Goals will come for us
SMALLWOOD BACKS CITY
RICHIE Smallwood admits he’s at a loss to explain Hull City’s woeful finishing.
City have mustered just nine goals in their 14 Championship matches, the joint fewest in the league along with fellow strugglers Barnsley.
Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at Luton Town was City’s sixth successive away game without finding the net, their worst run for over 20 years and they’ve only scored in five of their league encounters so far.
Despite a much-improved second half display, Elijah Adebayo’s 17th minute goal proved the difference, and though City did create openings, goalkeeper Simon Sluga was a mere spectator for much of the Kenilworth Road clash.
“We weren’t quite at it, we conceded another goal early - the first again,” said Smallwood, who bemoaned Keane Lewis-potter’s open goal miss late on.
“I thought second half we showed some character like we’ve shown in most games really to come back and create chances - and create open goals, which we’re not taking at the minute and I’m struggling to understand why. I don’t know if it’s confidence or what, I’m not sure but it’s got to turn.
“It’s not just chances we’re creating, it’s open goals so it’s only a matter of time until that changes, so the sooner and the better.”
Smallwood, who was brought back into the starting XI at the expense of the injured Tom Huddlestone, says the atmosphere in the dressing room is being impacted because of results.
“It’s obviously difficult, I think the performances are saying it all, we’re in every single game.
“We’re not just in the game, we’re creating chances to win and in some cases we’re being the better team throughout the 90 minutes. I’m struggling to understand why we’re not taking these chances as we know we’ve got goals in the team.”
Despite the growing sense of frustration among the supporters who want to see a change in manager, Smallwood says it’s important City stick together as they prepare for the home visit of Coventry on Saturday in a crucial encounter against a team inside the top four.
“That’s something we’re going to have to keep working on, we’re sticking together,” he said.
“As you’ve seen (at Luton), we came out second half fighting and should have won, I think we created more chances.
“We should have had two open goals, tap-ins but it didn’t happen and like I say, I’m struggling to understand why we’re not converting them because they’re unbelievable chances.
“It would be more worrying if we weren’t creating these chances so I suppose the positives are that we are getting them and it’s only a matter of time before our luck changes and we’re putting them in the net and we can go home with three points.”
Smallwood who now faces an extended run in the side owing to Huddlestone’s hamstring injury, admits the players understand the situation they’re in, but must avoid falling out with each other and damaging the harmony built up last season, if they are to find a way out of what looks a bleak situation.
“We’re under no illusions, but I think we’ve got to stick together. There’s no good fighting with each other, pointing fingers or arguing.
“There’s no good in us not working hard for each other, not talking to each other or helping each other, we’ve got to stick together like we’re doing and continue to create these chances and hopefully we’re going to put them in the net.
“Everyone’s still confident between those four walls and there’s no reason not to be, because we are creating the chances.”