Things We Think We Think #167

1. Let’s be plain – Saturday against Swansea was a disaster. Another defeat was bad enough, but its dire nature is extremely concerning. No fight, no passion, no obvious strategy for victory – for players and manager, this was an awful afternoon.

2. It’s hard to know where to point the finger of blame. Steve Bruce is the manager, and he has ultimate responsibility for this rapidly worsening season; yet his mistakes are being compounded by outright abdication of responsibility from players who can and must do better. Senior professionals at the club are not pulling their weight, the team is collectively not doing itself (or us) justice.

3. This is close to a crisis for Bruce, for whom things are spiralling out of control. Defeat to Sunderland and Leicester could make his job look extremely insecure. Whether that’s right or wrong is immaterial – things are bad, and getting worse, and if a manager looks incapable of arresting a slide, the simple fact is that he’s at risk of being dismissed.

4. The bookies now make City 6/4 to be relegated. That makes demotion slightly less likely than survival; but equally, they can only find two teams with shorter odds. It’s a very real and very serious danger, which makes the tepid performances all the more infuriating.

5. Are City planning for relegation in any serious way? Because they’d better. And when they do, the vast folly of their recent antics will become clear. If City are relegated, plenty of people will clear off, and they’ll be back to relying on their core support. Except that Assem Allam and those at the club tasked with implementing his foolish ideas have spent close to two years eagerly doing everything they can do alienate that core support – with the consequence that many of them have already had enough. Once upon a time, those people would have been the club’s insurance policy against relegation, the die-hards who’d be there whatever happens. But will that happen this time? We don’t know; but immense stupidity like Hull Tigers India, ongoing usage of Huddersfield hashtags, bickering with the FA and so on means that they’re running a grave risk of finding out that those they’ll need most in the event of 2015/16 being a Championship season have decided there’s only so much contempt for them they can stomach before finding more rewarding past-times.

6. Some of the outrage about Paul McShane’s mooted departure is a little excessive. However jovial his demeanour and formidable his application, in pure footballing terms his exclusion from the team is worthy of robust debate but not exactly the gravest error in Steve Bruce’s career. It’d undoubtedly be a shame to see him leave, as you suspect he really likes being at City (and we like him being here) – but there are plenty of things to be more cross about.

7. We attach little credibility to the rumours of the club being sold to an American gazillionaire. We’ve never taken seriously Assem Allam’s threat to walk away from the club if, horror of horrors, it continues to be called the same thing it’s been called for 110 years either. At the end of the season, we’ll still be Hull City AFC, and Assem Allam will still be the owner. Dull, but probably true.

8. From the magnificent people at City Till We Die, the new Hull City Supporters’ Trust has been born. Sincere congratulations and thanks to them for their hard work, we’re certain they’ll continue to work tirelessly to promote the interests of City fans. We’ve needed a strong, proactive supporters’ association for some years – we remember glancing enviously at Huddersfield’s during the West Yorkshire Police debacle – and this can only be a good thing. The very best of luck to them.

9. Let’s hope the club is keen to work with them, too. They say that supporter engagement is important – here’s a great opportunity for them to demonstrate that.

10. All that’s left is for us to wish those of you who read our outpourings a very Merry Christmas. See you for turkey sandwiches at Sunderland.


http://www.ambernectar.org/blog/2014/12/things-we-think-we-think-167/?

 

Erm.....did anyone spot Brucey's 'Rating'? From 8 down to 7?

 

Amber Nectar?

Amber Poodles more like.

 

It's blinkered blather.

When it concentrates on football, and on the pitch stuff, it improves.

 

No it's what wise men say.