeper to challenge him or whether Will Mannion or Callum Burton are given the opportunity to do so.

Eric Lichaj – 36 (4) – 0 Goals

One of my favourites. Lichaj was the best signing we made last summer and considering how well some of the others did (eventually) that’s a fair old compliment. An experienced US international right back, he was a bargain at £400,000 and didn’t need a minute to bed in. He’s proven versatile enough to also play left-back and as one of three centre halves. He defended superbly all season and got forward well from full back. Sadly he didn’t manage to score and after that sitter he missed against Preston, I’m not sure he ever will!

Future? He’s under contract for at least another year and we should be thinking about extending that already. He’d be captain next season for me.

Todd Kane – 38 (3) – 3 Goals

Kane arrived on loan from Chelsea as a right-back, played his initial games wide in midfield and would also play left-back and centre midfield. His versatility was more of a curse than a blessing as he struggled to nail down any particular position but injuries meant he was often in the team somewhere. His defensive work isn’t great but the gets forward well and chipped in with some goals including two brilliant strikes at West Brom.

Future? Kane is out of contract at Chelsea and approaching his 26^th birthday early next season. He desperately needs to find a permanent home and play week in, week out. It doesn’t look like that will be here.

Stephen Kingsley – 25 (2) – 0 Goals

I find Kingsley one of the more frustrating players in the squad. His injury record is worrying although 25 starts is a huge improvement on just 10 last season. Mid-season after a run of games, we saw the best of Kingsley who looked a terrific outlet down the left wing and whose defensive play improved with games and sharpness. When he’s in and out of the side with niggles, he looks sluggish and makes mistakes. Season highlight was his delightful run and cross for Irvine to open the scoring at Preston.

Future? Kingsley’s contract runs until next summer with the club holding a 1 year option. His injury record makes running with him at first choice a big risk but with such a huge turnover of players expected, it’s hard to see the club adding a left-back.

Brandon Fleming – 3 (3) – 0 Goals

It’s not quite been a breakthrough season for Fleming but an interesting introduction for him. Yet another home-grown left-back, he’s still only 19 and has plenty of time on his side. He’s quick, covers the ground well and can deliver a ball into the box. On the negative side, he’s small and susceptible to a big diagonal as we saw at Millwall in the Cup.

Future? He’s well tied up, contractually, until at least 2021. If the club run with just Kingsley ahead of him, opportunities are going to be plentiful next season. He won’t let anyone down and will improve further with games.

Reece Burke – 33 (2) – 0 Goals

When he came in from West Ham for (apparently) £500k up front, Burke looked a shrewd signing and despite some teething problems – that’s proven to be the case. He’s tall an athletic, eats up the ground and has improved the air. Although he looked a bit lightweight at first, he grew into the physical battles and barely put a foot wrong in months. He even had a go at playing right-back after Elphick came in and gave it everything despite looking a bit uncomfortable. Highlight was his terrific performance in the win over West Brom in November.

Future? We might get away with it because we go under the radar and our defensive record is poor overall but I’d be worried otherwise that someone would sniff around Burke. For his age and experience, he looks more assured than someone like Michael Turner did. Will be a pbig player next season.

Jordy De Wijs – 30 (2) – 1 Goal

Probably the hardest player to judge in the squad. For five or six games, he looked a calamitous signing. Adkins stood by him after some dreadful errors though and he started to show what he had. He’s outstanding in the air and has a decent left foot – though like Michael Dawson, it’s not as good as someone’s told him it is – and an incredible attitude. I still chuckle at Louis Moult throwing an elbow at him, bouncing off and hitting the floor. Despite being hard as nails, he’s prone to injuries which alongside the odd catastrophic error is his biggest downside. Delighted that he finally got off the mark with a thumping late header to beat Wigan.

Future? He and Burke look far better equipped to be a first choice defensive pairing next season. They compliment each other but the big worry is that they don’t play enough games so cover/competition is needed.

Robbie McKenzie – 13 (8) – 0 Goals

McKenzie is another proper local lad in the first team which everyone should take pride in. He’s played almost exclusively at centre half in the Championship which takes some doing and he’s done a terrific job. He’s young, not fully developed physically and naïve off the ball at times but he’ll only improve with games. Even more impressive is that his games for City’s youth sides have often come in midfield (where he played originally) and at right-back (of late) as well as centre-half so the position is one he’s still learning and doing so, well, at a high level.

