Tigers Squad Review 2013 - Midfielders

2012/13 report

The area of the team that evolved the most over the course of the season. We started with a four man midfield for the opening couple of games but for the most part, we'd play a three with two wing backs thereafter. We also started with Robert Koren and Sone Aluko as part of the midfield but they were generally considered for the front line afterwards, while four of the regular five in midfield arrived (and departed) throughout the season.

Steve Bruce was always looking to get more "beef" in midfield. It was obvious from the start he thought we were too small and lacked strength in that department. Despite playing a big part the previous season and starting this, Paul McKenna was swiftly cast aside. If Bruce felt he lacked the bite and size he wanted, the stupid red card at Doncaster and resulting three match ban didn't endear him to the manager either. He played sporadically after that and was sent to Fleetwood on loan. Corry Evans was another vertically challenged player who struggled to hold down a regular place. Unlike McKenna, Evans has the mobility to make up for it but despite his generally stellar performances, he was often left out for someone a bit bigger or nastier. He had a dip in form in the new year (put down to coping with having a new baby by the manager) but was always a key part of the midfield when we played well. The manager attempted to get some of the height he craved in the team by calling on forgotten man Seyi Olofinjana. Like Paul McShane, Olofinjana was in the last year of a lucrative contract and had been cast aside by previous managers. Bruce eventually found out why. While capable of the odd strong performance, moving the ball around midfield, Oily is generally a passenger. He's forgotten how to tackle and track runners and he's got no idea what that big white rectangle thing at the end of the pitch is for. He ended the season at Sheffield Wednesday on loan. Cameron Stewart started on the opening day against Brighton; his only league start of the season. He took in loan spells at Burnley and Blackburn and didn't play there either. Tom Cairney didn't manage a single league start despite being praised for his conditioning on his comeback from injury. Youngster Dougie Wilson broke into the first team reckoning for the early rounds of the FA Cup and then went to Grimsby to get a bit of experience. Ahmed Fathi came in with Gedo in January but never made a break through. His big chance came against Wolves when he started the game, played very well and then gifted them the ball to score the winning goal.

On the final day of the summer transfer window, Bruce picked up Ahmed "Elmo" Elmohamady on loan from Sunderland and stole Stephen Quinn from Sheffield United for a fee maxing out at £100,000. Their first three games for the Tigers were the 3-1 win over Bolton, 4-1 drubbing of Millwall and the 3-2 win at Elland Road. I wonder if any player has ever had such success in his first three appearances? Quinn was a revelation in midfield. A busy, biting figure with a shock of ginger hair. He works incredibly hard but it's never wasted effort, it always has a purpose, be it covering his full back at one end or arriving in the box with a beautifully timed run at the other. He made a massive difference to our game. As did Elmo who became the regular right wing-back. His impact became obvious in January when he was recalled for a spell by Sunderland. Even a full back as good as Liam Rosenior couldn't fill his boots at wing-back. We missed Elmo's drive, his strength and particularly his ability to dig out a cross from anywhere in the attacking third. A season of marauding from goal-line to goal-line eventually took its toll on him but his contribution, regardless, was massive.

In November, Bruce completed his midfield. Firstly Robbie Brady arrived on loan from Manchester United to cover the injury to left back Joe Dudgeon. Brady spent the previous season on loan with us and while he had obvious ability, he could also be incredibly wasteful, making terrible decisions around the box. He'd shoot when he should pass (and not score) and try and beat a man when he could get a cross in (and lose the ball). I'll be honest, I didn't see him as a left back (or even wing back) in a million years. He'd prove that to be very wrong. He's not perfect, he still combines wrong decisions with over hit crosses and woeful set pieces but the ratio of good to bad is much higher. Defensively he was rarely found wanting and he provided his fair share of goals and assists. When the threat of a promotion rival pinching him in January became apparent, the club shelled out £2.5m to sign him permanently. He paid that off in one afternoon with a magnificent performance in the final day shoot-out with Cardiff. The other November addition was Sunderland midfielder David Meyler. He has a lot of the aggression and size that Steve Bruce had craved since day one. His initial loan move was also turned into a permanent deal in January for a similar fee to that spent on Brady. It also proved good business as he stiffened us up, linked well with Elmohamady and chipped in with five goals. His passing can be erratic and what he brings isn't always appreciated but when he was absent through suspension late in the season, we missed him big time.

The Future

Midfield looks to be our strongest area, squad wise. When you add-in forwards Boyd, Koren and Aluko, we have a fair number of options. Bruce would probably still like a big defensive midfielder and will have to replace Elmohamady, either as a wing back or a right winger. He'd probably like to buy Elmohamady but will be keeping his options open.

It's the end of the line for McKenna, Olofinjana and probably youngster Danny Emerton, who are all out of contract. Cameron Stewart has no future here either. I'd also be surprised if we pursue a permanent deal for Fathi. An interesting case is that of Tom Cairney. He has obvious ability and performed well in the Premier League last time but has never really taken on the Championship. I wouldn't be shocked if he was sold. Nor would I be completely stunned if Corry Evans moved on. I'd be disappointed but I've never felt like Steve Bruce really rates him.

Five to consider

Mile Jedinak (Crystal Palace) - This guy needs to be playing Premier League football next season, regardless of whether Palace win the Play-off final. He's a big presence in midfield, he's good in the air, solid in the tackle and can play a bit too. He's probably the sort of leader we've been missing for a good couple of seasons. Real captain material.

 Liam Bridcutt (Brighton) - Terrific little defensive midfield player, a product of Chelsea's youth system. He breaks up play incredibly well and launches attacks from the back. He's comfortable on either foot, quick over the ground and switches play with accurate long passes. His height would possibly put Steve Bruce off and his price tag may well be prohibitive too. If he was our player, I'd be wanting £3m for him, minimum.

Rodolph Austin (Leeds) - Jamaican international brought to Leeds last summer by Neil Warnock. Stoke tried to sign him during our original sojourn into the Premier League but couldn't get a work permit. He's a hulking defensive midfielder who loves a tackle and has a decent shot on him. Can cross the line between committed and undisciplined so is a risk but is a good athlete and a commanding presence.

Bakary Sako (Wolves) - The one bright spot in an awful season for Wolves as they escaped the Championship at the first time of asking, but through the wrong door. A lightening quick winger with tricky feet and a real eye for goal. He's capable of delivering good crosses. He's had a good footballing education, he's only 25 and has a season in England under his belt. Well worth a look.

