[Archived] Hull City Preview

[Hughesy]

.He was a good player when he turned up, But life must and will go on.

A key point to remember - Bentley was only good when he turned up, which was probably 1 in every 5 games, he wouldnt of made any difference yesterday either. He only looked good when the whole team was playing well. Yesterday he would of got bullied out of the game.

Forget about him. He is at his big club, with two defeats in two.

[JAL]

What was all that about with the corners, half the team standing next to the keeper awaiting MGP's delivery, what happened to moving around the area creating space in order to attack the ball.

Thought Samba was awfull with his head from corners, with his height advantage and MGP's accuracy i'm expecting Samba to score plenty of goals from corners somehow i dont think its going to happen.

[Paul Mellelieu]

15 minutes of decent stuff then usual Rovers, but without Bentley to rescue us.

Dunn looked good and we missed him second half. As I said last week the Axe can't play in that position long-term.

The defence, with the exception of Nelsen was poor; Warnock was shocking.

Peds was better than the whole of last season and Roberts was my man of the match.

[RevidgeBlue]

The defence, with the exception of Nelsen was poor; Warnock was shocking.

I'd agree about the two "fullbacks" (or Warnock and our converted centre half) but I thought both Nelsen and Samba played very well.

Nelsen in particular looks a lot sharper and fitter than at any time last season.

Ooijer reminds me very much of Neill at RB, both seem to have a natural tendancy to drift into the middle but Neill always seemed to get away with it, more mobilie than Ooijer, but still more by luck than judgment I think.

[rover6]

RUBBISH! Mokoena is playing ahead of Vogel, because Vogel is injured! Also Mokoena has been probably within our best 3 performers in both games so far.

As for right wing, we are looking, we havent had much time, so we are looking for the right man. Treacy is a left winger, so why play him on the right? Judge also isnt a winger - so why should we persist with them to be proved they aint again???

Treacy has played right wing but I admit would present more of a risk in an unfamiliar role. However, Judge has played most of his short career as a right winger and I cannot understand your suggestion that he has proved that he "ain't" a right midfielder.

Ideally, we'd sign a skilful right winger, but until then, we may as well field a winger there - not Reid or Emerton. (Emo is more capable of doing a job there than Reid but we all know his speed of thought is lacking to be consistently effective)

Is Vogel injured? If so, I take back my criticism. However, Ince showed no disposition to play Vogel in friendlies and seems to like Mokoena. This astonishes me almost beyond belief. How Ince, a very good CM in his day, can see potential in Moko, I just do not know.

I'm sure Ince is doing his utmost to bring in a holding midfielder. In the meantime, I would field Steven Reid or Brett Emerton, or a fit Vogel, there. Reid has what it takes to be a holding midfielder. He is tall, strong, athletic, fast and tenacious - and his lack of skill won't be a hinderance in such a role.

[McClarky]

I'm not too downbeat after yesterday. I thought that up front and at the back we looked fine and in control of the game for most of it. The problem is obviously though that we have no creativity in midfield at all. We really need to replace Bentley and bring in the central midfieled player who we lacked all of last season before the window closes. Otherwise we will see a lot of games like that this season because we will really struggle to score goals at home against teams who are happy to defend.

On another topic, where was Ince on MoTD? He's not 1 of these who refuses to go is he? I missed last week's programme but I really hope he isn't. Maybe he was rushing off to clinch a major deal or was blistering the paint off the walls in the dressing with a tea cup throwing rant. Answers on a postcard please.

[philipl]

I'd agree about the two "fullbacks" (or Warnock and our converted centre half) but I thought both Nelsen and Samba played very well.

Nelsen in particular looks a lot sharper and fitter than at any time last season.

Ooijer reminds me very much of Neill at RB, both seem to have a natural tendancy to drift into the middle but Neill always seemed to get away with it, more mobilie than Ooijer, but still more by luck than judgment I think.

I think Lucas was just that bit quicker, especially on the turn, which probably explains why he got away with it. Probably was able and willing to be harder with opposition players and make them hesitant about trying anything on.

Glad to hear that Nelsen is getting back to his best.

The relative lack of criticism of the Axe from people who went to the game indicates he wasn't outstandingly poor the way he used to be.

[den]

Thought Samba was awfull with his head from corners, with his height advantage and MGP's accuracy i'm expecting Samba to score plenty of goals from corners somehow i dont think its going to happen.

He's no Mike England is he! He used to score from the edge of the area. Samba really isn't a great header of the ball. Rather like Crouch - he's a poor header too.

[Bobby G]

Thought DUnn was our best player and most threatening option in the first half and his more advanced role has been key this season till date.

