You won't be mentioning previous chairmen and oners anymore as they are not our chairmen or owners anymore. They have gone. Why bring them up?
I understand that sentiment, but as Bruce used to say they can play 3 games a week but not all at the same intensity. My point was not so much the Xmas schedule, just that mentally Curtis playing every game including preseason, which usually they are not playing 90 minutes of each game is maybe taking its toll on him. Dawson was out for a few weeks, Maguire has only played the last few games, so they are not as affected. Just an observation.
I agree John. Davies must be feeling jaded by now but we have not got the personnel and possibly not the right manager to change things around.
It's all down to the lack of depth in certain positions. Now that we're playing 3 centre halves we need at least another 2 competent PL quality CB's as cover. **** knows who we'll play and how we'll set up v Swansea. We've got Man U a week tonight !
An honest report from Phil Buckingham. Will HDM now join Burnsy in the Allam's bad books? ‘Slow death awaits Hull City unless owners act urgently’ please log in to view this image ON THE SLIDE: Hull City players look at each other after James Morrison plunders a third West Brom goal. ON THE SLIDE: Hull City players look at each other after James Morrison plunders a third West Brom goal. A NEW Year but the same old failings for Hull City. And though 2017 remains in its formative days, all the signs point towards this being the year that brings Championship football back to the KCOM Stadium. Despite leading West Brom at the interval with a polished first-half performance capped by Robert Snodgrass' well-taken goal, the Tigers collapsed in an ugly heap at the Hawthorns to lose an eighth consecutive away game. A gutsy but limited City side are now without a win in nine Premier League fixtures, taking just three points from a possible 27. Go further back it is one win in 18, with 13 of those ending in defeat. Even the optimists, Mike Phelan included, are running out of reasons to believe this season can possibly end well. Watch: Hull City against West Brom This was the stuff of a side staring down the barrel of relegation. Desperately poor defending throughout the second half undid all the heartening work that had gone before it, gifting West Brom a victory that had appeared beyond them throughout the first 45 minutes. Read more: Hull City's Mike Phelan – New signings needed now, not January 28 or 29 Chris Brunt was unmarked to head in a 49th minute equaliser before Gareth McAuley repeated an unpalatable dose when nodding in another left-wing corner soon after. The deliveries, and City's shortcomings, were painfully similar. All that remained was for a third grim goal to follow, with James Morrison finishing low past David Marshall with 17 minutes left. please log in to view this image The Premier League's worst defence has now conceded an alarming 44 goals. Not since the win at Swansea on August 20 has there been a clean-sheet, a run of 22 games in all competitions. A defensive run this bad last came in 1991. Survival will be fanciful so long as it continues. Experiments can resume, both with personnel and tactics, yet the same conclusions feel unavoidable; City, without huge investment this month, will not be good enough to earn another season in the top flight. The 800 or so travelling fans inside the Hawthorns knew as much and a slow death awaits this team until the club's board find the urgency to act. Assem and Ehab Allam, beleaguered owners seeking a way out of a reign spanning six years, continue as the architects of the club's downfall, not Phelan and his spirited bunch of players. Failure to support their head coach, whose efforts have been commendable through all the adversity, would be unacceptable this month. Relegation could be all but confirmed by January 31 if the Allam family continue to sit on hands. More news: Hull City player ratings as Tigers lose at West Bromwich Albion That was the harsh reality entrenched at the Hawthorns and Phelan cut an exasperated figure after the latest setback. Not only with his team but the inactivity from above. "Our football has been good but not good enough," he lamented. "When we are in control of a game, it's not been enough. "We could have had this game out of sight but when we don't take our chances and then concede like we do, there's real issues to be dealt with. The last five games have been terrific but we've got a point out of it and that's not good enough." The frustration for Phelan is that City's best is still coming up short, rendered insufficient by lapses in concentration. And like Manchester City and Everton in the closing days of 2016, West Brom gladly exploited the Tigers' generosity. The comprehensive defeat that was eventually inflicted never looked likely through a one-sided first half. Controlling