Luke Murphy (Crewe) - The latest star off the Gresty Road production line. 23 year old central midfielder already approaching 200 career appearances. Tidy, mobile, often inventive and with an eye for goal. He's going to get a big move soon and it would be nice to see City use a rare position of strength to snap up a genuinely brilliant prospect.

Tigers Squad Review 2013 - Defenders

2012/13 report

I don’t know when Steve Bruce came up with the idea of playing three centre halves, whether it was always his intention or something he fell into but one of the first things he did last summer was increase his stock of centre halves. Following Jack Hobbs injury the previous season, Nick Barmby had been forced to use Liam Cooper and Sonny Bradley in the centre of defence. Bruce wasn’t planning to do the same. With the two young lads out of the equation and only a useless ginger Irishman as backup, Bruce had to find help for James Chester. Chester, our crown jewel, had another fine season. Whether in a back three or four, he’s always the same. Composed, assured and confident, capable of bringing the ball out of defence and launching an attack. He’s quick over the ground and strong in the air for one so, relatively, small. He generally times his tackles beautifully though it does go spectacularly wrong occasionally. There are areas where he’s still learning, he gets too tight at times and has to concede fouls and he can get over confident with the ball at his feet. Bruce strengthened the back line with the popular signing of Abdoulaye Faye and the less popular signing of his son, Alex Bruce. Faye produced what most thought he would. He was rock-like at the back. He proved valuable in the air in both boxes and calmed everyone with his vast experience. At times his age caught up with him and he had to be rested or picked up niggling injuries. Because of the competition, this often meant missing numerous games until his chance came again which must have been deeply frustrating. At the crucial point of the season, when fatigue and expectation overcame most players, he produced his best performances of the season, proving himself a big game player.

Alex Bruce suffered from the “nepotism” tag when he joined. His reputation was also damaged by having been part of the habitually pathetic Leeds United defence prior to joining. His performances in black and amber made a mockery of it all. He barely put a foot wrong when called upon to play in defence. Even when asked to play in midfield to provide a bit of bite, he gave it everything and played his part in two vital away wins at Millwall and Burnley. He’s not technically gifted but he’s got bottle and determination by the lorry load. Speaking of which, Jack Hobbs returned in December, having suffered a serious knee injury 8 months prior, and looked like he hadn’t missed a beat. He settled back in quickly and produced the same consistent level of performance as he had before the injury, even though the Tigers were now playing a back three. He’d obviously been taking everything in whilst sitting on the sidelines.

It was fortunate for Steve Bruce that he had five centre halves available to him because Chester apart, they all suffered injuries at one time or another throughout the season. Whenever one went out, someone else came in and did a good job. The most surprising of those was the aforementioned useless ginger Irishman. Paul McShane's Hull City career was going nowhere in September. He was counting down the days until his contract ended and he could go elsewhere. The fans were counting down the days until we didn't have to pay him anymore. Then he played. And he was good. And he played again. And he was good again. Game by game he turned everyone around. To the point where there'd be disappointment on the terraces if he was missing and fans were demanding he be offered a new contract. And then he recovered from a season ending injury in about 5 minutes and scored the goal that won promotion. Redemption.

It' difficult to judge the Tigers full backs this season. Joe Dudgeon was a fixture at left back early on and looked much improved before his season was cruelly ended by injury. The always reliable Liam Rosenior was sidelined by the wing back system and the form of Elmohamady. Andy Dawson rarely featured in his testimonial season, a sad end to a "hall of fame" career for Daws at Hull City.

The Future

Several defensive players are out of contract this summer. Youngsters Danny East and Sonny Bradley have already moved on to Portsmouth with new contracts not being offered. Andy Dawson looks set to see his time at the club come to an end. Liam Rosenior should be offered a new contract, we won't find a more committed and versatile defender for free. Paul McShane will definitely be offered a new deal too. Abdoulaye Faye has triggered another year due to his appearances last season.

James Chester had another year on his contract but the club are desperate to have him extend it, for obvious reasons. He looks to be our one genuine Premier League quality defender. Faye obviously has been in the past but I wouldn't want to have to rely on him most weeks given his lack of pace. Alex Bruce, as good as he was last season, isn't a Premier League defender. Jack Hobbs has a way to go before he is too. And this may not be popular but I don't think Paul McShane is good enough either. It's been great to see his recovery and he deserves a new contract and another shot at it but he's still not quick enough or big enough. Hopefully the rashness has gone with added experience.

I'd be surprised if we take the 3-5-2 system into the Premier League. Regardless, I think we need at least one top class centre half and competition at full back on both sides.

Five to consider

Curtis Davies (Birmingham) - Davies has already been linked with The Tigers. If he's the sort of player Steve Bruce is looking at, it justifies everyone's faith in Bruce as the man to take us forward. Davies has always had the size and athleticism to be an impressive centre back but has shown the maturity and knowledge of the position in the last few years. There'll be strong competition for him, from his old boss Chris Hughton at Norwich for starters, but he'd be a very astute signing.

Maynor Figueroa (Wigan) – I'm surprised this link hasn't appeared in the national press yet, it's such a good fit. Figueroa was brought to England by Steve Bruce. He can play as a left back or as a left sided centre half in a back three. He's got good size, pace and strength, he attacks well and he's capabale of the odd spectacular strike on goal. I'm unsure of his availability after Wigan's relegation but he'd be a fine addition to a young, hungry squad.

Rhys Williams (Middlesbrough) – This is a questionable one, I'll admit. Williams was building a terrific career for himself, progressing from the youth setup at Boro to become club captain and attracting interest from some top sides. He then suffered an injury in 2012 and has never recovered his previous form. Because of that, his asking price will be significantly lower and the competition for his signature less stiff. It'd be a gamble but he's a fine player and with a fresh start and a good pre-season, he'd be a useful addition, fitness permitting. He's versatile, mobile and only 24 years old.

Craig Dawson (West Brom) - England U21 international and Great British Olympian who signed for WBA in 2010 but has never quite made a place his own. Enjoyed an impressive loan spell at Bolton and proved his worth at both ends by scoring twice against the Tigers on one particularly miserable afternoon at the Reebok Stadium. He's still only 23 and will improve with regular football.

