ADKINS MAKES A POINT AS HULL SET BAR HIGH
HULL City have been set a target of picking up another point per game by head coach Nigel Adkins if they are going to confound their critics and climb the Championship table.
Adkins usually shies away from setting his players specific targets, but admitted their return of seven points from the first nine matches was not enough to satisfy him – even if many had predicted the club would struggle this season.
Pre-weekend, they sat 21st in the table – but Adkins wants to see them inside the top ten.
He said: “We need to pick up more points. We are not on enough points per game, on the ratio that I would like. For us to be in that top ten area we need to pick up another point a game.”
Adkins wants his players to achieve their potential, but he also wants them to prove the pundits wrong.
He added: “Everybody had us to be where we are in the division, I want us to go beyond that. To do that we need to pick up another point a game. That’s what we’re focusing on. I want us to be pushing on, I want the players to believe.”
Adkins also hopes the likes of Jon Toral and Will Keane can step up their involvement with the first team after scoring while playing for the club’s U23 side.
Both players have seen their first-team opportunities limited, but Adkins hopes being on target for the U23s in the 3-0 victory at Burnley will improve their chances of featuring in Championship games.
Adkins said: “From my point of view, getting some game time for them is important. If you are not in the team, you can train, but you need to get some game time as well.
“Both of them scored goals and they played 90 minutes as well. That was really beneficial for them.”