the rhythm of play, most notably through the excellent Jake Livermore, the proactive visitors stretched the game to create chance after chance. More news: Hull City January predictions - How will Tigers cope in another relentless month of action? West Brom keeper Ben Foster had to be alert to keep out Snodgrass' free-kick before saving well from Tom Huddlestone's long-range attempt. Michael Dawson, the unlikely figure high up City's scoring charts also came close, fizzing a left-foot shot just wide from a deflected corner. Phelan's side had made all the running through the opening quarter and reward for their positive play came with an opener in the 21st minute. Livermore's outstanding pass picked out the run of Elmohamady, who in turn sent in the perfect cross for Snodgrass to volley in his ninth of the season. City fans had waited almost nine hours to see their side score away from the KCOM Stadium – Ryan Mason the last player to register away at Bournemouth on October 15 – and the quality of a beautifully crafted opener made it almost worth the wait. West Brom, meanwhile, stumbled through the opening half hour without producing a single shot on goal. Solomon Rondon's tame header was easily held by David Marshall in the 34th minute but a far better save followed from the Scot. Matt Phillips' header from Brunt's cross saw Marshall at full stretch, vindicating the faith shown in him after a costly error against Everton three days earlier. City's first-half display could scarcely have been more encouraging but deep-rooted defensive problems were again their undoing in the second period. West Brom needed just four minutes to draw level as Phillips' deep corner was headed in by Brunt. The Tigers' marking, with Dieumerci Mbokani losing his man, was simply woeful. please log in to view this image If only lessons were learned. Surrendering all control of possession up against a rejuvenated host, City conceded from another left-wing corner 13 minutes later. McAuley, scorer at the KCOM in November, climbed above Curtis Davies to send a firm header into the corner. Clucas attempted to clear on the post but goal-line technology was the Tigers' enemy. Phillips came close to a third when driving forward and shooting narrowly over with the aid of a deflection but West Brom were not to be denied. Hal Robson-Kanu's cross from the right was not dealt with by Maguire after Rondon had flicked on, allowing Morrison to arrive in the box and fire low past Marshall. Ryan Mason headed over and Foster parried Dawson's header at the near post but there was never any real hope of a comeback for City. Without beating Bournemouth at home in 11 days, the same could be said for their survival ambitions.
Not very scientific is it There's plenty of evidence that players' performances are affected by fatigue. As Bruce always used to say, they could play every day, it's not like they're complaining that it's too hard, but you can't expect the same level of performance over and over again. If they're playing every week their performances will eventually suffer. Phelan mentioned in pre-season that with most players playing 90 minutes in every friendly it was far from ideal and would take its toll at the end of the season. We probably haven't even seen that effect yet...
I don't get all the hysteria surrounding Mbokani. He is what he is. The big man up front everyone said we needed and the perfect partner for our goal scorers. He's not banging them in but he's always an effective presence up front and a platform to build attacks on. Now we have that man everyone is moaning that he's **** because he's not scored 50 goals. When people say we need this and that type of striker, what they really mean is they won't be happy with anything less than Ibrahimovic or Aguero. And then they'd still piss their pants that Aguero is injured a lot.
One a general goalkeeping note, up to the eighties UK keepers were known for commanding their area and coming out for crosses and catching them, continental keeps predominately punched the ball. It seems these day Keepers are coached to stay on their line and leave it to the centre backs to clear. It must me easier for a keeper to come out and catch the ball or punch it, so why don't coaches encourage and coach that?
Mbokani hasn't had the chance to work along side Hernandez. He is very good at holding the ball up and is an ideal foil for Abel, but so far hasn't had the chance to forge a partnership with him.
For anyone on here that thinks Marshall is a good keeper... look at West Brom's second goal, it says everything about how good he is... and he isn't..
Just watched the Sky Match Choice thing.. Nowhere near as bad as the result... 3 calamitous moments otherwise Ive seen much much worse... I actually thought Mason looked lively and positive when he came on too... maybe when Snodgrass leaves we will see him come into his own..
