HarryfromBath assesses the mood in the opposition camp ahead of Tuesday night’s game at the KC Stadium by delving into their forums.

“Maybe I have been spoilt over the past few years but it is hard to see such a talented set of players labour around the pitch trying to unlock average Championship defences”, “It’s so frustrating how poor this league is and how average our opponents are, yet we can’t score past any of them.”

City’s 1-1 draw at Hillsborough in Saturday’s early kick-off took their unbeaten run to six games in all competitions. However, with two 1-0 wins and three 1-1 draws included in this run, many fans think that their team should be winning more games and winning them by emphatic margins.

“We’re no longer in a division where we are happy to be muddling along”, “With the squad we have let’s not pretend we are somehow doing well or ticking along. Our performances have been rubbish in the main and the points accrued have been borderline adequate”, “We are getting away with it.”

“Are we turning into Leeds fans? Expectations are high and we should be beating teams like Blackburn week-in, week-out”, “It’s not about an unrealistic expectation of winning. It’s the frustration of having a great squad but not getting the best out of it.”

“The play-offs will probably be no good for us.” Tigers have an underlying fear that they might come unstuck in a play-off lottery if they don’t improve. “We need the points now. Forget about this notion that we can gradually wait to find our ‘A’ game and just gallop to promotion.”

Steve Bruce

“I’m fed up of hearing how we should dust ourselves down and go again or that we’re still finding our feet. We should be tearing this league a new one but instead it’s the same old dross against inferior teams. Sort it Bruce or clear out, it’s far from good enough!”

“Bruce looks like someone who is desperately looking for a solution but who can’t find one.” The former Sunderland and Birmingham boss has been criticised in particular for failing to settle on a single system as well as for being excessively cautious when protecting leads.

“Bruce is not a tactically aware manager. That’s why other teams normally get control of the game early on and have more chances than they should have. There is also his defensive mindset as well, which arguably was the biggest cause in our being relegated.”

Others are quick to support the way Bruce has navigated the reshaping of his squad after relegation. “Steve has had to wait a long time to start bringing players in while watching many leave. His seven signings have been low-key and cost a combined £8 million against the £25 million his player sales fetched.”

“We need to appreciate what we have got. He may not be the best tactician but he gets a nine out of 10 for most of the other attributes”, “It has been an amazingly difficult job for him over the last few months and he has done it with honesty and integrity. He’s the best manager we have ever had.”

Others have highlighted the absurdity of calling for the dismissal of a manager six games into an undefeated run. “You can’t keep calling for Bruce’s head when we haven’t been beaten! At least give the man a couple of defeats before you do that.”

Formation

“I have given up on seeing incisive attacking or quick one-touch triangles of passing being played except between midfielders and centre-backs while Bruce is in charge. We play a dull, predictable game yet we have the players to play and much quicker. It’s just frustrating.”

“Bruce seems to have no idea what his best formation is. We change our team and system weekly and have no consistency.” Hull have varied their formation regularly this season, switching between three and four at the back as well as swapping between one and two strikers during games.

“Our defence is an asset and we can build on that.” Fans are happy with a back five which has conceded just four goals in the last eight games but they feel that the right balance in midfield has not been struck and that the goals of Abel Hernandez have masked wider attacking deficiencies.

The Tigers settled on playing 4-2-3-1 with Saturday’s starting XI (above). Many fans don’t like this shape with the phrase “square pegs in round holes” frequently repeated. Their lack of natural wingers and a lack of support from central midfield has left Hernandez isolated up front.

Right-sided Moses Odubajo started in a less familiar left-back role and Shaun Maloney, who swapped flanks with Sam Clucas, is seen as a more effective operator through the centre of midfield. Hernandez is widely seen as needing a second striker to work off and struggled on his own.

“This is much better. Always play two up front!” Fans were happier with the balance of the team which finished Saturday’s game (above). The switch to two strikers provided Hernandez with a partner and more of an attacking outlet while Odubajo also switched to his stronger flank.

“This 1-0 Malarkey”

“There is no one that hopes for a successful Steve Bruce this season more than me, but he really has to get the team to stop this suicidal tactic of defending 1-0 leads for the last 20 minutes.” This is the one issue which irritates supporters above and beyond any other given their talented squad.

“We need to stop this 1-0 malarkey. When it’s 1-0 a team has nothing to lose in the last 20 minutes by slinging everything at us”, “I hate how we sit deep in the last 20 minutes defending a 1-0 lead. Go for the throat. The squad we have should be beating teams in this division by three or four goals.”

