Chance to reflect as City make the most of the break
KEY ISSUES TO ADDRESS AFTER FOUR POINTS FROM TWO GAMES
At the end of another pulsating period of games, Hull City’s players and their manager Grant Mccann can take a well-earned breather. Saturday’s 2-0 win over Middlesbrough ensured the Tigers could go into the international break with a smile on their face having relieved some pressure on the manager following a run of 10 games without victory.
That victory saw City end their six-match mini-run with five points from the 15 available but four points from the six available in their last two home games, representing a promising return, gives reason to be positive.
With the penultimate international break of the campaign upon us, the Mail takes a look at the tasks facing Mccann over the course of the next 10 days or so in the build-up to the trip to Huddersfield Town.
Enjoy the rest...
Take a few days’ off. The Championship is relentless and the demands and expectations placed on the players are such that each game is akin to running a marathon. The build-up and the match itself is so draining, there’s almost no time to relax before they are preparing for the next.
It’s train, play, recover, train, play, recover and repeat.
Matt Smith, Callum Elder and Josh Magennis won’t be afforded that luxury but for the rest of Mccann’s playing squad and staff, the international break represents a chance to take a couple of days off, to forget football for a little bit - if that’s even possible?
Spend some time with the family, get a trip away or playing the new FIFA game, whatever it may be, just to relax the mind and body will be vitally important because there’s only one more of these before Christmas and then we’re into the long slog over the winter through to the March internationals.
Chance to reflect...
The way the season starts with the three international breaks before Christmas, it gives managers the chance to break down the games into blocks, with the first one consisting of six matches including the Carabao Cup tie with Wigan Athletic.
There were six games in this block of fixtures and starting with Huddersfield, there will be another six in the run-up to the November internationals.
City will this time face four away games with trips to the John Smith’s Stadium, Luton Town, West Brom and Barnsley while home clashes with Peterborough United and in-form Coventry City come at the MKM Stadium.
Mccann will be able to reflect on the season so far, and in general, what’s been a solid start even if results suggest otherwise they’ve been competitive.
Performances on the whole have been good, and there hasn’t been one game where the Tigers have been thumped, their own naivety and lack of quality in both boxes has been their downfall, lack of effort, courage and desire has most certainly not been the problem.
Derby County was probably the most disappointing performance, certainly after the first five minutes in a game City should never have allowed to squirm away.
While Mccann doesn’t like to reference luck, and to a certain extent he’s right, there’s little doubt in the games between the opening day and Blackpool, lady luck has not been shining on his side.
That seemed to change on Saturday with a couple of the chances Boro passed up, the disallowed goal and then the way in which Keane Lewis-potter’s volley cannoned back off the woodwork before going into the net via goalkeeper Joe Lumley.
Getting that home victory and breaking the run of negativity was crucial, particularly going into this two-week stoppage, and it will give the players and staff a chance to just take a breath and reflect on what’s been a tough, but at times, encouraging start.
Build-on the last two...
The point with Blackpool would have meant little had City lost to Boro, so to collect four points from six after the run they had been on was a big plus point.
City’s challenge when they return is to start the next batch of six games on a positive note at the John Smith’s Stadium, particularly with a home clash with Peterborough to follow on the Wednesday night, a game which you would have pinpointed as crucial before the campaign began, and it’s even more vital now. Having claimed that first win on home soil, Mccann’s men should be able to play with an element of freedom and that can only be a good thing.
What will be fascinating to see will be what the manager opts to do in terms of formation, having tweaked things slightly on Saturday.
Josh Emmanuel explained how he felt the 3-5-2 formation afforded City a little more freedom than the 4-2-3-1 (or 4-3-3) Mccann has become famous for, so the question going forward will be whether or not the Tigers stick with that for a little while or revert to type.
By his own admission, City have played better this season than they did against Boro, and lost, so Saturday’s win wasn’t solely about formation changes, that would be too simplistic to say.
It was a combination of personnel, better defending and finishing, and on the part of Boro, some poor finishing, as well as being a little more aggressive in both penalty boxes, something that if they’re going to escape from trouble in the coming weeks, they’ll need plenty more of.
Fitness ....
The underlying issue for weeks now has been Mccann’s inability to name his full strength team, and that would hurt any side, let alone one that’s just been promoted.
Preston the opening day has been the closest Mccann’s been able to get to it so far, with only Honeyman the absentee there.
Since then, he’s been without Tom Huddlestone, Honeyman, Greg Docherty, Alfie Jones, Magennis, Ryan Longman and Mallik Wilks, add to that the suspensions of George Moncur and Lewie Coyle, it’s been far from plain sailing.
Their recent defeat to Sheffield United was a prime example when he was able to name Honeyman in his squad, but then lost Docherty.
At Stoke, he got Docherty back but lost Honeyman and that’s been the way things have been going, it’s not an excuse, it is however, a very valid factor in explaining why the transition from League One to Championship hasn’t been quite as smooth some thought it would be.
Whatever your views are on the manager, there’s little doubt he’s had things tough when it comes to picking his best players, and the fact of the matter is that when he has a full strength side, City have a chance at this level.
Having Honeyman, Huddlestone and Magennis back for the trip across Yorkshire on Saturday week will provide the manager with a big boost. Getting them fit and keeping them fit will be the challenge, particularly in the case of Honeyman.