Matthew Upson (Stoke) – Ex-England international who has spent the last two season in the career graveyard known as the Britannia Stadium. Has recently enjoyed a loan spell at Brighton where he's found some of his old form. He may be 34 but he's still fit enough to play at least another year at a decent level. He's a left sided centre half who'd give good balance, he can play out from the back and he doesn't mind a battle. He's available for free this summer. He wouldn't be first on my list but he'd be a decent Plan B.

Tigers Squad Review 2013 - Goalkeepers

2012/13 report

The Tigers used four goalkeepers throughout the league season while 18 year old Joe Cracknell, who has just signed his first pro contract, had to sit on the bench for the three FA cup ties. On-loan Manchester United ‘keeper Ben Amos started the season as Steve Bruce’s preferred number one. Having another loanee between the sticks was far from ideal but the England U21 international came with a good reputation. He settled well but mistakes crept into his game, small ones at first but they lead to howlers against Bristol City (away) and Blackpool (home) that shattered his confidence and Bruce lost faith in him. Amos returned to Manchester United before Christmas and was replaced by another loanee, Fulham’s David Stockdale. The big former-Darlo stopper made solid impression on most City fans and his confidence helped the defence recover their composure and he played a part in wins at Forest and Watford. Stockdale was recalled from his loan in December forcing Bruce to turn to free signing Eldin Jakupovic. The Bosnian also started well enough, despite looking shaky under crosses, but met a similar fate to Amos as his season imploded in spectacular fashion against Sheffield Wednesday at the KC Stadium. Robert Koren had just equalised for The Tigers when Jakupovic threw a harmless looking corner into his own goal. He was then injured in trying to recover the ball and left the field on a stretcher. That led to a City debut for Mark Oxley. He was signed from Rotherham in the glorious summer of 2008, one of the few promising players picked up while City enjoyed a rare position of strength, but had only managed unused sub appearances prior to this cameo. Bruce had to act following Jakupovic’s career suicide and was able to bring Stockdale back from Fulham for the rest of the season. That proved crucial in the run-in. Stockdale wasn’t flawless, he’s capable of dropping a cross or punching poorly, but he’s decisive and he’s brave enough to come for the next cross after dropping one. He was a steady influence on the defence when it mattered.

The Future

Loanee Stockdale has returned to Fulham and despite Steve Bruce’s interest in signing him permanently, it appears that Fulham’s asking price (speculated to be £3-4m) will prove prohibitive. Jakupovic will never be anything more than a back-up, probably relegated to third choice over the summer. Oxley is one of a number of players out of contract. At 22, he’s perhaps worth holding onto for another year. However, if Steve Bruce and GK coach Gary Walsh don’t think he’s likely to trouble the first team, he’ll be on his way. A first choice, permanent goalkeeper is number one on the priority list this summer.

Five to consider

Kasper Schmeichel (Leicester) – The son of Manchester United and Denmark great, Peter, Schmeichel is well known to and admired by City fans having impressed in the nets for Leeds and Leicester in opposition in the past few years. He’s confident and agile, lightening quick off his line and has excellent reactions. Not being the biggest, he can be troubled by crosses and his distribution isn’t the best. Leicester paid around £2m to take him from Leeds and will at least want their money back. At 26, he’s a good age and is desperate to play in the Premier League.

Simon Moore (Brentford) – The 22-year old has earned rave reviews starring for play-off finalists Brentford. He’s been a regular in the League One side for the past couple of seasons having been plucked from non-league Farnborough. He’s tall and agile and exudes confidence for one so young. He’s nowhere near the finished article and unlikely to be a Tigers number one but he is someone the club have had watched.

Shay Given (Aston Villa) – Experienced, international ‘keeper who at 37 has spent a season on the bench at Villa, watching ex-Tiger loanee Brad Guzan establish himself as number one. Manchester City paid £6m for Given four years ago but a similar fate befell him there as Joe Hart took over. He’d be an  ideal signing for a lower half Premier league team. He has bags and bags of experience having clocked up 400 appearances for Newcastle and 125 international caps. He’s a terrific shot stopper and while his height means he won’t wade into a crowded box and take crosses, it’s not held him back. Will surely be allowed to leave Villa Park for free despite having 3 years left on his contract.

Vito Mannone (Arsenal) – Another well known figure amongst City fans having spent two spells on loan at the KC. Had Nick Barmby stayed on as manager last summer, Vito would have been his number one summer target. He may not be on Steve Bruce’s radar however. He should be though, he’s a solid keeper, he’s vocal and he has terrific distribution. He’s coming to an age now where he needs to play first team football. His career is passing him by at Arsenal. Should be valued at around £1.5m.

Boaz Myhill (West Brom) – Why? He’s Boaz Myhill.

Hull City 2 Cardiff City 2

"It's written in the DNA of this club to do it the hard way" - Steve Bruce, April 2013

Never was a truer word spoken. And never will Saturday 4th May be forgotten in Kingston-upon-Hull, East Riding Of Yorkshire, Centre Of The Universe. The most unpredictable club in the world aiming for promotion from the most unpredictable league in the world. What could possibly go wrong?

For The Tigers, the mathematics were quite simple. A victory over Cardiff City = promotion to the Premier League. Any failure to do so would have to be matched by Watford for us to be successful. "The form book went out of the window" and "it's like a cup final" may be cliches but they were appropriate. City failed to win or even score in three games against Wolves, Bristol City and Barnsley, three of the four poorest teams in the league. Two of those performances were woefully shy of the standards we'd set during the season and anxiety had well and truly set in. We feared that they'd "hit the wall" as athletes often do or that the pressure of having had a golden ticket for the Premier League thrust upon them two weeks ago had proven too great. They didn't want it, they'd bottled it, blown it, choked, you name it, they'd done it. None of that mattered though. All we needed was one last performance. Despite their promotion having been confirmed weeks earlier we couldn't rely on Cardiff not turning up. They're the best team in the Championship on merit and their manager is a consummate professional. We had to win. Probably.

The atmosphere at the KC Stadium prior to kick-off was amazing. It was by far the best I've witnessed since we moved homes 10 years ago, including that play-off semi final against Watford in 2008. There was an electricity in the air. Despite the negativity in the streets, the workplaces and on the internet in the previous week, there was a positive energy around the stadium. A belief, I think, a collective belief. The sun soaked half the ground, the early kick-off didn't affect the merriment, the clapper-banner thingies left out for the kids made a racket and everyone was in good voice. The Cardiff fans stood in the North Stand looking ridiculous in fancy dress but not giving a damn. They were here for the party and to perhaps spoil ours. The segregation meant the sell out crowd was around 23,800 (that needs sorting) and despite our bravado, we were bricking it.