“Full steam ahead and damn the effing torpedoes”, “I don’t like the ultra-defensive endings to games. It doesn’t work often enough to make it worthwhile. If we are good enough to be winning after 80 minutes we should stay on top for the last 10.”

Sheffield Wednesday 1 - 1 Hull

“We’ll take a draw. The players were lost in the tactics but their effort shone through”, “A good point against a form team and a decent performance and effort”, “I feel sorry for any poor soul that plaid to watch that rubbish.” The consensus was that this was a fair result and a poor football game.

“A draw was a fair result overall.” The Owls took the lead when Fernando Forestieri pounced on a loose ball in the box just before the half-hour mark. City equalised in a similar manner six minutes after the break through Hernandez after a double save from Keiren Westwood.

“We need to get the whole midfield closer.” Fans were critical of City’s tepid first half performance. “Pass from side to side to defender to midfielder to defender, repeat for 90 minutes”, “It was the same old with the midfield. They looked too slow despite the possession they had.”

“Motivation wasn’t the problem. The players seemed up for it but they were neutered by such a defensive outlook”, “Hardly anybody took on opposing players when attacking. Everything was fine when the players had plenty of green space but options ran out when we were closed down.”

Nottingham Forest 0 - 1 Hull

“This is one day when luck smiled on us”, “I’m not sure how Forest have got 28 shots away against us. Can we ride our luck all season?” “Forest are pressing with 10 men and nearly scored an equaliser”, “We are being completely overrun after totally dominating the game.”

“I’m still not convinced.” The Tigers claimed all three points when Hernandez characteristically poached a goal inside the six yard box just before the break after missing an earlier penalty. Matt Mills was red-carded for the hosts after a poor challenge on Chuba Akpom late in the game.

“We had a clean sheet despite Forest throwing the kitchen sink at us”, “I’m almost lost for words. We seem to have gone from our most dominating performance for ages to hanging on for grim death and it’s all down to going defensive again. Seriously, how can Bruce not see this?”

Hull 1 - 1 Blackburn

“The frustration is down to the type of football we are playing given the quality of the squad, the almost total absence of creativity, the pathetic predictability of our tactics and poor results against lower half teams we should be racking up goals and wins against.”

Hull opened the scoring when Hernandez again was in the right place in the six-yard box to poach a goal on 73 minutes only for Jordan Rhodes to equalise from a corner kick in stoppage time. Fans were annoyed that the relatively slight Odubajo was detailed to mark the former Ipswich man.

They were angrier at how Hull once again had allowed Rovers to grab hold of the initiative late in the game. “We have the tools for the job but it is blatantly obvious they are not being used correctly”, “It’s no wonder that our centre-backs keep getting man of the match as we are always defending.”

Defence

“Allan McGregor made a couple of great saves against Forest”, “That is his strong suit, an excellent reflex stop”, “I’m pleased that McGregor seems to be recapturing his previous form but there’s no denying his string of errors cost us valuable points last season and earlier in this campaign.”

Many see the 33-year-old former Rangers keeper as being error prone. “He dropped one clanger after another last season and was an absolute shambles most of the time. Let’s not forget that”, “He was beaten from distance more times than any other Premier League last season.”

“Mc Gregor had a great second half against Blackburn but was hesitant for their goal”, “Any corner dropping into the six-yard box has to the keeper’s ball”, “Once a keeper changes his mind he is lost. He ended up flat-footed”, “He does make some great stops and generally does all that is asked of him.”

“Moses Odubajo played well at Hillsborough but he isn’t a left-back or he needs protection. His body was in slightly the wrong position for defending.” The 22-year-old “kept running to the byline and then was unable to cross”, “He softly gave possession away the first four times he had the ball.”

“I want to see Odubajo on the right where he belongs”, “He can beat anybody for pace.” The ex-Brentford man “is so uncomfortable going forward it is untrue. Weren’t we told he was a converted right winger, great going forward but suspect defensively? Well, he’s exactly the other way around.”

“Andrew Robertson was brilliant a year ago, Scotland’s big hope for the future and arguably our best player. He was all right defensively and brilliant going forward. Now he’s not overlapping. He tries to cross from deep and fails and is weak defensively”, “He’s not an awful player but is playing poorly.”

“He has no end product at all.” The 21-year-old ex-Dundee United left-back “should be dropped but we don’t have an obvious replacement”, “Robertson isn’t out of sorts. He has been poor all season. His crossing and defending are poor, which is a significant problems if you’re a left-back.”

One fringe defender to note is 20-year-old Arsenal loan signing Isaac Hayden. “He is very tidy in the heart of defence and not afraid to have the ball. He puts in some big tackles when covering on the counter. He’s very calming and I would play him in the centre if we are going with three at the back.”

