1. Wigan first, if only because a timid and deserved defeat at a newly promoted side was the stand-out highlight of the week. This was a messy and cheap defeat. City started well, failed to capitalise and capitulated when falling behind, being fortunate not to find the game irretrievably lost. Then, when a goal that halved the deficit arrived to stun everyone, our attempts to wrest a point back to East Yorkshire were quite pitiful. 2. Everything about this game worried us. We aren’t going to enjoy many periods of relative dominance this season, and it’s vital we score when they do arrive. However, for all that City started brightly, and for all that Nouha Dicko is a tireless forward runner, neither looked particularly likely to score – and so a strong beginning was wasted. 3. If that was annoying, what followed was disastrous. When Wigan gained the lead, City’s reaction was frankly contemptible. The Tigers’ conspicuously non-leading captain Markus Henriksen bemoaned the stressful nature of this, but any distress the players felt was nothing compared to the ghastliness of watching. Wigan – a good side playing well – were given total freedom to run the game how they saw fit, with no-one in black in amber looking remotely willing or capable of altering anything. It was a dismal response, and it was a miracle we didn’t end up 4-0 down at half-time. Not that it mattered, because when City did pull it back and make the game (theoretically) a contest, Wigan were hardly troubled in a woefully lifeless second half. 4. Questions about Nigel Adkins’ team selections rightly featured in the post-mortem. Five changes from the side that beat Ipswich to give us a degree of hope raised eyebrows. Sure, the Championship’s Saturday-Tuesday-Saturday grind requires squad rotation. But we don’t have a squad, and while that’s the fault of the owners (and we are most definitely not forgetting them today), acting as though we do have one when we don’t isn’t wise. 5. And that, remember, was the highlight of the week. Because if Wigan was poor, the 3-0 kicking at Reading was disgusting. A revoltingly soft goal from a set-piece was gift-wrapped for the Royals – previously pointless at home, remember – and from then on the direction of the match was set. Tackles were routinely shirked, blue shirts were ignored and accommodatingly stood off from, passes were misplaced, runs were half-hearted – it was a gutless offering in the first half. 6. AND IT GOT WORSE. A farcical second half saw City defend like a Hull Sunday League side rueing their midnight decision to go to Piper instead of getting cheesy chips and at least a few hours of sleep. It was a wholesale surrender, the sort of loathsome and deliberate dereliction of duty that costs careers, and deserves to. 7. There’s loads of blame to dole out, and few deserve to escape it. The players may not be good enough for anything but a grim scramble to 21st, but this week still hasn’t been remotely good enough from them. We look an incoherent, disinterested mess, and a huge improvement in their collective endeavour is urgently needed. 8. The manager is probably not good enough either, and though he got us to safety last season, that increasingly looks more down to Harry Wilson and Abel Hernández than his managerial acumen. In the aftermath of the Reading debacle, his future is being questioned too. Deservedly so; we didn’t expect a great deal this season, but the manner of the defeats is as worrying as the increasing frequency of them. 9. But really, what would sacking him accomplish? With the Allams openly running the club into the ground, the idea that they’d pay the necessary severance fee and then spend enough money to secure a suitable replacement is nonsense. Let us never, ever forget: THEY are the reason this club is in a death spiral, not the players or the manager. The Allams are murdering the club, they are the ones responsible for all of this. 10. It isn’t likely to get any better. Upcoming fixtures against Middlesbrough (2nd), Leeds (1st) and Sheff Utd (4th) don’t have a points-laden feel to them. If we lose all three, we’d be on seven points from 12 games. Avoiding relegation after such a start would be a tall order. At the moment, it’d be a surprise if we aren’t in the Checkatrade Trophy next season. http://www.ambernectar.org/blog/2018/09/things-we-think-we-think-310/
If Adkins spews out anything other than the truth, and puts a positive spin on anything that has occurred since Reading, then for me he can go tomorrow. As it stands its getting worse by the day on the pitch! How he could take Bowen off on Saturday assuming he didn't get an injury, was beyond me as he was arguably our best player and the one most likely to score. I had decided to attend as many away games as possible, but after Wigan and then Reading, god its tough to watch! As for Adkins rotating players to the extent he is when its clear we don't have the depth of squad is beyond me! I laughed out loud last week when the Daily Fail suggested Adkins had a selection dilemma! Adkins is losing any respect I had for him at a rapid rate of knots! I sincerely hope the Allams are indeed gone by the end of the year otherwise its division 1 here we come, with or without Adkins! I also hope Adkins has the balls to take the captaincy off Henriksen, at face value I understand why he was appointed when he was, but we have better suited people in the building now. Make no mistake this is a huge week for City after last weeks results, we MUST take something from the next 3 games to have any light whatsoever at the end of the on-field tunnel, without which I fear it may get even worse as unimaginable that may seem today!
I'm glad they finished on a positive. I've always wanted to win the EFL Trophy. That's as big as I dare dream as a lad.......
What are you drinking before you go to bed? My dreams are as bad as they come at present, can't get thoughts of the National Conference out of my head, although I did dream we won it in season 2022/23!
We're odds on for relegation. Deal with it. Ever since SB was ousted in the summer of 2016, it's the direction we've been going in. Adkins was desperate for a job and knew what he was getting into; this job could seriously damage his credibility/standing in football,as he is forced to play the part of the 'useful idiot' after every disappointing game. He walks the tightrope between shouldering the blame and blaming the vampires sucking the blood out of the club who also pay his wages. I will happily take relegation if it means we're free of these malevolent parasites who are not only a curse on our club but a blight on our city. Their greed and focus entirely on extracting money out of our club discredits them and will outlast the memory of PL seasons and Cup Finals during their tenure. (Ironic that their calculated snub to the city and the fans will backfire on them, as all the images from the victory parades they cancelled will never exist.)
The supporters should organise a celebration parade around the "Hull City centre" when they finally go.
Another excellent report from the AN lads, apart from any implied criticism of Pipers of course. Indeed, I'm in Hullite land this w/e and intend to visit the big P to make sure all is well. Love that sticky floor. #allamsout
No one is going to pay what they want for the club and the debts will soon spiral. I think administration and relegation before the end of the season. He will try sink the club, because celebrations with new owners is exactly what he will want to prevent. All that malice inside him will soon turn into illness. I don't particularly want that for him, it's just a natural process.
I really don't Bob. He is like an ex wife in his bitter ways. If you buy into that then you produce your own hate, and that makes you like him. What goes around comes around and he will sentence himself. Meanwhile let's look forward to the atmosphere if and when decent owners finally take over hull city 2018 Ltd.
In one of the previous sham sales negotiations. didn't Allam want to retain a small stake in the club?
Yes the Peter Grieve deal. Ehab wanted to retain a place on the board. Probably so he could continue to brag about it to the other boys and girls at the polo club. He was told to get ****ed and somewhere along the line Assem got involved and pushed the child to one side. A deal seemed to be happening, but then Assem decided he'd play silly bastards too and demand the extra £6m for the SMC, which obviously killed the deal.