Match Day Thread Hull City v Rotherham

Frustrating game , should have had them buried at half time then somehow lost plot second half . I think overall the squad depth and defensive problems have caught up with us and we are just levelling out as a mid table team . 2 months ago would have snapped your hand off for a bit of mid table security /boredom so can't be too harsh . Another thing I thought I'd never say 2 months ago but that 2nd half was crying out for Kevin Stewart

 

Mid-table mediocrity is the place to be.

 

Had a titter at their constant little huddles and group exercises before the game.

They came out early for the second half, more group activity.

They won the second half comfortably- more desire. more domination. forcing us into a constant stream of throw ins and corners to defend.

Dunno if he out thought N.A. , but Warne certainly motivated his players better.

Impressive spirit and fight from a limited bunch of players.

More cojones please Nigel.

 

Every ****ing sub they brought on was taller than the player they were replacing. Made our team look like diddy men. The last one I swear I saw him warming up down the touchline with a basketball. Annoying, shouldn’t be drawing a game at home when 2-0 up. Should have left Kane at RB.

Lichaj got MOTM on the Stadium announcement

 

Disappointing reality check. Talk about a game of two halves, Jeckyll & Hyde performance. First half, hit them fast and hard, 2 up and coasting, we were drooling over Ridgewell's play, organising and pinging long balls all over the pitch, not seen since Dawson left. Then, the 2nd half.

They won the battle of the subs, did to us what we did to them, caught us quick and we just disintegrated and couldn't get near the ball. They bullied us all over, we couldn't keep the ball, gave it away, hoofed, panicked. Jackson should have buried that chance. Hard to knock Marshall after playing so well this season, but their first goal ****e. Their recruitment policy, be over 6ft 4, most effective.

A naffed off tigress.

 

Rotherham made it to easy for us first half, they gave us so much time and space. Second half they changed formation and not once did we change our team or shape to counter act it. We played with two number tens most of the game, but it didn’t work, you can’t count Jackson as a number 10 his passing and finishing at the moment isn’t worthy of the tag. Stewart should have been on after their second goal, the game wasn’t about possession but hoof ball and scrapping 2nd half. Oh and the way to counter act Grosicki is to play a right winger and run at Kingsley.

I hate to criticise Nigel because he’s worked wonders, but not once did Irvine or Evandro come looking for the ball 2nd half, that ended up with it bouncing straight back off Frazier. On Campbell he can’t play two games in 3 days, simple. Ultimately though I am pleased where we are, I’d have snapped your hand off for this 2 months ago and even start of the season, our owners ineptitude and pigheaded cost cutting has meant no further growth, in one way I’m happy we won’t go up because hopefully bar the sale of Bowen, the end for these two arrogant sacks of sh** could be nearer.

 

Should have played Kane at RB and Lichaj at LB with Stuart instead of Evandro.

 

That was extremely disappointing, I woke to the noise of my mobile pinging an alert, 3.30am here, to see Campell has scored at it was 2-0. Went back to sleep to wake up to a 2-2 draw, when I was half expecting we had gone on and battered them 4 or 5 nil.

From what I have read both their goals were a bit fortuitous, Marshall making a mistake and a deflection off McKenzie, but by all accounts the way they played 2nd half they deserved it.

It seems Nigel should have changed things quickly in the 2nd half, as Irvine and Henriksen just weren't working in midfield, but didn't do it.

The slim hopes of a playoff look unlikely now, but if we finish mid-table then that is probably about right with the squad we have.

 

So the bubble has finally burst. In truth, it had been punctured at Villa when leading 2-0 and looking like a team everyone was beginning to fear, JDV limped off a minute or so before half time, Mackenzie promptly lost his man and they scored. What followed at Blackburn was a team on tilt from that loss of points and we all hoped that in beating a Stoke side who have absolutely no difficult beating themselves that service had been resumed. Had Grosiki scored early on against Derby the bubble might have just been blown up again, he didn't, it wasn't and last night it burst unceremoniously, with recollections of November for the second 45. We bought into the hype, semi-ignored the letter from Dastardly and Mutley about supporting the manager and didn't really kick off about the lack of signings despite the promises of a promotion push from the board.