In contrast, Tigers are very happy with the form of both their centre-halves. Former Birmingham man Curtis Davies “spent much of last season in a stupor but had put that behind him.” The 30-year-old “makes great last ditch tackles and is solid as a rock”, “He looks like he did when he first arrived”.

“The centre-backs have provided an excellent foundation for Bruce to rebuild his team.” Former Forest and Spurs man Michael Dawson “is immense at the back. He wins everything in the air, tackles well and puts his body on the line”. The 31-year-old “is back to last season’s version”.

Central Midfield

“Surely we can expect our central midfielders to contribute a few goals”, “The strikers are the least of our worries. It’s the midfield, just like last season.” While protecting the defence well, the central midfield has regularly struggled to get forward to combine effectively with strikers in recent games.

“I am delighted for Jake Livermore that he is back in the team but he and Huddlestone as a pairing hasn’t worked since January 2014 and yet they still seem to be the first two midfielders pencilled in”, “He has not gelled fully in the squad but is clearly going to be an asset for us this season.”

The 25-year-old ex-Spurs man started the last two games after returning from a provisional suspension after he failed a drugs test. While praised for his passing and energy, many feel that he and Huddlestone as a pair lack the industry to make central midfield tick. “We are back to the problem we had for about 18 months.”

“Shaun Maloney is probably the most likely player in our squad to play incisive attacking through balls and corners that actually mean something, yet Bruce often starts with him on the bench.” The 32-year-old ex-Wigan and Chicago Fire man “needs to be on the pitch and not off it completely”.

“Maloney may be short of fitness but has already shown intelligence, responsibility and outstanding set-piece delivery”, “He looked lost until we started playing quicker so he had more space”, He looks better played more centrally”, “He turns and faces the goal, drops his shoulder and beats his man.”

“Sheffield Wednesday were all over us and we didn’t like it. We needed David Meyler in there to inject some fire into the team and he would also have had the legs to cover Diame’s charges forward”, “We needed a grafter in midfield”, “He may be technically inferior but he works hard.”

“You can sense when everyone is getting nervous”, “That’s what happens when you hear the words ‘Meyler is coming on’ and I don’t have anything against him.” The 26-year-old ex-Sunderland man “is only good at playing simple balls”, “Not everything works but at least he tries to link play forwards.”

Mohamed Diame

“Steve Bruce keeps giving Diame a starting place hoping he will find form rather than on merit”, “We are too slow with Diame, Huddlestone and Livermore together in the centre. They keep possession but to no effect and Diame is the only real attacking threat among them.”

The 28-year-old ex-Hammer “seemed to especially slow things down at Hillsborough and we were sharper when he was replaced”, “We can’t afford him and Huddlestone on the pitch together”, “A half-fit Diame is a better option as at least he can pop up with a goal getting forward from midfield.”

Tom Huddlestone

“The commentator on Saturday said ‘Huddlestone has got a good shot on him’. No he bloody hasn’t, in theory yes but in practice no”, “We need to start attacking teams and Tom isn’t the player to do it”, “I wish he and Livermore could sort out the shooting. It’s costing us and will do over the season.”

The 28-year-old ex-Spurs man “is lethargic and still flatters to deceive but is still found a place in the team at the expense of attacking and creative players”, “Playing with Diame is a luxury as neither are midfield grafters”, “Forest actually played to his strengths by giving him the time to pick his passes.”

“There was a classic Tom moment there on Saturday. He was on the edge of the box, a player with his power and technique needs to start banging in a few goals from that area but he didn’t want to shoot. Why?”, “Bruce said he wants him further up the pitch so why isn’t he playing there?”

Wide Midfield

“We don’t have out-and-out wingers”, “We seldom attack spaces out wide”, “Ironically the one position we never thought we would have much problem in is the wings, but with 4-4-2 we are lacking in that area meaning than the centre of midfield is packed with small passes.”

“Every time Elmo had the ball strayed wide to him at Sheffield he had a Sunday league first touch and lost it.” Ahmed Elmohamady “has been Mr Consistency for several years but he has a bit of a mare”, “He is a shadow of the bloke who could out-sprint his man and get brilliant crosses in.”

“There is something wrong there.” The 28-year-old ex-Sunderland man “is a natural wing-back but looks completely lost when moved to the wing. Elmo and Obubajo do not work together”, “Switch them around. We all know that he is at his best attacking space from deep and pinging in a cross.”