Despite having played with wing backs all season, the rumour pre-match was that Bruce was planning to play a back four and move left wing-back Robbie Brady up front. Brady has the ability to play as a forward but to change things so drastically on the last day of the season took balls the size of grapefruits. It would prove to be a move of genius, or the act of a desperate man.

Tigers 4-4-2: [G] Stockdale [D] Rosenior, McShane, Chester, Faye [M] Elmohamady, Boyd, Quinn, Meyler [F] Brady, Simpson.

I'm not sure there's another manager in the league who'd dare be so different and so bold in a match of such enormous importance. I'm also not sure how many times in his career Paul McShane has played as a left back. The idiots who'd decided we were a negative side because we performed poorly on TV a few times and haven't scored a lot of goals would have to eat their words. That perception really bothered me. It shouldn't really I know we were second in the league for a reason but it did. We've played some of the best football anyone has played this season, at times. The Leeds home game was the most complete Hull City performance I can remember. The destruction of Birmingham, twice, the win at Elland Road, the victories at Watford and Forest, going toe to toe with a terrific Leicester side on Boxing Day, slaughtering Millwall, whacking Bolton and Blackburn. None of those were on Sky so they don't count. I hoped we'd turn it on for the cameras on the final day. I hoped people would see what this side is capable of. Even though I shouldn't really have cared.

The first half passed without too much incident from our end. The Tigers played well. None of the tension of Oakwell came through, we moved the ball well on a pitch that's improved a lot in the past month and created a few opportunities. David Marshall was only called upon to make one save but save for a few moments when Cardiff broke at pace, we were in control. Andrew Taylor picked up a yellow card for blocking off Elmo who was then booked himself for a trip in their half. A nonsense decision. The crowd played their part, replacing the moans and groans at mis-hit passes and over-hit crosses with applause and encouragement. Before half time, Jay Simpson pulled up with an injury, looked like a hamstring, and was replaced by Nick Proschwitz who it's safe to say hasn't provided value-for-money for his £2.6m transfer fee.

The real drama of the half came 200 miles away at Vicarage Road. The Cardiff fans, enjoying our tension while they sat without a care in the world, had some fun by cheering in unison and chanting "1-0 to the Watford". 21,000 people checked their mobile phones while staining their underpants! It was a wind-up but a good one. News then came through that the Watford 'keeper had been seriously injured and there was a ten minute delay in their game (which ended up being 16 mins of first half stoppage time). I must have said a hundred times "We have to win this now, we can't be waiting around at the end for their game to finish, THAT WOULD BE AGONY!". No one listened. There was a cheery mood around the KC Stadium at half time though, courtesy of a Leeds goal at Watford. Yes, we cheered a Leeds goal (very loudly). Ten Hail Mary's all round. News of the goal spread as people listening to pocket radios leaped up and everyone else slowly caught on. I love it when that happens. There was a celebratory atmosphere at the KC that felt slightly premature. That was confirmed as Watford equalised during half time.

The second half kicked off with the situation just the same as at the start. Cardiff introduced a substitute. Fraizer Campbell. You might have heard of him. He received a mixed reception. I applauded him, I wasn't tempting fate. Unfortunately, fate didn't need tempting, she was already hanging over the KC Stadium on Saturday lunch time spitting on those in black and amber. Within three minutes Cardiff knocked a long pass between our centre halves, Campbell raced onto the ball and finished first time beyond Stockdale. For the first time in the afternoon, Watford were up, we were in the play-offs.

I had a moment of doubt, I admit. We don't win from behind. We've done it rarely in the past three seasons. A Leeds win at Watford was still as likely as Marlon King going a season without being arrested. We were in massive, massive trouble. If this team deserved to go up to the Premier League. If they had it in them to turn around three and a half matches without a goal or a win, now was the time to show it. Now was the time for heroes. Just for one day?

Step forward Nick Proschwitz. He'd caused them a few problems since his introduction. He worked his way into the game nicely and had caused enough distraction to allow Robbie Brady to get on the ball around the penalty area and give them problems with his dribbling ability. I thought we should have had a penalty when Brady was brought down in the box. I was a long way away but the Cardiff players' guilt was immediately evident. Just before the hour, a Tigers corner was cleared to the edge of the box before Kim presented it to Stephen Quinn. He curled in a delightful low cross and Proschwitz got enough on it for it to nestle in the corner of the net. Pandemonium ensued. I've not heard noise like it at the KC.

If you doubted the spirit and bottle in this Hull City side, and some have, the next five minutes would smash all of those doubts to smithereens. We put our foot on the accelerator and went for it. Another Tigers corner. A superb delivery from Robbie Brady put it low, six yards out, Paul McShane met it with his out stretched boot and it wandered into the same corner of the net. Redemption. It blew the roof off the place. I jumped around like a maniac. I cut my thumb, I don't know how. I kicked my trainer down the steps. I hugged a complete stranger in front of me. It was pandemonium times two. Of all the people to score the goal, McShane deserved it more than anyone. He's taken a kicking the last two years and he's accepted it without ever causing a fuss. When given a small opportunity to rescue his Tigers career, he took it. Both hands. A year ago, the thought of McShane getting a new City contract was utterly ridiculous. Now, we demand it. The chorus of "Don't Sell McShane" was long and loud. I joined in, breathless from jumping around like a lunatic and crooking like a sick frog. Ashbee at Yeovil, Barmby at Bradford, Deano at Wembley. This was up right up there. What a moment. It's beyond description. Enough to bring a tear to a grown man's eye.

Promotion was back in our hands. News came through that Watford were down to ten. Cardiff lacked a bit of interest. We were coasting. The ground was rocking and as the clock ticked past 80 minutes, the pitch invasion readied itself. Fathi replaced the excellent Brady who took in a standing ovation. Then came the most incredible few minutes of the season. Remember that quote from the beginning? The easy way was about to present itself to us. In stoppage time, David Meyler was shoved over in the box. Penalty. Some thought it was all over and invaded the pitch. The game was held up while the stewards and Police cleared the pitch. Nick Proschwitz spotted the ball, went to the 'keepers left and saw his shot palmed away. That was the moment to seal it. We'd have to hang on now. We hung on for about 20 seconds. A shot from the edge of he box smacked Faye on the arm. Penalty to Cardiff. It looked harsh. It was torture. It was unbelievable. And yet, given that this is Hull City, quite believable. Nicky Maynard sent David Stockdale the wrong way. It was out of our hands. 