Defensively we looked good, other than one or two lapses, one brought by having too many players up for a corner resulting in a break and the other in the goal.

Emerton as a right winger doesnt work, unfortunately some of us have forgotten at the rubbish end-product he had been giving up for 3 seasons. I would rather play him in central midfield or right back.

We definitely need a genuine right winger during the window.

Overall we didnt deserve much and all the hard work from the first game was to a point undone, as if we won we would have been comfortably in 2nd and these are the kind of games which will be telling in our final position come end of the season.

[thenodrog]

I think Lucas was just that bit quicker, especially on the turn, which probably explains why he got away with it. Probably was able and willing to be harder with opposition players and make them hesitant about trying anything on.

Glad to hear that Nelsen is getting back to his best.

The relative lack of criticism of the Axe from people who went to the game indicates he wasn't outstandingly poor the way he used to be.

Rev... Neill can hardly have been lucky for 4 seasons can he?

As for the Axe he simply did his job. Get it and give it. We all know there is no creativity in him. Paul Mellelieu is strangely being harsh.

Plain fact is that we'd likely have won this with Bentley. RSC looked lost without Bentleys service.

[John]

Why all the shock that we lacked creativity without Bentley? As soon as he left it was clear this would be a problem for us. From those who watched us last season, and also the stats back this up, Bentley provided most of our assists (and a lot in particular for Santa).

All this talk of playing attacking football is great, but you need the players to do it.

[jw_]

I couldnt understand why Warnock was taking all the throws when pedersen can hit the penalty spot with his.

I was thinking exactly the same thing and I get the impression that it was Warnock who was making the decision judging by the confused looks on Pedersens face.

By the way am I the only one that thought the new to the Premier League referee was a bit too leniant with the Hull defence, they got away with murder.

[thenodrog]

By the way am I the only one that thought the new to the Premier League referee was a bit too leniant with the Hull defence, they got away with murder.

Dont agree one bit. Best ref I've seen for a long time. 1 booking, no particularly 'wrong' decisions and no loss of control in a competative match is testament to that.

[Eddie]

I've decided this morning to throw myself full on into the mind-set that this result will lead to positive results as it will prevent the club frmo thinking that we can go through the transfer window without any major additions.

[1864roverite]

Sunday morning and the usual drama queens are at it again.

For once will you please give it a rest, we did NOT miss Bentley. It doesnt matter which midfielder we would have had on the right, the way Hull set out their stall was to stifle our good players, why do people insist we missed him at all because thats all they would have done.

Look back through the weekedns matches and you will see that away temas took out the oppositions most ptoent threat and this seems to be the in thing.

By the looks of it anyway, Bentley is not playing too well at his new home of football, looking at the table we see spuds lying in the bottom 3 with a nil point return and a negative goal difference. They only have 1 striker and he is a £16m misfit, they are about to lose Berbatov and gain a big unknown whether it be Milito or Arshavin to replae him.

Spurs are a club in trouble like Man City

[philipl]

Why all the shock that we lacked creativity without Bentley? As soon as he left it was clear this would be a problem for us. From those who watched us last season, and also the stats back this up, Bentley provided most of our assists (and a lot in particular for Santa).

All this talk of playing attacking football is great, but you need the players to do it.

Totally agree John.

It is starkly obvious that Rovers are a bottom half side without Bentley.

We desperately need that creative spark and relying on Dunn and Villanueva plus Benni to lose two stones is expecting a bit too much of the three gentlemen concerned.

[Eddie]

Sunday morning and the usual drama queens are at it again.

For once will you please give it a rest, we did NOT miss Bentley. It doesnt matter which midfielder we would have had on the right, the way Hull set out their stall was to stifle our good players, why do people insist we missed him at all because thats all they would have done.

Look back through the weekedns matches and you will see that away temas took out the oppositions most ptoent threat and this seems to be the in thing.

By the looks of it anyway, Bentley is not playing too well at his new home of football, looking at the table we see spuds lying in the bottom 3 with a nil point return and a negative goal difference. They only have 1 striker and he is a £16m misfit, they are about to lose Berbatov and gain a big unknown whether it be Milito or Arshavin to replae him.

Spurs are a club in trouble like Man City

Totally agree, but I think we'll see tons of posters regularly bringing up how we "miss" Bentley this season. They obvious forget the last 6 months of last season where he didn't show up. Or the fact that we still had results like this when we had Bentley. Or the fact that villa lost to stoke (who will be worse than Hull this season). Or that Spurs (with Bentley and all) have lost both of their first two games.

[thenodrog]

Sunday morning and the usual drama queens are at it again.

For once will you please give it a rest, we did NOT miss Bentley. It doesnt matter which midfielder we would have had on the right, the way Hull set out their stall was to stifle our good players, why do people insist we missed him at all because thats all they would have done.

