Hull v Rovers: 29th December 2023

[Barmitzvah Boy]

3 points thrown away.

 

[Drog]

4 straight losses. Heroes to zeroes. Worse still hull looked as unfit as we ended up under coyle.
1 win in 7 now with no draws and apart from Watford we've never looked like winning a match. Who says we don't miss dolan?
Also another 'homer' in ref donohue.

 

[Husky]

It's already at that stage where I am willing Ipswich to score to maintain the gap.

Also, not so sure we should be that happy about Sheffield Weds winning at NobEnd any more.

 

[goozburger.]

Same pattern. Our defending is the worst I've seen for a long time. Three totally shambolic goals to give away, leaving us with no chance of getting anything from the game with our otherwise decent play. I don't normally bemoan the usual poor standard of refereeing because everybody gets it and we're all used to it by now, but this guy took the biscuit. Hyam's first yellow card was never that, and he was completely inconsistent, particularly by dishing out more to us than to the well-supported home side.

Wahlstedt
Made a decent save just before Hull's winner from the corner. Lacked any sort of presence for all three of their goals.

Brittain
His blasted cross at the end sums up his December. Another poor showing from him.

Hyam
Worst player on the pitch. At joint fault for two of Hull's goals by shying away from the running defender until they were virtually in our goal. Made a suicidal pass across our box in the second-half which luckily led to nothing. Didn't lead the defence, and did a stupid thing to get sent off after we went behind. Stupidity of the highest order, just as with Brittain against Southampton. The only positive thing I can say is that he was hard-done to for his first yellow card, thanks to yet another clueless referee.

Hill
His decent forward play wasn't there today. Defending as poorly as his partner.

Pickering
Played well and got a goal (on his birthday?), albeit deflected, but he was jointly shambolic, along with Hyam, for Hull's first goal. Stick a foot in or a body in the way!

Tronstad
Decent game. Coolest head on the pitch for Rovers with much tackling and decent simple passing.

Garrett
So-so, but the game passed him by. I think his early yellow card took the edge off his game.

Sigurdsson
Aside from one or two quality bits of touches and breakaways, he wasn't effective enough. He's got the quality to hurt teams because he knows where the goal is, but he was largely absent again today.

Markanday
Some nice passing and bits of penetration here and there. An average showing when we need more creativity and danger from him.

Szmodics
Beautiful finish for our first goal. Didn't stop running for the cause. Man of the Match.

Telalovic
Has the touch of a donkey, but he did cause problem's for Hull's defence. He reminds me somewhat of a poor man's Shefki Kuqi. I would say it was a decent first start, but I think he's going nowhere for us.

As for the subs, who generally did well...

Carter
Seemed to do OK when he came on. Didn't put a foot wrong.

A Wharton
Added some guile to our attacking play. Should have done better with a free shot from the edge of the box that was our best chance at an equaliser.

Ennis
Did well. Showed much better first touch and neat play in tight spots, as well as strength at shielding the ball.

Moran
Offered a few things going forward, which is more than can be said for his last few performances put together.

What I will say is that it was a much better performance than the dismal showing at Huddersfield, but that isn't saying much. We really aren't getting a break at the moment, but we're our own worst enemy when we give goals away so cheaply. Do we do any defensive training?

We need a win against Rotherham United on Monday before a panic starts to set in.

 

[Drog]

.just seen Hulls first! Hyam at snails pace exposed Pickering who allowed himself to be easily turned on the inside and wahlsted beaten on the near post. FFS those are AMATEUR mistakes!!!
I'll put hulls 2nd down to quick thinking and a lovely finish by Connolly.
Hulls third???? How tf can 7 rovers players around a lone hull player stand and watch the ball go in the net?FFS!!!
Sack the fancy Dan bloody coaches down at Brockhall and get some wise old heads in.

 

[goozburger.]

4 straight losses. Heroes to zeroes.