The whistle went. The pitch was invaded halfheartedly. I wandered across it. My web connection had gone 10 minutes earlier. My texts wouldn't send and I couldn't call my brother to get him to commentate on the Watford game. All I could do was stand on the pitch, ignore Cardiff fans cheering in unison again to wind us up, and wait. This could have been the most glorious moment of the season. Instead, it was the hardest. It felt like an eternity. Occasionally the PA produced an update of the time remaining at Watford. Then it happened, Leeds United scored again. This time it spread it like wildfire. We could see from the pitch the groups of people huddled around listening going wild. Cheers flew up from around the TV's on the concourses. For the third time of the afternoon, it was utter mayhem. Watford, down to ten, needed to score twice. It was ours. That was confirmed minutes later. The Allams looked delighted. The players came out of the directors boxes and took the deserved ovation. Steve Bruce eventually joined them to an incredible roar. I looked up and saw the scene on the pitch on the big screen. It was incredible.

I stayed around as long as they'd let me. The Allams were still cheering and waving long after most had gone home. An impromptu game of football started up in the North Stand goal. I've no idea where the ball came from. Eventually the stewards got fed up of stewarding and insisted we all clear off to the pub.

I couldn't be prouder of this group of players. This is the biggest achievement in the 109 year history of Hull City AFC. We shouldn't lose sight of that. Had they failed to go up, I would have been distraught for them because they put so much in. No-one gave them a prayer. It wasn't quite as big an "against the odds" story from the inside though. Despite the massive odds offered outside of East Yorkshire and despite bookies fancying promoted clubs for promotion more than us, we should remember we finished 8th last season. We were at the very least the 8th best side in the league when it started. Not second though, we were nowhere near the second best team, Steve Bruce has done that. From the first week in the job, he identified the gaps in the squad and he went out and filled them. He's been measured in defeat, he's been gracious in victory and he's driven the group of players on to achieve. The Allams have backed him in a way you never felt they'd back Nick Barmby and have also got their just rewards.

The performance on the day was pleasing. No-one can doubt that we deserve to finish second. They can't doubt our quality or positivity. The goals for column may still be unimpressive but it was never for the lack of trying. I thought Robbie Brady was the pick of the players. He justified Steve Bruce's decision. He drove at them, he worried them and, for the most part, he made good decisions around the box. Everyone played well though. Stockdale showed great distribution that's oddly been missing from his game before now. Liam Rosenior stepped in like he'd never missed a game. McShanecould have played left back all his life. Boyd was refreshed and worked up and down the line. Meyler and Quinn were busy, carried the ball well and offered options all the time. Elmo was another who made the most of his second wind. Simpson and then Proschwitz took the hard knocks up front. The German did the better job though, he troubled Turner with his height and held the ball up. Debate about who is and isn't a Premier League player is for another time. They deserve their moment of glory first.

Hull City are a Premier League team again. It's still only ten years since we didn't even make the Division Three play-offs. After falling out of the Premier League last time with serious money issues, I wasn't sure at times that we'd even have a club in three years. We do have a club. It's healthy and it's thriving. Those fans who were there against Brighton on the first day of the season and every step of the way since deserve this moment. You backed them and believed when not many (relatively) did.

Thank you Nigel Pearson.
Thank you Nick Barmby.
Thank you to every player for the contribution the past three seasons, big or small.
Thank you Mr Allam.
Thank you Steve Bruce.
Thank you Paul McShane.

Hull City FLAG meeting 15/03/2013

Today saw the first meeting of the Hull City FLAG (Fans Liason & Advisory Group) at the KC Stadium. The meeting, despite agenda, was dominated by the situation with West Yorkshire police over the Huddersfield away trip with the talk coming back to it time and again.

Present were Tigers Press Officer Ash Lord and MD Nick Thompson. Andy Dalton (Amber Nectar), Chris Cooper, Chris Smith and Tony Conway (OSC), Pete Mills (WHCR), Tom Lee (Tiger Chat) and Paul Atkin (Southern Supporters). Ryan Kerr represented the younger element of the Tigers support, Rob Harmer represented the corporate element (!) and there was representation of the Senior Tigers (Sincere apologies for forgetting the name).

There wasn't a lot of information revealed about the WYP situation that we didn't already know. While Nick Thompson and the club are completely unhappy with the situation, NT calling it "absolutely wrong", they do appear to feel they've done everything they could and think the only way you can change the situation is by infiltrating things like the Safety Advisory Group going forward. NT listened to a lot of views from the "floor", many of which you will have already read or heard, suggesting a complete boycott would have been the way to go, suggesting ways to protest, alternative arrangements and the like. Nick Thompson was adamant that there'd be no complete boycott. He felt it would "piss off Steve and the team", would remove freedom of choice and it would just make West Yorkshire police happy that there job was done for them. The club are officially supporting an FSF march in Huddersfield on the day of the game (press release due shortly). NT stated that the Football League have done and said nothing. He has asked for it to be put on the FL AGM agenda for June, though if promoted, we won't be able to attend.

The previous back down by WYP when a travel bubble was suggested for Leeds away in 2006 was brought up. NT said this was "PR from the club" and that the club hadn't actually turned that situation around. NT could find no evidence from the clubs records and also spoke to ex-employee Phil Hough, now club secretary at Doncaster Rovers, and Phil could not recall any action from the club causing the turnabout.

When asked by Chris Smith what he'd learnt from the Huddersfield situation, NT replied that he was surprised by how much football people negotiate in public. He shared the general view of Karl Turner MP to some amusement.

As well as being unhappy with the way our fans are being treated by WYP, there was also frustration from Nick Thompson and the panel at the situation at home games. NT explained that the risk level at football  games is set by a Safety Advisory Group. This consists of the Police, Fire Brigade, Ambulance Service and SMC. Nick himself has recently being added by making a lot of noise and has had Tony Sutton from Hull FC added. He hasn't yet attended a meeting. His goal is to have two fans added to the group to give balance to the discussion. He feels that currently the police bring the risk assessment and the rest of he group are "nodding dogs". This advisory group are stopping the club having home fans in the North Stand at games. This led to discussion of the away fans situation. Nick Thompson said the ultimate goal is still to move away fans and have home fans behind both goals but the design of the concourses and positioning of the turnstiles currently prohibits this.