Future? A great asset for the squad in the short-term, he could easily be a future, local, captain.

The Rest of the defence: Tommy Elphick (18 (0) – 1 Goal) was a great short-term signing for the first half of the season who sadly we can’t even dream of having back. Ondrej Mazuch (4 (3) – 0 Goals) has had a nightmare with injuries which is a shame because he looks good at times. He’ll be released this summer. Angus MacDonald (3 (0) – 0 Goals) has had awful look with illness and injury but has another year here. He’s never impressed to the level of Burke and De Wijs though. Liam Ridgewell (4 (3) – 0 Goals) has looked a pointless signing on the face of it but it’s hard to judge his influence in “the building” without being part of the squad. Another who will probably be released.

Markus Henriksen – 39 (0) – 2 Goals

This year’s skipper is often-maligned by some in the crowd – the current “boo boys favourite” if you prefer. We’re a poorer team without him, that’s clear to see. He’s not a defensive midfielder but he’s been employed there for most of the season and his guile has been important. He’s also found another level of aggression and stepped up as the leader of the group. He was as important as anyone in turning the season around and pushing for a play-off place. Off the field, he’s a very classy guy who’ll be a huge loss.

Future? Looks to be heading to France after missing out on a move in January. I’m not convinced we saw the best of him, certainly as an attacking player, but we’ll miss him.

Dan Batty – 24 (5) – 0 Goals

Batty’s a terrific young player who had much more involvement this year after making his debut at Brentford on the last day of last season. He’s tenacious and hard-working and has a tremendous range of passing. There were times when he looked knackered and Adkins took him out of the side wisely. Unfortunately, he picked up an injury and was a loss for the second half of the campaign. He’s another who will keep improving with confidence and fitness. There is more to come from him around the box too.

Future? He has another year on his contract which needs sorting this summer. He’s going to make waves next season as the big names move on and City need to protect a prized asset.

Jackson Irvine – 37 (2) – 6 Goals

A crucial player who we missed mid-season when he went to the Asian Cup. That couldn’t have come at a worse time after his form in December. He’s been used all over the midfield because he’s so valued that the manager will try to ensure he’s in the team, wherever that is. I prefer him playing in front of the midfield as he’s a goal threat and not a particularly good defensive midfielder but he’s so versatile that he dropped in when there where options like Evandro and Pugh, played wide before Grosicki came good and pushed on when others weren’t available. Was outstanding at Preston on Boxing Day.

Future? He’s another who is in with a good shout of being the next captain and another who might just attract a little interest. City have no need to sell but that’s never stopped us. Crucial, crucial, crucial.

Kevin Stewart – 19 (11) – 0 Goals

Stewart had a baffling season. After being a joke for the first year and a bit of his City career, he came good from November onwards and was an important player during the winning run in December. His City career turned around in 8 odd days in November when he was very poor against Crewe’s U23s one week and then superb against championship leaders Norwich the next and never looked back. Oddly fell out of favour after being the scapegoat for the Derby defeat and never really got back in.

Future? He looks important given Henriksen’s impending departure and his inclusion in the last couple of games of the season reflects that. Needs to produce week in, wee out what he showed last winter.

Kamil Grosicki – 35 (5) – 9 Goals

Ah, the enigma. Kamil had another summer where a transfer away from City was a case of when not if. Eventually a loan move to Turkey fell apart and he stayed but it wasn’t Wigan away in September that he played a part in a league game. He came into a faltering side in a tough run of fixtures and took a while to get up to speed but once he did, he and Jarrod Bowen started to blow away opposition defences. In the home win against West Brom in November, he was a one-man highlight reel and he continued that form throughout December and January. He makes a lot of goals but should score far more too. Nine isn’t a bad return but he only scored in six games (He got three braces) and that’s not indicative of the chances he created.

Future? He’s surely going this summer after four transfer windows of doubt and with the budget set to be cut in half. He earns a fortune for this level and we can’t afford to pay it. I’m glad he’s going out on a bit of a high because he’s always been a talent but was maligned for his attitude. He’s been a big part of the team this season and Adkins has managed him superbly.