I think the Watford defeat really hurt us. I'm slightly fed up of our managers, past and present, banging on about "Premier League opposition" when Bristol City went and tonked them 4-1 on their own turf. We are too timid a side with no balls, save for maybe one or two players who weren't playing today.

Hull City and Huddersfield Town had to just let us have possession, and punch us on the nose when we inevitably lose the ball and are open at the back. Neither of them had to do much to turn us over, and it'll be a blueprint for Rotherham United to follow when they turn up on Monday.

 

[Husky]

I don't normally bemoan the usual poor standard of refereeing because everybody gets it and we're all used to it by now, but this guy took the biscuit. Hyam's first yellow card was never that, and he was completely inconsistent, particularly by dishing out more to us than to the well-supported home side.

Also why wasn't Morton sent off for kicking the ball away?

 

[goozburger.]

Also why wasn't Morton sent off for kicking the ball away?

The referee played to the crowd, certainly. 20,000 home supporters there today.

There was a stone-wall yellow card for young Wharton towards the end, and the referee didn't give it, probably because he yellow carded the hell out of us by half time and felt sorry for us. He needs writing up and banning from refereeing in the game ever again. I must stress that he had nothing to do with our shocking defending, however.

 

[blueandwhitehalves]

3 things in that game for me:

1. Shocking defending - 3 very poor goals to concede. I'm sure coaches must say this, but you should put as much intensity into your work out of possession as you do in possession. There's no intensity to our defending, no determined desire to win a tackle, win a header, get in position, get the right body shape, be physical with the opposition, foul them if needed. If you keep conceding 2-3 goals per game, you've no chance.

2. Shocking refereeing - The last bit in my point above was about getting physical and fouling if needed, but why is it that other clubs always get leniency from refs doing this to us, but the second we do it back they're blowing their whistle and giving out cards like they've been given to an inmate of a lunatic asylum to play with. Some of our bookings yesterday were absolutely comical, not even fouls.

3. The JDT passing style is still there - I do still think the players are playing for him, because our slick passing in possession is still there. It created more than enough chances to win even playing away to a good, in-form side. So that's something, but it needs to exist on a solid defensive base, not the quicksand defensive chaos it currently exists on.

 

[khmerblue]

I think our last two defeats are down to playing a centre half who is at most 60% fit.

 

[Drog]

3 things in that game for me:

1. Shocking defending - 3 very poor goals to concede. I'm sure coaches must say this, but you should put as much intensity into your work out of possession as you do in possession. Amen to that. Similarly when running the clock down it's as important for all to pass and move and play on their toes not their heels as it is when we are chasing a game. There's no intensity to our defending, no determined desire to win a tackle, win a header, get in position, get the right body shape, be physical with the opposition, foul them if needed. If you keep conceding 2-3 goals per game, you've no chance.
imo you have to set up not to lose before anything else and too many of our lot don't have a defensive bone in their body. Kicking off with more than any two of Markanday, Siggurdsson, Moran, Ennis and even Adam Wharton is foolish and asking for trouble. When the opposition have the ball we should have 10 defenders not 4!

2. Shocking refereeing - The last bit in my point above was about getting physical and fouling if needed, but why is it that other clubs always get leniency from refs doing this to us, but the second we do it back they're blowing their whistle and giving out cards like they've been given to an inmate of a lunatic asylum to play with. Some of our bookings yesterday were absolutely comical, not even fouls.
Poor Hyam picked up booking No1 when a player intentionally ran into him and this is why I cannot stand Referees who have quite obviously never kicked a ball in anger.

3. The JDT passing style is still there - I do still think the players are playing for him, because our slick passing in possession is still there. It created more than enough chances to win even playing away to a good, in-form side. So that's something, but it needs to exist on a solid defensive base, not the quicksand defensive chaos it currently exists on.
It is but he needs to tell his players that there is NO disgrace in leathering a ball into Row Z when the situation calls for safety first. WTF Hyam was doing last night when he gave it straight to an opponent on the edge of our box I cannot begin to guess. It's good playing out from the back but that sort of foolhardiness happens with us too often for my liking.