HULL A.F.C. v WATFORD F.C. Entonces, viene los dos classicos . Hull take on Watford, this is a very big game for both teams, Hull sit in the better position though and are looking to do the double over us. Zola's troops, let's face it, haven't been firing on all cylinders as of late. Just having a glance at the table shows the importance of this game if we want to go up automatically. We have Cardiff to follow too. This could be make or break for us unless Cardiff's ungraceful fall continues. Credit where it is due, Hull deserve second place at the moment . We haven't won in three games, let Burnley get a last minute draw last time out and have 8 points from the last 18. Hull, on the other hand, have 9 points from the last 18 and won their last outing. So form could be deemed as similar, right? Both teams have 7 games to go (including this game) so with a possible 21 points up for grabs there must be more drama to follow. Big game, I'd get slated for saying it is a must win, but lose and well, probably the play-offs right? Legend Lloyd Doyley after the last game : “If we need to kick the ball into the corner then so be it. We need to be professional. We’re working on it, because we have had leads this season and not kept them. But there’s still seven more games to do what we have to do.” Cheers for that Lloyd. Also, old gravel voice said, “I’d say they have every chance (for promotion). No-one has a guarantee in this division, we’ve seen how crazy it can be.” Let's hope so Sean. Steve Bruce, after Hull's last game: "It's another game gone and you just want to protect that lead, that's the aim - can we protect it with seven games to go? It's a good position to be in, but there's still seven games to go and we know how quickly it can change." Wise words from Mr Bruce. Top scorers: PLAYER / GOALS Matej Vydra 20 Troy Deeney15 Almen Abdi 10 Fernando Martin Forestieri 7 Nathaniel Chalobah 4 Mark Yeates 3 Robert Koren 8 Sone Aluko 8 Jay Simpson 6 David Meyler 5 Mohamed Gedo 5 Abdoulaye Faye 4 TEAM NEWS TO FOLLOW > COMMENTS WELCOME > ENJOY THE GAME. COYH COYH COYH !! (I am going for a 2-4 win, and us and Hull to both go up, I live in hope...)
nice one Mex This should have a great atmosphere up the away end with 10 free coaches heading North. Gotta say, they were the best side we've seen at the Vic this season and they grind out their boring 1-0s constantly...but if Almunia plays, we can't fail to win, for reasons stated on another thread. So...i'm going for 1-3, and that's because i can't bring myself to go for anything else, but...we're in April, so things will change for us now and we'll win the remaining games (women's logic )
Two good football teams & arguably the biggest game (outside PL) since Watford came to the KC in 2008 for the play-off second leg which we won 4-1. My bro-in-law was there and he's going on Tuesday.. there's logic for you.. I live in France so only see City once a season.. If we don't "freeze" I think we'll win, a betting man might say a draw. A draw woudn't be too bad but we either win or lose under Bruce, thus avoiding the one point scenario.. I think a lot depends on Watford's confidence too.. Only one game (vs Forest) did we fail to win after opening the scoring.. Think the atmosphere will be top notch for this one..
Me and the junior hornets are going and I judge this to be our most important match since the Millenium stadium. All ill say is, lets not lose heart if we don't get the exact result we want as we are still perfectly placed for the play offs
Bonjour Tiger.... I just think Hull's low scoring game may fall foul of Watford's attacking play......
Bonjour Tiger, only one game a season! I manage two, so what's holding you back? Listened on steam radio to the Huddersfield v Hull game and it was dreadful. Hope that Hull are going to play like that again tomorrow, (although I doubt it ) as I think we could do better than expected.
Morning hornets. Hopefully we'll put in another performance like did at home to brum. With your propensity to concede a lot of goals we may see the tigers bag another 5 tomorrow night I doubt it though - I can see a tight game with us shading it 2 or 3 goals to 1. Good luck for the rest of the season
Your'e right frenchy,we were dreadful on Satdee,except in defence. But then we always are crap when playing on the telly. You'd want to be hoping the manager plays his lad in midfield,we're a far less attacking threat threat with him in there. However,we're hoping to see "The mighty Quinn" back from a minor injury,he makes things tick for us,and you might just see the kind of home performance we showed against Leeds and Birmingham this season. 2-0 if we keep our nerve.
It's interesting seeing us being judged in the main negatively, what other fans don't see is that we are capable of playing as good a footy as anyone in the league (Leeds, Birmingham, Watford for example) but we can also win games built on defence, (something Watford struggle to do), we can win home or away (something Palace can't do). This is when I'm pleased we have Steve Bruce who in the main gets his team selection and tactics right. To be in an automatic place when your top scorer has 8 goals is nothing short of miraculous at this stage. I'm not saying we will finish 2nd, there's many twists and turns, but at least give us the credit we deserve.
Hull are a good team - probably the most complete team in the Championship - I think Cardiff got off to a very good start and were excellent at home which built their confidence - however if Hull beat us I think they can go on and also take Cardiff. We obviously have to avoid defeat tomorrow or it is the play offs for us. Even a draw leaves us needing to "better" two of Hull's results in just six games. I think we blew automatic promotion when Almunia got injured - though Bond has been very good he is a rookie and our defence has lost some of the strength it had begun to build when he was injured.
I do think colleagues this could go either way... and I also think that as it stands one of us two is more likely finish second. So a win tomorrow is massive. Hull must be slight favourites too...
Would you take 4 points from the next two games if 3 were off Hull? I wouldn't we need to win-win to be back in the mix.
I don't think we are negative about Hull, in fact you can see above that someone reckons you are the best side seen at Watford this season. I had a look at your board, and there seems to be a lot of uncertainty about your mid-field.
It should be a very hard game and could go either way on the night. The uncertainty about our midfield revolves mostly around the selection of Alex Bruce as a defensive mid-fielder. His performances in the back line have been consistently good but as a midfielder he just lacks a creative edge and this certainly seems to reduce the attacking options. As regards Almunia's availability or not - he's never done particularly well against us in the past and, from what little I've seen and read, I thought his understudy was doing a pretty good job on balance. It sounds like he's suffered a bit at the hands of one or two of the more physically aggresive forward lines and, as City don't fall into that category, he'll probably be OK.
Sounds like Bruce has a bit in common with a couple of our midfielders then - Hogg in particular. If playing tomorrow, I'd say his role may well be mainly defensive - to counter Forestieri or Vydra - or both. Almunia's understudy is doing a good job, as far as goalkeeping goes, he hasn't suffered against physical forwards really - what's missing is Almunia's presence. His experience is invaluable as captain and the defence suffers in terms of organisation when he is not there - Burnley's opener on Friday is a case in point, it simply wouldn't have happened had he been playing. Like you, and probably most, I think it will be a hard game that could go either way. I'm just hoping that we can score first and force your hand - you'll know you've been in a game then.
We are better away from home as im sure the deathly hallows of the Vic transfers to the players when things don't go our way. Hull is the challenge of the season without a doubt, if we can get something out of the game, like a win, then Cardiff will be a more confident affair. It could be worse, we have Zola not Di Canio.......
interesting we're seen as a side that leak a lot of goals...even with Bond in goal that's not the case, though it's sad to see Almunia won't be avaiable tomorrow night. Was kinda hoping he would be. Maybe ready for Saturday, which probably means he won't be. Certainly, without Almunia we can't get automatic promotion.