Jarrod Bowen – 45 (1) – 22 Goals

This is the point I cry. I’ve watched Bowen playing for our young teams since he arrived from Hereford at 17 and watched him develop into a tremendous winger who scores goals for fun. He should have been around the first team long before he broke in at the end of Marco Silva’s reign and it seems crazy now that Greg Luer and Brian Lenihan got chances under Steve Bruce but Jarrod didn’t. He had an outstanding season last year and with the team struggling for the first 14 games and him chipping in only 4 goals, there was some suggestion that he wasn’t all that. Adkins left him out of the starting line-up at Sheffield United, the only thing stopping him being ever-present in the league, but quickly restored him. He worked hard even when things weren’t happening for him in front of goal but there was a lot of disruption as we tried to settle on a line-up and that didn’t help. Like others, his form since late October has been exceptional and if there was any question that he’s the real deal, that ended when he destroyed Leeds United, then top of the league, on their own patch.

Future? He’s going and for big, big money. It’s distressing to see us forced to sell a player we’ve identified and nurtured but he’s outgrown our ambition at this point.

Evandro – 14 (9) – 3 Goals

While he’s been at City, Evandro has had the same three seasons. Obviously competent. Flashes of brilliance. Mostly injured. This has clearly been his best and half his City league appearances have come this season. We have some highlights now, that strange volley at home to Villa that temporarily levelled, the comeback he sparked at home to Swansea, the destruction of Bolton and that fabulous volley at Villa that was one of the goals of the season.

Future? He’s also on his way. He’s old, expensive and injury prone. Brilliant though. So a shame we’ve never seen it regularly.

The Rest of the midfield: David Milinkovic (1 (10) – 0 Goals) was an interesting signing but neither his attitude nor ability warmed him to Adkins and he was very quickly dumped. Resurgence was fleeting. Marc Pugh (10 (4) – 3 Goals) was an excellent loan signing who took a little while to find a starting place but chipped in with some important, and excellent, goals. I don’t expect him to be back but he is available on a free. Jon Toral (1 (10) – 2 Goals) has had a season ruined by injury. Another who looks good in flashes but nowhere near enough. He’s a Poundland Evandro at this point. Max Sheaf (0 (3) – 0 Goals) is a tall, tidy all-action midfielder who has just been given a taste of things this season. We’ll see more of him next year.

Fraizer Campbell – 31 (8) – 12 Goals

We waited ten years to see Fraizer in black and amber again but despite a few goals, it just wasn’t the same last season. He never looked fit and was in and out. It would have been gutting for that to be the lasting memory of him at City. This season has put paid to that with him back to his vibrant best, harassing defenders, leading the line and playing with a smile on his face. His goals have been those of an experienced poacher for the most part, sniffing chances and punishing errors but his volley at home to Sheffield Wednesday was a beauty. His link up play has been outstanding, particularly his through balls for our brilliant wingers.

Future? It’s crazy after the season he’s had but I think this is the end. He came in after relegation on a good wage and the club not taking up his extra year option was telling. It’s such a shame because he’s back to his best, clever, experienced and a wonderful influence.

Chris Martin – 16 (15) – 2 Goals

Martin was a deadline day loan signing from Derby who has had rough couple of years. That told in his demeanour with his general lack of confidence shining through. He wasn’t bad though and proved an effective foil for the wide players. Some of his link up play was nice but he’s not particularly a big target-man and has lost a yard of pace. There were times when he played instead of Campbell and it was indefensible. His season was probably summed up by finally scoring his first goal in the rout of Bolton and then smashing against the bar with the goal gaping minutes later.

Future? Returns to Derby and we never see him again I suspect.

The Rest of the attack: Nouha Dicko (4 (15) - 2 Goals) has spent a couple of months out in the cold with Adkins preferring others to him even on the bench. At present, he's the only senior striker likely to be a City player next season. Will Keane (3 (7) – 0 Goals) started one league game this season which was the impressive win at Leeds. I’m still not sure why and he disappeared out on loan to Ipswich days later. He scored three times for Ipswich which is three times more than he scored for City. His contract is up and he’s surely done too. Keane Lewis-Potter (0 (1) – 0 Goals) made his first appearance as a sub at Millwall in the cup. He’s a cracking little striker who was rewarded for his hard work and goals in the U18s and U23s with a first team appearance. He’s only just turned 18 and while he has pace, he’s small and needs to develop. He’s one for the future without doubt.