Maybe it was the curse of the MOM or POM month awards, maybe it was one too many "Hull unbeaten in 10 interviews', but the camaraderie of those ten games or more has gone AWOL and then some. Nigel Adkins, who I doubted, then doubted myself along with many many others for doubting him, has perhaps bought into his own hype, because some of his decisions have baffled me yet again. When you string together a run like that and you have a pivot (Stewart), how on earth do you replace him with a ballet dancer, even if he is an international. As someone highlighted, Evandro and Irvine do not go together, a bit like gravy and chocolate cake, thought no doubt someone will say its their favourite dish.

In a recent interview which I thought was excellent, Adkins pointed out that at a debriefing, he asks the team for 5 things they could have done better. Well I hope this morning the players ask that of the manager as well as themselves, as from this poster, perhaps befuddled by not being able to sleep, I can think of at least 5 things to ask. I wont list them, but as NA is a great one for analogies, here's one he should put on his office wall. "IF IT AIN'T BROKE DONT FIX IT!!!!" and I do appreciate that many of the playing staff are broken.

So what are we left with. A ride which was starting to become more exciting by the match, but now destined for mid table mediocrity - we would all of course taken that a couple of months ago, IMO, nothing to play for which will see the following; more of what we saw in the second half last night, Bowen and Grosicki the terrible twosome become apathetic kittens now the dream has died and knowing their future lies elsewhere in as little as 16 weeks - if that hasn't already happened which could perhaps be seen in their demeanour. I would dearly love to be wrong and to have us back on track but I fear, too little, too late.

For Dastardly and Mutley upstairs **** you. I'm delighted and NOT in the fact that in deciding to not buy and not sell you have done the following. ****ed up a fantastic opportunity in what really is a **** league. I'm delighted under the now circumstances that you could have pocketed circa £4 million selling Marcus Hendricksen who'll walk away free at season end (as others out of contract will also) and £8 million for Kamil who will now resort to being worth £5 or £6 million. But those together leave us the real HCAFC perhaps £6 or £7 million away from getting rid of you the rotting stench that has infested our football club.

 

Beaten to every ball sums it up.

 

I'd take their number 5 next season if/when they go down.

More desire from them, a lenient ref helped their cause too.

Poor subs from nige, out battled and dominated in midfield and at the back so off comes Growshitski and Campbell!!! Wtf.
Evandro should have been off on 50 minutes. The goals were coming , poor as they were.
I'd have brought Burke on and gone three at the back.

 

Oh well back to the doom and gloom, it was a nice break though.

 

Fair play to them. They did a great job on us 2nd half, and arguably even deserved a win.
We were garbage.

 

Smith looked decent an all, not your typical big man really, quite quick and worked hard.

 

I've lost my card and had to get a ticket reprinted . Apparently it's ten pounds to replace it, the questions are , how many games in a row can I turn up and claim I just left it at home . Will I get banned for even daring to ask that , should I just stop being a tight bastard and pay 10 pounds?

 

Well my free ticket looked a good investment in the first half, in the second I thought the teams had swapped shirts at halftime, we were such total garbage. It was crying out for someone to put their foot on the ball, but every time it came to us we were in panick mode and passed (hoofed) it straight back to them. I was amazed that Grosicki, one of our pivotal players that can change the game in an instant was replaced, and even more amazed that Stewart, a player that could have made a real difference, was left warming the bench.

I feel a bit sick this morning.

 

Rotherham want £5m for him. So that rules us out.

 

We could have had that game won in the first half an hour when they looked shocking. But at 2-0 down they roughed it up a bit and helped by a very lenient ref and a couple of blind linesmen they battled us out of it ( kicked us all over the place) in the second half.
Not an Evandro game at all, clobbered from behind in the first 15 mins and was clogged at every touch from then on. More of a Kevin Stewart type midfield battle, which we lost hands down in the second half. Sadly our captain had a shocker and was bundled over countless times in the second half without once seeking revenge. Bullied by Rotherham, who'd have thought it ?

 

As an aside, I haven't heard what the (proper) attendance was last night, but it looked shocking.
Now wouldn't any owner with even half a brain cell, and / or with any respect for their manager & team or any interest in helping them out, do something positive to help get more in the ground? Surely any such owner would either publicly (ideally) hold their hands up, or at least privately look in the mirror, and acknowledge that 'yep, I've got all this so badly wrong, I need to do something to put it right'. And that's without even considering the economics of it (meaning lost potential income).
The arrogance, stubbornness and incompetence of our owners utterly beggars belief. Such a sorry state of affairs. (Sorry, I know, nothing new).