BRUCE: MY AUSTIN REGRET
Hull boss sees his one-time transfer target score again
AGLUM Steve Bruce admitted that Hull City’s botched attempt to sign Charlie Austin is the club’s “biggest mistake” in his time at the helm.
Austin had just netted 23 goals for Burnley when Hull – newly promoted to the Premier League – had an offer of £4.5m accepted by the Clarets in July 2013.
But when scans flagged up a problem in the striker’s knee, the Tigers pulled out and Austin subsequently joined QPR.
Since then, the 25-year-old has scored 43 goals in 80 games for the Hoops, 18 of them in the Premier League, and won a place in the England squad.
And having rubbed it in by scoring at the KC last year, Austin again returned to haunt Bruce by heading home an instinctive opener.
“Letting Charlie go has probably been the worst decision this club has made in the last three years,” admitted Bruce, whose side levelled through skipper Michael Dawson.
“I think that’s his 41st goal in his last 70 league games, isn’t it? He’s a terrific centre-forward and he would have been great in our team. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be.
“Is it my biggest regret? Yeah, absolutely. For the money we’d agreed and what’s happened since, it has to be.
“And when he’s not scoring against us, I’m delighted for the lad. Because he doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with his knee. It was only a scan that showed it up.
“He’s obviously got a problem, but he trains every week, plays every week and scores every week. That’s a nice problem to have.”
QPR boss Chris Ramsey also had praise for Austin, who spent the summer waiting vainly for a Premier League club to meet the club’s £15m asking price before opting to see out the final year of his contract.
“Charlie looked like a Premier League striker,” said the 53-year-old.
“His work-rate, his link-play, his finish – you can see he is really enjoying his football at the moment.
“He’s showing a lot of character in the changing room, talking to the younger players, buying into what we’re doing. You saw how hard he worked and he hasn’t let anything affect him.”
Austin’s finish – his sixth goal of the season – was typical of his style, a
powerful header from Tjaronn Chery’s corner that went in off the bar. Though Andy Robertson appeared to clear off the line, the linesman flagged for a goal.
Bruce queried the decision and echoed Gary Bowyer’s call for video technology in the Championship but there were few complaints from the players and even the Hull boss admitted he was “clutching at straws”.
“I’ve watched it again and it’s not conclusive,” said Bruce.
“So how the linesman can give it straightaway, I don’t know. Maybe he was a bit too hasty. How much is does video technology cost? I don’t know, but there’s big prizes in this league too.”
As for Hull’s leveller, there were no such doubts, Dawson towering way above Nedum Onuoha to plant Tom Huddlestone’s delivery beyond Rob Green.
That though, was as good as things got. Maybe it was the late summer heat. Maybe it was a clash of styles. Maybe it was a QPR side hell bent on stifling play.
Whatever the case, this was a match that had the all artistic merit of a toddler’s scribble and the exhilaration of a broken rollercoaster.
Abel Hernandez laboured, Sone Aluko flattered to deceive. The Tigers’ narrow 3-5-2 formation played also right into QPR’s hands, with Onuoha and Gabriele Angella barely breaking sweat at the heart of a coasting back four.
In fact the best chance fell to Rangers’ Chery, who somehow contrived to smack Matty Phillips’ cross into the stand from two yards out.
“We’d have at least liked four points out of the last two games,” added Ramsey, whose side drew 2-2 with Blackburn in midweek.
“We couldn’t manage it but we’re happy with a point gained here.”