Match Day Thread Hull City v Middlesbrough

I don't think you were there? It was shocking to witness first hand, not helped by the atrocious weather, Boro ran through at will and we looked like we'd just met each other two minutes before kick off. It was painful to sit there and watch Boro pick us off so easily and to see our heads going down, players running into each other and passing straight to the opposition all to a deafening backdrop of 'Your getting mauled by the Boro' and we were, not just mauled, chewed over and spat out. Then to see an almighty rush for the exists when the half time whistle brought an end to the torture, that certainly was a lot worse then the first half at Stoke.

 

Best team won tonight but the mass exodus in front of Sky eyeball truly was embarrassing.

You know who you are…


Allam’s GONE

 

It was like it was Christmas today' - Hull City reaction

please log in to view this image

10:43
Media caption,


Hull City boss Sergej Jakirovic told BBC Radio Humberside:

"It's very simple, we gave away a lot like it's Christmas today. We were very bad in possession and open play. There were so many mistakes I could not believe it.

"It was a bad day in the office. Middlesbrough were much, much better than us.

"This was my worst game since I was here.

"I knew it would be tough because they are a very good team but I was thinking that we would give more resistance. We gave away too much and in this league that is goals ****! ****. ****. ****. ****ity, ****. Bugger.."

'Absolutely brilliant' - Middlesbrough reaction

please log in to view this image

04:49
Media caption,


Middlesbrough boss Kim Hellberg told BBC Radio Tees:

"The players' performance today was absolutely brilliant.

"We executed the plan to make it difficult for Hull. We were very good at playing where the space was, if it was behind them we used that space or in front of the backline and we were good on the counter and pressing.

[On Alex Gilbert's first game for the club since January] "He's a very clever footballer and he's very good at taking information quickly and adapting to that on the pitch. He's good on the ball and in the duels. I've seen the good things he's done in training and I gave him the opportunity today.

"I'm looking forward to a good weekend I must say that - I'll watch a lot of football tomorrow and then back in training on Sunday."

 

The only ones to come out of that with any credit for me are Giles, Belloumi, Gelhardt and possibly Destan. The rest were utter ****e, particularly Ajayi, Egan, Slater and Crooks.

Tactically I'll agree that we need to do more to stop it being too easy to pass straight through the midfield so easily because it does happen too often, but as for the majority of the goals and chances we're conceding, yet again they're just catastrophic individual **** ups by and large - and from players that should know better. **** decision making, fatigue, too casual on the ball, poor communication, full blown brain farts, passing straight to the opposition - what's behind it?

I don't think it's a tactical issue at all as we rarely get repeatedly rinsed down our left on Giles' side, but down our right and straight through the middle we're like a sieve and its always down to misjudgements. The opposition break through the middle or down the right and we can't keep up. The opposition apply a bit of pressure in those areas and we turn the ball over, sometimes under no pressure at all. Midfield positional awareness is poor to say they don't have the pace to cover for it - it's like they're not paying attention. The right side never gets stuck in until it's 'last ditch tackle' time so we just end up inviting them onto us. There's just very little composure and concentration in too many areas at once.

Even with the midfield being more dog **** than usual tonight, if you take the blatant defensive errors out of that game and the ref calls the third one for a foul (which it looked like it was) then it's a far tighter game and theres a chance we get something out of it. They'd had 5 shots by half time. It's not like we were tactically outclassed from the moment the whistle went - instead we just gifted them the 3 points by doing ridiculous things on the ball again.

 

Bayern also put 8 past a Barcelona side featuring Messi so seems a little harsh to throw that at him

 

Big test will be whether this side can bounce back.

Most teams will have this kind of defeat at times - but the ****e ones heads go down.

 

You're right, I wasn't sat in the stadium so have no clue what happened.

 

Destan?!

 

There doesn’t need to be an inquest, Stoke were flying in 2nd last week and we went to their place and came from behind to beat them. This week was one of those freak shows where the enemy scored every chance they got. We were obviously absolutely dire but it’s still very rare a team is so clinical as Boro today.

Norwich could have done exactly this to us in fact I’m pretty sure they had more and better chances in the first half but they missed every single one of them. That’s just the way the cookie crumbles.

We’re having a great season given the circumstances, we are unlikely to have enough for the playoffs we all know and accept this is the truth, but we are developing a really good side here.

The defensive shape really needs to become a lot more organised. Midfield picking up gaps in front of the back 4 and stop leaving players unmarked in acres of space. I’m fairly certain that is not the managers plan to leave stupid and unnecessary free space for the enemy to attack and every time it happens it’s probably someone’s job to be picking these things up, but routinely every game it keeps happening.

And the amount of terrible touches, passes, scuffed clearances etc in and around our box that fall straight to the enemies feet is just unaccountable for. I have never known a group of players be so sloppy in this regard as ours have this season.

Onwards and probably downwards.

 

I'll say it again (and I'll make it the last time) but those who were rubbishing xG differential tables while we were sat 5th are those now declaring these are our worst performances just because the ball is going in the net rather than being blazed wide by Sargeant or someone else.

 

I think many of us saw a game like that coming. There was going to be a game whereby a team would punish us. Boro were quicker and more accurate with their passing, and we were poor in all departments.

Very little protection from the midfield for the back 4,or control on a night when the 2 centre back in particular had a nightmare of a game.

The defensive structure really needs some work on, we did look better when we went to 3 at the back, maybe that is the way to go.

Nevertheless, it has been a good start to the season, we just need to get through December without falling away, and come January with Belloumi/Millar/Oli and Lunny back along with Matazo, hopefully we can be stronger going into the latter half of the season.

3 points against Wrexham and things will look better again.

 

I wouldn’t call them clear chances either, they had an XG of 1.29 and scored 4 goals, that suggests they were good / clinical finishes but not clear chances.

 

In the warm up my mate mentioned how they were practising shooting and every shot by about 4 players was no more than a foot or so off the ground and in the corners , I said they won’t do that in the game ! Was I wrong g !!! At the other d d we had one player shooting g anywhere he felt like it , mostly missing !
Ad to this the manger got the plan wrong , a midfield that was 15 yds I. Their hand whilst they were almost in ours , Their forwards dropped back between the lines and picked every through ball up / and our miss continued to do it.

 

Yeah agreed, if anything that emphasises my point that it's not like they were ripping us open.

 

and a full back Taggart was playing CB... though he didnt need to..,

 

I wonder with Lundstram out, whether he will try Cathal McC in that defensive midfield role against Wrexham. He seemed to do ok there in pre season...

 

Thank you for your fantastic support ….half of them were at home when that announcement was made.

 

Wasn't there but wasn't he a bit of a liability when he played against Blackburn?

 

Simple we’ve scored a lot of goals

 

Can’t believe I missed Gogglebox for that ****e.