Can City make it five in a row with win at Reading?
ROYALS ARE IN A FALSE POSITION SO TIGERS MUST BE ON TOP FORM
Hull City take their four-game winning run to Reading today looking for a first victory in their last four trips to Royal Berkshire. Grant Mccann’s Tigers have been riding the crest of a wave in recent weeks with wins over Barnsley, Birmingham City, Cardiff City and Millwall – results which have seen them ease away from the relegation zone.
The visit to Reading is City’s first of five games in December as Mccann’s men look to continue their terrific run.
Here, the Mail looks ahead to the 3pm SCL Stadium kick-off...
Five in a row?
A month ago, the only five in a row Hull City were staring down the barrel of were defeats, the West Brom loss securing that rather unenviable record.
Fast forward to the start of December and the Tigers have notched four straight wins which is no mean feat in the Championship for anyone, let alone a newly promoted side with the wretched record City had.
Just one goal conceded in those four games has rejuvenated a Tigers side which looked utterly bereft of confidence during October, but maybe, just maybe, realised they can be competitive after their battling showing at West Brom.
It’s not easy for a team in this league to win five on the spin and City haven’t done it since January 2019, so seeing off a Reading side in something of a false position will not be an easy task.
City’s much improved displays have been more like what we became used to last season, particularly on the road, and Mccann will once again set his side up with the intention of playing quickly on the counter, and through the Reading press.
A tactical tweak or two?
Mccann’s had a few of those in recent weeks given the injuries to Lewie Coyle and Alfie Jones, Josh Emmanuel’s injury and the odd suspension here and there.
It would not be a huge surprise to see him opt to bring back the more defensive minded Callum Elder in place of Ryan Longman - who should be kept in the side at the expense of Mallik Wilks - and operate with Elder and Keane Lewis-potter as wing-backs in the variation on the 3-5-2 system City have found success with recently.
The fascinating battle…
Aside of two Chelsea loanees facing off against each other in the form of City’s Nathan Baxter and Reading’s Danny Drinkwater, there’s one key battle which could prove vital to deciding the outcome.
The cornerstone to City’s revival in the past month has been the midfield unit of Richie Smallwood, Greg Docherty and George Honeyman.
That trio were so dominant last season and though it’s taken a while for Mccann to get them on the pitch at the same time on a consistent basis, their importance to the way City play is obvious.
Smallwood’s ability to sit and hold, to pinch possession and to collect the second balls has proved invaluable, while Docherty’s engine and reading of the game has been crucial.
As for Honeyman, well, what more can you say than he’s been one of the form players in the Championship in the past month - the three have dovetailed beautifully.
Today, however, that trio will come up against an in-form Drinkwater who is finding his feet again after a really difficult few years since playing a starring role in Leicester City winning the Premier League.
A move to Chelsea really hasn’t worked out and now on loan from Stamford Bridge at Reading, Drinkwater’s obvious quality is starting to show once again, so it will be a fascinating battle in the centre of the park. Whoever comes out on top in that will almost certainly have the keys to victory.
Watch out for the big names
Drinkwater is the midfield general for the
Royals, but it has been Andy Carroll grabbing the headlines since his short-term move to the club.
Last weekend’s goal in the thrilling 3-2 win at Swansea City saw the 32-year-old rolling back the years and his presence will provide a young and inexperienced back three of Jacob Greaves, Di’shon Bernard and Sean Mcloughlin with a stern test.
Tough it will be, but in recent weeks those three have come up against some seasoned Championship campaigners and have fared well, so there’s no reason to think that can’t be the case again.
Defensively, City have toughened up particularly from set-pieces and with Carroll in the side, it’s difficult to believe Reading won’t be using him as a pivotal target figure inside the box when they have the opportunity to get the ball into it.
It’s imperative City avoid giving away cheap free-kicks in and around their penalty box and that tactic will have formed an important part of Mccann’s pre-game preparations.
Start on a high
November may have started on a sour note in terms of results at least, but the display at The Hawthorns gave encouragement, albeit not quite the hint of what was to follow. December is a notoriously challenging month with a fair bit of movement taking place in terms of league positions, but with the way the fixtures have fallen, City should be well-rested.
Two Saturday games, a Sunday (Boxing Day) and then a midweek fixture before the trip to Blackpool on New Year’s Day is hardly as hectic as in previous years, so there should be plenty of time for Mccann’s work to continue on the training pitch and ensure the squad is in a good place.
Victory today would not only keep the momentum they’ve worked so hard to build going, it could also see them move eight points clear of the bottom three depending on Peterborough United’s result at Nottingham Forest, which given where City were a month ago is remarkable.
Reading are arguably in a false position because of their points deduction, but even without that they’d be just five points off the top six, so it just goes to show what a difference a few results can have on your aspirations.
The Royals believe there’s a significant chance of making the play-offs, so three points here for the Tigers would be quite a statement.
The referee
Stephen Martin – he took charge of City’s 2-0 win at Oakwell last month. In his 16 games so far across the EFL, he’s issued 55 yellow cards and three reds.