Stats n facts http://www.not606.com/threads/the-run-in.323638/page-4 Time the club got the clappers out again. The atmosphere's been dire the last few league games. Supporters are going to have to try and get the team going somehow. Not sure where we are with injuries. I think Akpom's played himself out of another start. Plenty of attitude but lack of energy, aptitude and heart. Its either Diomande gets a go. Or Mo off Hernandez. It might not be too popular but CM looks like Meyler and Hudd to me. Hayden was terrible against MK and Clucas isnt a CM. Not physical enough. Get him wide left. There'd be a place for Powell if he's fit enough. Same with Jake. Maybe Brucey will go 3-5-2, could happen. McGregor Odubajo Dawson Davies Robertson Elmo Meyler Huddlestone Clucas Hernandez Diomande Or McGregor Maguire Dawson Davies Odubajo Robertson Huddlestone Diame Clucas Diomande Hernandez Could even be Elmo instead of Dave? i'm happy with either really. I just dont think we should play sulky Akpom when we really have to give Dio a chance. Its about time Dawson or Davies got their head to a corner. If ever a team needed an early goal its us. We'll win 2-0. Come on City. Lets get behind them tomorrow night.
There are 3 or 4 different formations Brucey could put out which should all be good enough to beat Forest, trouble is it always seems to depend on whether or not the team decides to turn up. We should win this by a clear goal or 2, and we need to...
Just seen this, appologies if it's been posted previous ... JEFF IN THE SUNDAY SUN BORO COULD DO WITH HULL NOT TURNING UP ON FRIDAY 14th March 2016 With the pressure starting to take its toll, Boro could do with Hull City not turning up on Friday night. Mind you. to the fans at The Riverside a couple of seasons ago they could have been forgiven for thinking they hadn't. The game just before Christmas was played with snow falling steadily throughout the game and as it settled on the pitch it was very difficult to pick out the Hull City players as their all white strip blended into the snow covered pitch. The goalless game was desperate but whilst Boro kept another clean sheet that was something they couldn't manage in early November this season. Boro started the game quite brightly and were very much in the game until conceding the all-important first goal. After that it was one way traffic as Boro suffered their worst defeat of the season. Post-match obviously Karanka got his message across because we didn't conceded another goal in the League until the late, late sickener at Ashton Gate ten weeks later. Article continues below... please log in to view this image Leaving Hull after that heavy defeat reminded me of the moods I often left Humberside in during my reffing career. In those days they played at their former ground, Boothferry Park, and it just one of those grounds where I never had a good game. There was always controversy one way or another. In a Tigers v Bradford City game I sent off the visitors Dean Windass for foul and abusive language would you believe! His use of industrial language aimed at the crowd in the main stand after celebrating a goal for the Bantams saw me reaching for the red card. It was early in my career and I reacted in a way that perhaps I wouldn't have copied later on as I became more worldly wise. My next visit for a game against Brentford looked like breaking my hoodoo, 89 minutes gone, no major incident looked like I was getting away with a low key uneventful afternoon. That all changed in thirty seconds. The home players and fans bayed for a free kick just outside their opponent's penalty area. I waved play on and the Bees ran up the field and grabbed the winner. Cue the usual departure with boos of derision aimed in my direction. Rochdale was the other ground where things always went wrong for me. I never believed in superstition but when I was at those grounds but subconsciously perhaps it did affect me because you were aware of previous games and incidents. With players there are many occasions when you hear of similar stories where they have grounds and opponents that they don't fancy because of previous games. Who knows how the human mind works but self-belief and confidence is a vitality important aspect especially as we move into the crucial last few games. The old gypsies curse at Ayresome Park whether true or not certainly was borne out by decades of bad luck and the lack of any trophies. Lucky heather, avoiding black cats or any other superstitions may not appear in coaching manuals but they are very much part of the mental picture as players prepare for games. The most significant fact that could influence Friday's game is the players pride to avenge the 3-0 hiding suffered earlier this season. That coupled even more importantly with the significance of three points against one of their major rivals in the battle for automatic promotion should prey even more importantly of the preparation and attitudes before the clash that will have the Riverside bouncing. Hopefully the referee will show more tolerance than I did with Deano as a strong control without fuss will be vital to keeping control over what is looking like Boro's biggest league game of the season to date.