The club are keen to take more control of car parking attendants and stewards. The want to instill an attitude where they "treat the fans as if they were your friends". The club are introducing SLA's (service level agreements) for the car parks and stewarding and also for Tiger Travel. The last two TT contracts have gone to whoever said they'd do it cheapest without any thought of the quality of service. At the moment, NT feels there are "too many police, too many stewards". Chris Cooper, who had some interesting views on things the club could do going forward, including introducing a Supporters Liaison Officer in line with UEFA guidelines, mentioned the dislike fans have for being filmed by the police. NT is going to look into this at home games.

This provoked a discussion on the younger aspect of our support, a rare agenda item. There is a big feeling that the support of 16-25 year olds is being lost. Nick Thompson was impressed by the support from the young element at Cystal Palace and wants to do something similar at Hull City. Giving the youngsters somewhere to store banners at the ground and somewhere to display them. Systems like Palace where they store large rods to wave flags or Bolton where they hang them and roll them up at the end of games where suggested. In the meantime, NT is going to ask Stewards to take a "sensible approach" to people hanging banners off advertising and seats. 

A (worrying) agenda item was labelled "themed stands". We never really got into discussing it but I was appeased by Nick Thompson's explanation of it. He's thinking of ways the club can make the areas of the ground more relevant to the fans who use it. In terms of ways to dress the concourses and the approach of the stewards. So NT wants stewards to turn a blind eye to standing and choice language in the East Stand but it would be strictly enforced in the South family stand. While in the West Stand, where it's more corporate, something like a coffee shop instead of/as well as kiosks may go down well. It was mentioned in brief that a new caterer has been found for next season, hopefully giving the club more input on pricing. Smoking areas outside the stands where suggested. It was also requested that the club give the Senior Tigers a room for memorabilia display to brighten up the ground tour. It was then suggested that memorabilia could brighten the dull spaces on the concourses.

As time ran out, a few questions were fired in. The Season pass renewals have been sent and should arrive any day.... Away Direct is not being scrapped, it will be replaced with something else.... Forest have sold 3,486 tickets for tomorrow.... The Allams will have put in £65m to the club by the end of the season.... A private fans coach was stopped in West Yorkshire prior to the Burnley game. The coach driver called police as he felt some fans "were being rowdy". The coach was searched and no-one arrested.... NT feels the KC Stadium will be our home for the foreseeable future. Felt that under the liberal council, the stadium may well have been sold to the Allams. Thinks it will take 2 or 3 sustained years of Premier League football for the capacity to become a real issue. Allams will not pay for extensions to a stadium they don't own though.... I brought up the removed Disabled concessions. It was explained that the Allams felt it was a system that wasn't fair when compared to other local sports teams. I suggested it as an agenda item for next time as time was pressing.

That was about all there was time for. NT and Ash Lord gave 2 1/2 hours of their time, as did the fans who attended and it was mutually appreciated. It was suggested that there be representatives from the disabled fan base for next time and also from the 'ulltras group. Both were accepted. Both Ash and Nick Thompson sounded determined to improve the atmosphere and the experience of visiting the stadium, for both home and away fans. 

I'll finish with a Did you know?....

Did you know that the club employs a fans liaison officer?

Me neither.

Hull City 5 Birmingham City 2

The Tigers moved back into second place in the Championship and sent the crowd home happy by producing a long overdue glut of goals at the KC Stadium. It was a fine performance with some equally fine football on display but make no mistake, Birmingham were an awful side who offered little resistance. That's not to take anything away from City but is a gentle warning not to get carried away by this result. Unfortunately we don't have 11 games left against opposition this poor.

Tigers 3-5-2: [G] Stockdale [D] Chester, Bruce, Hobbs [M] Elmohamady, Brady, Meyler, Quinn, Koren [F] Boyd , Gedo.

George Boyd impressed at Bolton last week and was pretty much a given to start. Steve Bruce accommodated him by, bravely, leaving out Evans and dropping Koren into a very adventurous looking midfield. A week is a long time in football. 7 days ago, we were behind in 75 seconds. Today we led in 55 seconds. We'd barely strolled through the park in the glorious sunshine and taken our seats when Quinn fed Brady, who split the Birmingham defence from the left hand side and George Boyd ran through, drew the keeper and finished neatly. [1-0]. What a way to make your home debut? City continued to pile on the pressure with Elmohamady the main outlet early on. He was up against young Mitch Hancox and it wasn't a particularly fair contest. I know he's a complete thug but if anyone had done their homework on us, they'd have put Elmo up against Paul Robinson. Hancox tried to get tight to Elmo but he just ran past him. It was literally man against boy. Elmo's crosses caused problems for the visitors twice. The first one hitting Koren in the chest as he'd not anticipated it flying over Caldwell's head. The second was headed over by a stretching Gedo. It wasn't long before a second goal did arrive. David Meyler cut out an attack in midfield, as he did effectively and without fuss all afternoon, and lifted the ball over their defence. Steven Caldwell had a ten yard start on Gedo but ran like a donkey in treacle and our Egyptian bloodhound raced passed him and slotted past a helpless Butland [2-0].

A third looked inevitable and should have arrived long before it did. A lovely switch from Quinn found Elmo who took on a half volley early from 25 yards or so and the ball bounced in front of Butland and just wide of the far post. Robbie Brady then hit the bye-line and delivered a near post cross that initially evaded Gedo but rebounded into his face off a defender and forced a smart stop from Butland who reacted well to beat Boyd to the rebound. Quinn then showed them a clean pair of heels and put a ball across the 6-yard box that keeper and defender left to each other, Had Gedo not stopped, he'd have tapped into an empty net. For such a potent goal poacher, it was a rare big mistake. We were all over Birmingham. The movement of Boyd, Quinn and Koren had them baffled. They couldn't get close to Brady and Elmohamady. We pressurised them when we lost the ball and we dealt immaculately with their one dimensional plan which was to hit Zigic at every opportunity. Lee Clark's had a tough time at Birmingham with their financial troubles but he's hardly covering himself in glory regardless. He's still working with some good players. Curtis Davies, Chris Burke and Jack Butland all sought after. He's not putting the right team out. Aside from the left back issue and the hoofball, they've got no leadership or presence in midfield and Hayden Mullins and Gomis are on the bench. They've got a reasonable right-back in midfield. They've got two decent wingers on the bench and a kid in the team. Then there's no presence up front and Wes Thomas is left out. And they try to play two up front away against a side as good as us who play three in midfield. It was ludicrous.