Sam Clucas

“Clucas works hard and retains the ball well but he creates almost nothing”, “He has outstanding work-rate, versatility and stamina”, “When was the last time he gave the ball away cheaply?”, “He links play well and covers for Robertson on the left. Unlike others, he is also not afraid to tackle.”

The 25-year-old ex-Chesterfield man “has been a catalyst for the team with his energy. It’s not a lack of love for him but more about fitting him in”, “He’s too safe and offers very little creatively”, “He offers nothing, running around and knocking it square. He’s scared to cross, shoot or take on a man.”

“I don’t get the criticism of Clucas. He uses the ball well and doesn’t just ‘knock it square’”, “He gives balance to the team. If he is left out we would be more pedestrian without his legs”, “Our fickle fans want him to be the finished product”, “He’s a bright and energetic player but gets criticised a lot.”

Strikers

“Our attacking threat as a team is still a worry”, “Let’s hope that Adama Diomande is a battering ram, hold-up player we so desperately need up front.” The 25-year-old deadline day signing from Norwegian side Stabaek has not played due to a groin injury but fans hope he will add much needed physicality.

“Sone Aluko has had plenty of chances and plenty of starts but the abiding memories are of him running into players and losing possession. It’s what he does.” The 26-year-old ex-Rangers man “has made a career out of nifty footwork prior to the inevitable losing of the ball.”

“If Aluko was played on the left of midfield, you would sacrifice Clucas’s work rate but get much more creativity”, “Along with more running into players and losing the ball”, “He runs into players and loses it, elects to shoot when there are better placed team mates or he simple falls over.”

Chuba Akpom

“We need two up top every game. We could have that with Akpom on from the start.” The 19-year-old is on a season-long loan from Arsenal and “has settled in well, and his pace and running are a real asset”, “The whole team seem to play further forward when we get Akpom on the pitch.”

“Akpom likes the ball at his feet so he can run at defences but sometimes does this too much. I think he may only get half-a-dozen goals this season at most. He’s a young lad learning the game but I don’t feel he’s a natural goalscorer”, “He does an awful lot of running with little to work with.”

“Chuba works tirelessly for little reward when we play one up front”, “He does a tough job up there largely on his own but there have been times when we have been pinned back and whenever we got the ball he stood motionless, offering no runs into the channels or giving something to aim at.”

Abel Hernandez

“I reckon Hernandez has now scored five goals from a combined total of 16 yards”, “Uruguay’s answer to Gary Lineker”, “Abel is better close in”, “Twelve yards is too far.” Fans quickly forgive the 25-year-old ex-Palermo striker’s penalty miss against Forest given his recent prolific scoring run.

“Hernandez is my kind of striker. He is a sniffer and will always score more goals than a 30-yard type”, “He works so hard but is far more effective with someone alongside him”, “He is a good finisher and Akpom is a willing runner but we haven’t got anyone with any real presence up front.”

“It’s clearly obvious Abel needs a partner. The poor bloke is chasing lost causes”, “I know he has got in good positions and keeps popping up with goals but he seriously annoys me with the number of times he ducks out of aerial challenges. He is scared of getting hurt and does it time after time.”

“Hernandez was excellent on Saturday and worked his socks off despite Sheffield Wednesday trying to kick him off the park”, “Hernandez still looks a clumsy footballer who came with utterly false price tag but he has a knack for sticking the ball in the net and that is most welcome.”

Tigers’ Views on ITFC and the Game

With most pre-match discussion revolving around which formation and starting XI to play on Tuesday, Tigers have had nothing to say about us over the weekend. If there is any worthwhile comment I will sum this up on the forum and like it on my twitter feed on Tuesday afternoon.

Websites

The busiest Tigers’ message-board is the lively Not 606.

@HarryFromBath

Photo: Action Images

TR11BLU added 12:55 - Oct 19 Cheers Harry. Not looking forward to this one, could be the night they get their 'Emphatic margin'
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Bert added 14:37 - Oct 19 Well, well it appears that Hull have similar issues to us. Opinions and views of supporters not chiming with the Manager. Perhaps that tells us that instead of wasting time being critical of the club and individual players we should be more understanding and give the club credit for getting most things right but not yet on the pitch. MM will not be sacked so let's move on and give him the benefit of the doubt.

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Seasider added 17:02 - Oct 19 Could be reading the above,thinking it was Ipswich. Two dinosaur managers whos best days are behind them.
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BillBlue added 19:38 - Oct 19 When I started reading the top part I momentarily thought I was reading this board yesterday! Spot on Seasider.
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cartman1972 added 21:27 - Oct 19 Not expecting much from this game
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