Hull City v Nottingham Forest - Time to try and enjoy the ride - Steve Bruce please log in to view this image MANAGER Steve Bruce last night urged everyone at Hull City to embrace the challenge of trying to clinch automatic promotion before declaring: “We have got an outstanding chance of going up.” The Tigers will move back into the top two of the Championship at the expense of Middlesbrough by beating Nottingham Forest tonight at the KC Stadium. Hull have suffered an untimely dip in form, with the hugely disappointing weekend draw at home to Milton Keynes Dons seeing Bruce’s men jeered off the field by some frustrated home fans. Respite came the following afternoon as Boro slumped to a 2-0 defeat at Charlton Athletic, their third loss in four outings. With Hull set to visit the Riverside on Friday night, victory over managerless Forest would be a major fillip for the Tigers, who have taken just nine points from their last seven outings. “I try to enjoy it,” Bruce told The Yorkshire Post when asked about the pressures to earn an instant return to the Premier League. “Let me tell you, it is far more enjoyable than last year when we were trying to win a game to stay up, but we were getting beat every week. “We have got a very, very good squad of players for this division and, all being equal, with the right bounce of the ball, we have got an outstanding chance of going up. That is the way I look at it. “We have done well for the best part of six months so let’s enjoy it if we can. “Of course, you get yourself strung up from time to time. But the daffodils are up, the sun is out and the big games are on the way. “That is what we are in football for. These are the good times in management, trying to be successful and achieve something. To win a promotion is a great day for everyone.” Asked if he felt the pressure had got to his players on Saturday, Bruce replied: “I hope not. If we are going to feel it already, that is not good as, for me, it hasn’t started yet. “When you are down to four or five games, that is when you talk about pressure. It has not been an easy month with the fixtures we have had, but we cocked up badly against MK Dons. We now have to come back and be ready for Forest.” Tonight also sees fourth-placed Brighton & Hove Albion, who are level on points with Hull having played a game more, host Reading, while Ipswich Town will pull to within a point of Sheffield Wednesday in sixth place if Mick McCarthy’s side can beat Blackburn Rovers at Portman Road. Bruce’s sole focus, however, is how his players respond to that poor showing against MK Dons. He is likely to be without injured duo Robert Snodgrass and Jake Livermore, two players whose energy and ability to up the tempo swiftly was sorely missed in the weekend draw. The Tigers cannot afford a repeat of that slow start tonight and Bruce hopes the home fans can play their part after registering their upset on Saturday by booing at both the half-time and the final whistles. “I could understand the booing,” added the Hull chief. “I could maybe have done it myself, but it doesn’t help anyone. “The crowd felt edgy, but we need their help. If they can dig deep, come in their thousands again and play a part in pushing us over the line then that would be great.” Andrew Robertson also hopes the crowd can help on a night when Forest, who sacked Dougie Freedman on Sunday after 13 months in charge, are expected to defend in numbers. “MK Dons was probably the most frustrated the fans have been,” said the 22-year-old Scot. “You could hear it from the pitch. “But, good or bad, we can’t let the fans affect us. You are going to put in a bad performance if you let it but, hopefully, they can be a little bit more patient and buy into what we’re trying to do. “We all just need to be that wee bit more patient. The fans, in the first half, were urging the ball forward, but we should have faith in ourselves. “If I play it out to Curtis (Davies) and he plays it out to Michael Dawson, that is going to move the opposition around. Teams come here and are compact, often 4-5-1. So,if we just launch the ball up to Abel (Hernandez) then it is not going to move them around. They are going to win the second balls when that’s the case. “We need more movement all over the pitch. We are not creating enough space or picking the passes. That is a worry but it is something that will come. “We have got some excellent footballers here. We are going through a bad spell at the minute but I have no doubts we will pick ourselves up.” Forest lost five of their last six games under Freedman, but Bruce added: “It is about us and not them. If we play well, we are a handful for any team.” Last six games: Hull City DWDLLD, Nottingham Forest LLLLWL. Referee: A Davies (Hampshire). Last time: Hull City 1 Nottingham Forest 2; March 16, 2013; Championship. http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/spor...-the-ride-steve-bruce-1-7795960#ixzz42xgAIXXq
Phil Buckingham's prediction... Hull City XI (probable): McGregor; Odubajo, Dawson, Davies, Robertson; Elmohamady, Huddlestone, Meyler, Clucas; Diame, Hernandez http://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/Hull...tory-28920324-detail/story.html#ixzz42xhCwTsX
If that is the team, well an inspired choice.....no change in formation, tactics, or (injuries aside) personnel. I really hope i'm wrong and that we give Forest a twatting but its starting to feel a bit groundhog day!
That's not really true, Meyler's in for Hayden, Huddlestone replaces Clucas who moves out wide and Diame moves back up front, that's two new players and four player position changes.
Today has got to be the day. For the love of God. Please. 4-0 to us. I don't care who he plays I just want to see some ****ing desire. And goals. 4 of them. Scored by us. In their goal. You Tigers.
The atmosphere has been dire, a reflection of the fans responding (or not) to what's served up on the pitch! Truly hoping for once we do get off to a fast start and get that all too important early goal. A win tonight would also give the players a big confidence ahead of Fridays game at Boro. It will be interesting to see the starting eleven as I'm sure Brucey will have one eye on Friday
Does anyone think that some of city's walking wounded might make a sudden recovery for tonight/Friday.
Sounds like Jake is in with a shout for Friday, other than that sounds unlikely (unless of course Brucey is just playing his cards close to his chest)
that's what I was thinking I know in the past SB has said about players having no chance of playing and then they suddenly pop up fit and in the team,( on the other side of the coin, he says they are out for a couple of weeks which then turns into a couple of months) .
and unfortunately the one's you want to stay unfit are always ready for selection! Unless of course it's simply a case of them starting a game with their boot laces tied together which is also a distinct possibility!
Why can't we give 3-5-2 a go again? It doesn't make us any weaker at the back and might help create a bit more going forward?
Brucey used it almost the whole season we last went up, I also would prefer us to revert to that or 4-2-3-1
Something like this? ----------------Gregs Dave Dawson Davies Robbo ------------Meyler Jake--------------- --------Snodders Diame Clucas ------------- Hernandez