That third goal eventually came just after the half hour. It was a touch harsh on Birmingham in that the pressure came from a free-kick awarded against Hancox when he'd clearly been pushed by Elmo after he anticipated whee the winger was going. The free-kick was cleared and returned to Brady on the right, he slid inside to Elmo and he in turn found Boyd in the box. Boyd initially lost control of the ball, then nicked it back off a defender and shot low to Butland's right. The keeper got a good touch on it but couldn't keep it out [3-0]. Can you remember a more impressive home debut? It wasn't just the brace, he moved intelligently and effortlessly again, was always open and moved the ball with similar style to those around him. He doens't look much like a footballer. He's got legs like cocktail sticks, his shirts too big and he has the hair of a 50's singer (female). But he is what the cool kids call "a baller". No idea what that means but I think it's good.

We led 3-0 at St. Andrews in November and "enjoyed" a tense second half because we fell asleep either side of half time but today we managed to stay in control for a bit longer and went into the break with the three goal advantage having suffered few scares. Stockdale produced a solid punch from an early corner and then left his line quickly to deny Burke after he broke free before the interval. Burke's touch was heavy but the keeper was alert which was to his credit after he'd spent the first half hour watching from afar.

City started the second half as they had the first and Quinn, Koren and Boyd hunted a mistake and freed Elmo whose cross was looped wide by Boyd. The mistake came from Paul Robinson, on for Caldwell in the 37th minute. Presumably because Caldwell had to rush off to Cleethorpes beach to do a shift giving rides on his back to little kids. Shortly after, it was [4-0]. Brady played a lovely one-two with Quinn just inside our half. Quinn's return ball was read by Spector but being so accurate and perfectly weighted, he couldn't do a thing about it. Brady raced forward, had the sense to realise the front pair had gone too early and were offside and slid a square ball to Koren instead. He had plenty of room to size up a shot which he hit low to Butland's right. It was a decent hit but hadn't the pace to beat a top keeper. It made it through though, Butland just helping it into the top of the net. With his erratic decision making and horrendous kicking, Butland looked anything but an international goalie. He did make a fine save in response to the goal though. Another fine Brady cross was headed down by Gedo and Butland acrobatically tipped it over the bar on it's way up.

David Meyler then left the field to a well deserved ovation, replaced by Tom Cairney. His last act was to hit a tremendous drive just wide after Elmo's cross was cleared to him. The substitution was the start of City taking a foot off the peddle. Birmingham were enjoying most of the possession as we obviously had on eye on the Palace game on Tuesday. We were treated to some great gallows humour from the travelling Brummies. "You're nothing special, we lose every week!" and "How shit must you be, you've only scored four?" they sang. It soon became five. Quinn, under pressure in midfield, turned and turned with theirs snapping at his heels. He found Elmo with a lovely ball slid down the right and he fizzed a cross in that Gedo, unmarked in the centre, couldn't fail to convert [5-0]. For a few seconds, Gedo looked too embarrassed to celebrate. Like any good goalscorer, he soon snapped out of it. Simpson then replaced Boyd. The only negative from the game came in the dying moments as Birmingham pulled a couple back. First Lovenkrands left Stockdale standing with a shot out of the blue, perhaps deflected [5-1] and then a hopeful ball into the box fell to Zigic and his lay-off was neatly curled into the bottom left corner by Burke [5-2]. We responded by sending on McShane for Elmo to sort things out. A guy near by said humourously "Think about Jay Simpson, everyone else is happy, Simpson's lost 2-0!".


Despite the late lapse, it was a really good day. Just the sort of clinical performance we've been wanting. It leaves us second with 11 games to go. A position I never considered for a second in the summer. It was a strong team performance from Hobbs marshalling Zigic all afternoon to the ultra-busy midfielders and the mobile and clinical front men. Picking a man of the match is hard but I'd go with Meyler, just ahead of Quinn.

We've got a really tough pair of games in the next week. Away to two sides in the top half, Palace who we haven't beaten since relegation and Burnley who've beaten us seven times in a row. If we come through them unscathed, we've then got a massive, massive chance. Our other four away games are all at lowly sides (Barnsley, Ipswich, Huddersfield and Wolves) and our rivals have to come to us (Cardiff, Middlesbrough and Watford). Throw in home games with Forest and Bristol City and it's a tasty fixture list. Last season after 35 games, Southampton, Reading and West Ham all had 66 points. We've got 65 which suggests a similar tally will be required at the end. Southampton went up in 2nd place with 88. I think 86 may well do it but it's certainly going to require a minimum of 85. That's at least 20 more points from a possible 33. It will take some doing but I've no doubt we're capable. We just need to avoid the 0 out of 6 that seems inevitable this week given our pathetic record at Turf Moor and our recent run against Palace.

The rewards are massive. The finish line is coming into view. It's going to be some climax to the season. If you've got a weak heart, you may want to look away now!

Bolton Wanderers 4 Hull City 1

When you start supporting Hull City, you should be warned that it's a decision that will inevitably lead to disappointment. In fact, disappointment is around every corner. Expect it. Embrace it. Cherish it. Never think a game is won until the whistle goes. Never think a player is signed until you see him wearing the shirt. Never bank on promotion until you have the fixtures in front of you in black and white. Now I've experienced my share of disappointments over the last 20-odd years. What happened in the first 7 minutes today was a new one though. Coming off a highly impressive win over Blackburn on Tuesday, it was a body blow.

Tigers 3-5-2: [G] Stockdale [D] Chester, Hobbs, Bruce [M] Elmohamady, Brady, Evans, Meyler, Quinn [F] Koren, Gedo

I read some interesting comments from Dougie Freedman in the "Bolton News" before the game. Some of it uninformed bulls**t about us being a counter-attacking team who don't play out from the back and aren't attractive to watch. He also suggested we score a lot of goals from crosses and set pieces. We don't score a lot of goals full stop. Where his comments had some relevance, he said he thought we had weaknesses that they could exploit. I'd imagine he was referring to their use of the space between Evans and the back three which Mark Davies exploited to devastating effect and also the space behind the wing-backs where Chung-Yong Lee and then the mobile front pairing of N'Gog and Sordell found space to attack.

