After an hour yesterday is was visibly clear how fooked we were compared to them. Fryatt and Meyler in particular looked dead on their feet. So what was it - started like a house on fire and couldn't sustain it? smaller squad so we can't rotate? End of a gruelling season physically and mentally? Or was it a bigger issue and they just weren't as fit as them? I honestly think Alex Bruce's injury cost us the cup. Bruce Snr had to make a change which meant he couldn't switch both Quinn and Fryatt for Aluko and Sagbo and for the last hour (including ET) the ball just didnt stick up front at all so the team never got a breather. The impact their 2 subs in ET made was tangible and made all the difference and these are the fine margins. We really were ****ing outstanding for an hour.
Also without the ball for long periods we were chasing the game therefore expanding far more energy than Arsenal. ONE PROUD TIGER !!!
I thought we were on the back foot and it didn't stick up front all game. Their pressing high up the pitch was very good and we struggled to pass it out under pressure. But we still gave em a proper scare and did ourselves proud.
Didn't do my old heart any good at all. After 9 minutes I was totally shell-shocked to think that we were 2 up at Wembley against the mighty Arsenal. Everyone had raised their game (especially Bruce and Fryatt) with the adrenalin flowing like Niagra Falls. The support was fantastic but when they pulled a goal back and then got the equalizer I feared the worst as whereas the wheel was still turning the hamster was dead! We had nothing left to give but almost pulled the proverbial rabbit out of the hat in the last minute when their goalkeeper was left stranded. Alas, it was not to be our day but for a short while we lived up to our "Tigers" reputation and kicked @rse. The lads did us proud and have brought European Football to the KC next season but we are still a couple of noodles short of a stir-fry and will need some 'quality' depth next season. Well done Hull City afc and thank you for making an old mans dreams come true.
Really? Just shows different opinions... I thought we were by far the better team for an hour, Mcgregor's hands didn't tough the ball for 60 minutes and we were comepletely comfortable. I was especially pleased the way we snuffed out the expected onslaught after their first and again after half time. It was only when we became knackered after an hour that they did dominate.
Although we did very well for an hour, Arsenal were still making us run more than we were doing to them. Playing a team like Arsenal takes its toll in the end - and yes, the Bruce substitution was massive, as it took one crucial sub option away later on. (Not to mention the fact that Macca didn't play very well.)
Certainly for the first half we were all over them. Disrupted the Arsenal rhythm and got in their faces. They did not like it, we controlled possession and crafted two well worked goals. Arsenal defensively are a total shambles, if only we could have forced more corners and set piece deliveries, I think we could have caused them more problems. I'm surprised they managed to finish 4th with that defence.
Lack of fitness?? Highly doubt it. We just chased more. I mean Liam Rosenior went off with cramp!! model pro fit as a fiddle. We needed 6 subs.
^^^ This... We were playing against a team infamous for their possession football, so we had to chase the ball more than they did. I can't think of anyone in the team who didn't give less than 100%
It's hard to defend against a quality side like Arsenal for the majority of the match & extra time. Don't be so harsh. They out on their feet at the end.
I just think they genuinely couldn't have given anymore, against a team that was constantly trying to stretch us, on a massive Wembley pitch, for what felt like ****ing ages. They left nothing behind.
Precisely - what were the first half possession stats? I'd wager nothing like those. I completely disagree. We only didnt have a lot of the ball AFTER we were physically spent.
arsenal's ground is nearer the equator so they're used to playing in tropical conditions. our ground is nearer the arctic so we're more used to cooler days.
I haven't seen it back but I remember hoping we could hang on even at 2-0. After the Bruce header/Gibbs clearance, we didn't really have another chance at goal until extra time did we? I'm not criticising anyone by the way. I'm utterly proud of the team and the City. But the way I saw it was that we were on the back foot for most of the game, played very deep and struggled to get out. The ref really didn't help with this. I haven't seen any of the decisions back but there were periods where every time Arsenal lost possession they got a free kick, sometimes a challenge wasn't even made and there was one in particular where Ozil just dropped to the floor and laid down with Meyler stood next to him having not moved a muscle in his direction. They got a free kick which was the 2nd of 3 soft ones in quick succession and they scored the third. That's one of my general football gripes: everyone argues the toss out of penalty decisions but there are games where the ref gives every little thing to one side which affects the overall play as much as a penalty would yet it gets a ignored.
I said during the game that he looked rusty, not up to pace at all. That put more pressure on the team.