Look back through the weekedns matches and you will see that away temas took out the oppositions most ptoent threat and this seems to be the in thing.

By the looks of it anyway, Bentley is not playing too well at his new home of football, looking at the table we see spuds lying in the bottom 3 with a nil point return and a negative goal difference. They only have 1 striker and he is a £16m misfit, they are about to lose Berbatov and gain a big unknown whether it be Milito or Arshavin to replae him.

Spurs are a club in trouble like Man City

You must have forgotten to set your alarm off 1864. I think you are still in dreamland.

[OscarRaven]

Yeaterdays performance was very very poor. If thats the promised land of of free flowing beautiful football we have been promised by the manager then he's spent too long on the other side of the gap. Without seeing the Everton game, yesterday was very much like the dross served up in the lower leagues.

Long ball against an ex. championship side - pure mastery of tatics, the great double bluff I suppose? Didn't work Hull were the better team. Nelson and Samba had to work a dam sight harder than Hull's CB's, despite the solid workrate of Jason Roberts

Tugay on, for the happless axe. Increased use of long ball to complement Tugay's on the floor pick-a pass mastery? - he looked like he was watching a Nadal vs. Federer.

Fat, clearly out of shape, disinterested and lazy Benni on for the best player on the pitch - thought we had an ex army fiteness coach?? Derbyshire must be chuffed.

Not anti-Ince he has 8 more games before I will draw an opinion one way or the other but the manager has to take responsibilty for that performance. Even my two year old niece would have told Paul Robinson to roll it out to the full backs and build the play at least once during the second half!!!!

[thenodrog]

Totally agree, but I think we'll see tons of posters regularly bringing up how we "miss" Bentley this season. They obvious forget the last 6 months of last season where he didn't show up. Or the fact that we still had results like this when we had Bentley. Or the fact that villa lost to stoke (who will be worse than Hull this season). Or that Spurs (with Bentley and all) have lost both of their first two games.

Exactly how many matches have you been to and therefore in any position to judge players worths since last Christmas Eddie?

[John]

I prefer to look at things over the course of a season. Fact is Bentley provided a lot of our assists last season, and was also a threat with his crossing/set pieces.

Bit stupid to suggest we won't miss him. Coupled with the fact we lack creative players generally throughout the team.

Not saying we can't replace Bentley, but we need to bring someone in with some crossing ability on the right. That is obviously what Ince is trying to do, as it has been stated he likes to play with two wingers who provide crosses etc

[roversmum]

That's one of the things the Taffia had. Eddie would sit at the back of the dug-out and yell from there (very disconcerting for those of us close to him but his voice could REALLY be heard). Bowen would watch from the front of the dug-out and give advice from there. At times both of them would confer and they or Hughesy would then do something.

I wasn't there yesterday- Reading Festival had the edge- but maybe Roversmum- who has an excellent view- could tell us what was going on??

Missed you! Pretty quiet from the dug-out really. Ince was on the line for most of the first half but not the second. At one point he and Archie were in discussion on the line. I miss Eddie......

Bit unfortunate really. Someone needs to have a word in Ince's ear and suggest that Derbs is very useful when put on as a substitution, I was very disappointed not to see him yesterday, I feel he could have made a difference. Of course, Ince won't have realised this yet and hasn't given Derbs a chance to do his stuff.

Thought Morten did well, he got a knock but played on and he stopped Hull advancing in a couple of tricky situations when Warnock had gone missing.

I've come to a conclusion. I hate Internationals (games that is).

Still. Four points out of six is better than nothing - isn't it, Spurs? Couple of tricky matches coming up though.

[rover6]

Yes, roversmum, Derbs would've been a potentially effective sub after a decent England U21 display.

However, I would say that Tugay was brought on to introduce much needed creativity. Dunn got injured so Emerton had to come on. ANd then, Benni McCarthy would probably have stormed out of the ground if he had been overlooked and not given a cameo...

[RoyRover]

All this talk of playing attacking football is great, but you need the players to do it.

I totally agree with you. It's all very well saying that we will play attacking football, but at the moment it seems like we don't have the players to do this. Bentley's creativity would only be missed if he wasn't replaced and at the moment, it hasn't been. To do this, we will have to be prepared to spend a load of cash on someone. Hoping that an untested South American, who played in Chile, is going to solve our creative problems, seems a bit optimistic to me. And even if he started well, it doesn't say much about our ambitions if David Dunn is the main creative force in our team. We have the potential of having a very good team, a top 8 team IMO, but only if a serious bit of quality is added.

[Plastic Head]

Maybe we should put in a £8M bid for Bentley before the window closes?