It's difficult to know whether Freedman's game plan had any effect at all. You can throw game plans and tactics out of the window when one side starts like we did. Mark Davies breezed past a static Evans, found Lee in behind Elmo and his cross was headed in by Pratley, arriving smartly into acres of space. Stockdale had no chance [1-0]. 75 seconds gone. Worst possible start away from home? Think again. Elmo gave the ball to Davies in our half. He raced forward again and played in N'Gog who turned in the box and went down under Chester's challenge. While most looked towards the referee who was indicating Chester took the ball, Mark Davies smashed the ball hard and low to Stockdale's left and the big 'keeper couldn't get a strong enough hand behind it. Stockdale was utterly distraught with himself [2-0]. What a disaster, we were still only in the fourth minute. City looked around at each other. Shell shocked.

At this point, we needed galvanising. We needed character. We needed 10 minutes of no-nonsense defending. In stead we conceded a corner, struggling to get to grips with their front two. The corner was crap, it hit Craig Dawson on the shoulder and was still in before Brady kicked it off the line [3-0]. Just a terrible, terrible goal to concede on top of two other. Time on the clock? Seven minutes. Three nil down after seven frigging minutes. Just utterly unbelievable. And yet, knowing Hull City's ability to turn triumph into disaster, completely believable. We took control of the game and played the ball around nicely but it didn't matter. The damage was done. Bolton knew they could relax and enjoy it. After Bruce and Chester made N'Gog look like Maradona with two of the worst attempted tackles you'll see, Sordell's snapshot hit the outside of the post. It could have been worse. It was the last Bolton attack of their own making for a while. City controlled the game up to half time but made nothing. Koren volleyed over from a cleared free kick. That was about all we had to show for 30 dominant minutes. We didn't cross the ball well enough, didn't get enough players into the box and didn't even work long range shooting opportunities.

Steve Bruce decided not to make changes at half time. I can see why, we'd been in control and he obviously wanted to gauge the reaction of the players to his half time bollocking. I like how measured Bruce is. It must have been tempting to do something like the team talk on the pitch. Bruce accepts that as utterly diabolical as those first few minutes were though, they were completely out of character for this team. So no publicity stunts, no me and them mentality and no changes. Personally, I'd have hooked at least three of them.

A complete aside, is there anything more irritating than being badgered by people behind you to sit down at the football? Here's a piece of advice pal, go down to the front of the stand and get the first row to sit down. Then the second row and the third row and so on. When the rows between A and P have all sat down, I'll happily join them. Until you've done that, leave me the **** alone.

City continued to dominate the ball but still didn't turn it into chances from open play. They did create some set piece situations. Robbie Brady had a golden opportunity after Meyler was pushed over where the penalty box and goal line meet. He hit the worst free kick I can remember. Right in front of the travelling support. The little high fives and the "never mind" looks from the other City players didn't go down well either. When he had another chance from deep minutes later, Brady put one on Bruce's head at the front post and he headed over when he should've troubled the 'keeper. He then cut inside and smashed a terrible effort into the crowd with his right foot. His next involvement was to turn Alonso inside out and win a corner. He was as frustrating as last season. Following promising play with ridiculous decision making and over-hit free kicks. Koren's corner cleared everyone, Elmo put it back in and Chester headed wide at the far post. He should've done better too.

George Boyd and Jay Simpson replaced Gedo and Koren. Boyd was the only highlight of the afternoon. He gave an assured debut. His movement is great, he's bright on the ball, uses it well and troubles defences. It wasn't long before we were back in the game. Meyler was fouled 25 yards out. I got ready to catch Brady's free-kick but he hit it low and it took just enough off a nick off Simpson to confuse Bogdan. Simmo needed one to go in off his arse, this might literally have been it [3-1]. The first 15 minutes were awful but what happened next was absolutely criminal. It was unprofessional in fact. Bolton hadn't had an attack of note for an hour. We'd worked hard to get any foothold in the game. As soon as we got it, we switched off. They poured forward and Stockdale saved smartly from Pratley. The resulting corner was twice cleared off the line, once by a Bolton player I think, before we half-cleared it to the edge of the box. Davies shot, Dawson deflected it with his heel and it was hope crushed; game over [4-1]. Brady had a far post header saved from one of the few crosses we didn't put on Zat Knight's head in the second half before sub Wheater tripped Boyd in the box. It would have been a soft penalty but it was a clear foul. This wasn't our day though, we weren't getting anything we hadn't earned. The ref finally put us out of our misery.

This was a result and, more importantly, a performance that will terrify Steve Bruce. It will also worry fans who felt that Tuesday's excellent victory over Blackburn Rovers proved our promotion credentials. We can play, we're a good side but today showed a very worrying soft centre. It showed a real lack of intelligence and know-how when it was needed. After conceding a disastrous first goal, we were naive and didn't shut up shop like any side should. By the time we were able to dominate the game with our football, it was gone.

Bolton have a good squad of players and should be capable of beating most sides in the division. I nearly tweeted this morning that I didn't think we'd be in the top two this evening but I thought better of it; it felt a bit negative. It's an indication of how tough this game was though, despite their lowly league position. Any manager worth his salt should be getting more out of the quality they have to work with. No-one could have predicted the way t would turn out though. Overall I'm disappointed that we didn't get something out of the game. We were better than them on the ball. If we'd weathered the early storm, we could have gone on to draw or win. Recovering from that start was near impossible though.

There's little point talking about individuals. Today's man of the match, whoever you thought it was, scored 6 out of 10 on the rating system, max. No-one played anywhere close to their level. We can only dust ourselves down and move on now. We've got 12 games to go and we probably need to win 2/3 of them. Today will give great encouragement to our rivals and to the teams we have to face in the next two months. They'll look at this and feel that they can do to us what Bolton did. At the moment, it feels like a one-off to me. One game too far in a tough fortnight. It goes without saying that we have to bounce back and bounce back quickly. Starting with Birmingham at home next week.

I'd be astonished if Boyd doesn't start given his second half impact. Who would he replace? Take your pick. None of the front five could complain at being left out. We could even switch to 4-4-2 to accommodate him. I said the other night that I think Watford have a really winnable run of games. We need to keep pace with them. Next four are Birmingham H, Palace A, Burnley A, Forest H. It may well just be me but that looks a tough little run. Particularly the away games against high-flying Palace and bogey side Burnley. Now is the time to stand up and be counted. We weren't today, that's for bloody certain.