Mcloughlin: Our change of shape helped us against the Sky Blues
CITY’S DEFENDER SAYS 3-5-2 FORMATION HAD POSITIVE EFFECT
Hull City defender Sean Mcloughlin believes Grant Mccann’s decision to change formation at half-time of Saturday’s 1-0 defeat to Coventry City had a positive impact on their performance.
City were beaten for the fourth successive Championship game, but did improve after the break having found themselves a goal down to Matty Godden’s early header.
Mcloughlin came on at the break after skipper Richie Smallwood picked up a cut to the face.
Though the Tigers were unable to find the net, moving from Mccann’s preferred 4-3-3 formation to a 3-5-2 helped, the Irishman revealed.
“I think the change of shape helped us, with the two up top we were able to get out a bit easier and we were able to get the ball into the final third,” Mcloughlin explained.
“It’s that final bit of quality in the final third and it’s not just the strikers, it’s everybody, myself included.
“There’s brilliant balls going into the box and we’re not getting on the end of them which isn’t good enough.”
That defeat was a 10th of the season for the newly promoted Tigers, who now have two away games this week - at West Brom tomorrow before a relegation six-pointer against Barnsley on Saturday.
Having slipped three points adrift of safety, Mcloughlin says City must learn from their mistakes quickly, or risk throwing away the hard work of last term.
“We’re frustrated. We’ve conceded another early goal and it’s happened too many times now this season,” the defender moaned. “Second half, with a change of shape, we came back into the game.
“When you’re a goal down you’re on the back foot. I thought there was a lack of quality, it’s the same old story but we have to learn quickly and learn on the job because we’ve all worked so hard to get here, it’s even harder to stay here.
“Things have to turn yesterday.”