Tactical genius, Honeyman’s key, moaning bosses
Hull City reclaimed their spot inside League One’s automatic promotion spots on Tuesday night, with a deserved 3-1 win at Bristol Rovers. Goals from substitutes Keane Lewis-potter, Regan Slater and Tom Eaves saw the Tigers recover from conceding a goal in the opening minute, to record a seventh victory in nine league outings.
Tactical genius...
Managers live and die by their decisions; some they’ll get right, some they’ll get wrong and there will be others which fall somewhere in the middle, ones that don’t get noticed.
In the case of Grant Mccann, his every move is analysed to the nth degree - he’s living in a goldfish bowl of pressure, where the knives are out at any given opportunity.
If his side were slow to react to Peterborough’s switch in formation on Saturday, then at Bristol Rovers, Mccann identified the areas he thought City could exploit, and exploit them they did.
Any manager making a triple change with half-an-hour to go will be considered a gamble, of course it will, and this could well have backfired.
As it was, the introduction of Lewis-potter, Eaves and Slater breathed life into a performance, which, in truth, had improved markedly from the poor opening 15 minutes or so. Mccann and his coaching staff deserve as much credit for having the wherewithal to make those changes, as Lewis-potter does for the sublime movement and header which drew the Tigers level.
If you’re quick to criticise Mccann for his mistakes, surely it is only fair to credit him when get takes a risk, a big risk, and it pays off?
Glorious George...
City’s diminutive midfield dynamo George Honeyman has really come into his own this season, becoming a regular in the League One Team of the Week - an accolade likely to come his way again this week.
The Tigers were slow starters in Bristol, so slow in fact, they were a goal down so early their manager had barely made his way to the dugouts, and taken a sip of his tea, coffee or cocoa.
It took City a while to let that rather less than palatable opening filter through their system, but once they did, it was Honeyman who assumed control of the game, dragging his side - along with the help of Richie Smallwood - kicking and screaming into the contest.
Throughout, his fluid movement through the midfield caused problem after problem for Rovers, they could not pick him up as he found pockets of space in between the lines, the driving force behind the visitors’ attacking threat. Honeyman looks City’s playmaker, their key to unlocking promotion back to the Championship.
Moaning managers...
It’s becoming quite a theme, isn’t it? Opposition managers trying to convince people City were not worthy winners of a game they were worthy winners of. Look, Rovers were excellent for the first quarter of the match. They took the lead with a welltaken goal, their tempo was good while their pressing was busy which caused numerous problems for City.
Unfortunately, they ran out of gas and that coincided with Honeyman and Smallwood grabbing the game by the scruff of the neck and wrestling back the initiative.
The Tigers enjoyed a heavy spell of pressure before the break, and while they may not have created much in terms of efforts on goal, the amount of time spent in and around the Rovers’ area suggested an equaliser wouldn’t be too far away.
And once it arrived, there was only ever going to be one winner. While we can obviously respect the opposition and their boss, to suggest this was yet another game City have been rather fortuitous in, is quite frankly, disingenuous to say the least.
It might have been a struggle, be under no illusions, however, the three points were fully merited.
City’s character shining through...
Much has been made of the level of desire and character inside the dressing room, questions have been raised over time.
Those questions were brought to the forefront following the collapse at Fleetwood, before being answered emphatically at Rochdale and then at home to AFC
Wimbledon. Another setback followed at the weekend in the defeat to Peterborough, and again, questions were asked about City’s abilities against the so-called better sides, and how would they react to defeat.
Once again, they’ve delivered a fine away display, scored three goals and collected three points.
There will continue to be bumps in the road this term and they will lose games, but at the risk of becoming repetitive, it’s about how they react to those setbacks, and so far, the omens look positive.
Even the most ardent Mccann critic, and there are plenty, must acknowledge this has been a superb beginning on the long road towards righting the wrongs of last season.
It will take time, and this is only a start, but it’s a big step in the right direction.
Old school grounds, missing old school crowds...
The Memorial Stadium is a remarkable collaboration of mismatched stands. If you think of a greyhound track, horseracing paddock, cricket pavilion and a temporary stand or two from Silverstone, then you’ll not be far wrong.
Rovers’ famous old stadium is a contrast of many different things, but in many ways, that gives it a quite unique charm.
Once again, what should have been a fine away day for City - albeit a long way from home in terrible conditions, was played out in front of just a few staff and media.
Regular observers to this column will no doubt be bored of the same message, but it is a message that we need to keep hammering home.
Football needs its bread and butter back, without fans, these lovely, stately old stadiums lack that enthusiasm, that passion, that roar.
Instead, we’re having to see a group of players trudge out from makeshift dressing rooms looking rather lost, dispirited and forlorn.