Hull City’s summer of optimism and European adventure has given way to shambolic defeats and a relegation struggle amidst a growing injury crisis.

Overview

Back in August, QPR were still managed by Harry Redknapp, with Rio Ferdinand apparently the rock upon which the whole season would be built at the heart of a back three formation. Nobody knew if Charlie Austin would make the step up, and Sandro was still troubling the Tottenham medics rather than the staff at the Harlington training ground.

Hull were a club Rangers would like to emulate. Their first season back in the Premier League had seen them avoid relegation with something to spare, and reach an FA Cup final they were unlucky to lose having led 2-0 against Arsenal at Wembley. They had players apparently on the cusp of England call ups and could look forward to a first ever European campaign in the history of the club. An inspirational example for Championship clubs heading up a level in trepidation.

Not only that, but the transfer activity manager Steve Bruce conducted on the back of the success was rated among the best outside the usual title chasers. Michael Dawson, Spurs captain, to shore up the defence; Hatem Ben Arfa, surely only being kept from the Newcastle team by Alan Pardew's ego; Robert Snodgrass, Player of the Year the previous season at relegated Norwich; Abel Hernandez, a striker fresh from the World Cup with Uruguay; Mo Diame, the big, powerful, influential midfielder from West Ham; Tom Ince, finally handed his Premier League chance, and Gaston Ramirez on loan from Southampton. QPR fans weren't the only ones casting envious glances. This all looked shrewd.

You'd scarcely believe that now to look at them. A recent 3-0 home defeat by Newcastle — themselves no great shakes this season — was about as poor a display as you'll see from a home team at this level. Hull have won only five of their 25 games this season, just three of their 12 home games. Relegation remains a distinct possibility. This time they were dumped out of the League Cup by West Brom and FA Cup by Arsenal at the first hurdles. The European adventure lasted two ties and only until the end of August when they were beaten over two legs by mighty Lokeren.

There have been injuries — bad ones, to key players. Robert Snodgrass set the tone, dislocating his knee at QPR on day one, and he hasn't played since. Nikica Jelavic has been sidelined, leaving them light in attack. Mo Diame is only just feeling his way back now having not played since December 3.

But at the same time, players who starred last season have regressed alarmingly. Tom Huddlestone and Curtis Davies are the prime examples — backbone of the Hull team and tipped for England honours last season, massively under par this. Neither Allan McGregor nor Steve Harper have been able to stem a worrying trend for poor goalkeeping mistakes leading to costly goals. Andrew Robertson, a summer signing from Dundee Utd, has been a big hit, but even he was torn asunder by Newcastle recently.

Bruce's acclaimed summer transfer business has largely lumbered the club with expensive duds. Ben Arfa has already been moved on using heavy lifting equipment, Snodgrass and Diame have been sidelined for long periods, Ramirez has been average and Hernandez, after scoring three in his first six, hasn't managed another in 11 appearances so far. Tom Ince is now out on loan at Derby . Hull have struggled to score goals, and have leaked like a rusty bucket.

A 2-0 win against Aston Villa following a 1-1 draw that could easily have been a win at Man City has eased pressure — Dame N'Doye scoring on his debut against Villa after being signed to solve the scoring problem on deadline day from Lokomotiv Moscow. Mike Phelan's arrival as assistant manager has coincided with four points from two matches.

Just as well, because Hull City know more than most the consequences of spending big to stay in the Premier League and not succeeding — don't mention just what an incredible Bantersauras Rex Jimmy Bullard is too loudly round these parts. Chairman Assem Allam will be hoping a revival takes hold as well, not only for the money he's got riding on it but because he failed to accumulate much good-will during the good times and will find this crowd turn on him pretty quickly if the whole thing turns to financial Armageddon all over again.

Outside the city, it’s the chairman’s quest to rename the club Hull Tigers which has caught the attention. Allam, bizarrely, claimed initially this was because it was “shorter”, which can of course be disproved mathematically, and equally improbably that a change of name would help the club grow its fan base and merchandise sales in Asia where presumably hundreds of thousands of people are waiting, credit cards in hand, itching to get involved with an English team if only one of them was named after a tiger or a snow leopard or something. Allam, classily, said a pressure group formed by supporters called City Till We Die could “die whenever they want”.

In a rare show of solidarity with the supporters who turn up and pay money to watch the product every week, against the wishes of some rich foreign investor, the Football Association rejected Hull ’s name change application. An appeal against that decision is due to report back shortly. Allam says he will sell the club if his demands are refused. It's his bat, and his ball, and he's going home if he doesn't get his own way. Enormous child.

This has been tolerated, rather than accepted, and the support base is split more than it should be on a black and white issue because Allam is seen as a saviour who should be placated.

But it's not only the name change on Allam's form list.

Allam’s ownership of Hull City comes with a position at the head of the stadium management group which is in charge of the KC Stadium — built a decade ago using proceeds from the privatisation of the city’s previously publicly owned telephone and internet firm Kingston Communications. Allam would like to own the stadium outright, and would like the council to sell it to him for a nominal fee. He says that’s so Hull can invest in extending their own home. A cynic/realist would suggest it’s got more to do with the huge patch of waste ground currently used as a car park behind the away end which Allam, out of the kindness of his heart of course, would like to turn into a sports village and retail park. When the council reject these proposals Allam tends to go and stand outside the city in a field somewhere near Melton in the middle of buttfuck nowhere clutching blueprints to his plan for a new stadium for Hull City and have the Hull Daily Mail come down and take photographs.

Since being refused permission to buy the stadium he's become antagonistic towards Hull FC, the rugby league club which shares the stadium under a very favourable rental agreement signed at the time of its construction. Last summer they had to switch fixtures and were unable to play a home match for two months while the pitch was re-laid. When they returned they found it had been shortened to such an extent they now have to pinch yardage in the middle of the field to get it somewhere close to regulation Super League size. Last season they turned up to a game to find that the in goal area had been ruined by a squash court placed there so the stadium could host the sport’s world championships in front of absolutely nobody at all. Allam also ordered the removal of all Hull FC memorabilia from the stadium walls, including the picture of Johnny Whiteley from the Johnny Whiteley suite, unless Hull FC agreed to pay a five figure sum to have them there on top of their rent. His argument was Hull City paid for theirs, but given he owns Hull City and the SMC that's rather like passing money from his right hand to his left hand.

The SMC has quoted Hull FC such extortionate rates to play friendly games at the stadium that Richard Whiting — a utility back of ten years standing at the club — had to stage his testimonial match at Featherstone Rovers last winter. This off season Gareth Ellis, one of the finest English players of his generation, also had to play his testimonial away from his home ground - at Wakefield . Hull FC were informed a fortnight before the start of the season that the SMC would not man the turnstiles at their games this season, meaning supporters couldn't pay on the door in a sport where 95% of the attendees do exactly that. Hastily arranged kiosks and tables have had to be erected to sell tickets in the car parks. Once inside, the Hull FC fans have found their beer price has gone up to £4.20 a pint, while Hull City's has stayed the same — a fan going to the rugby on Friday will pay more for the same pint from the same pump than he would the following day at the football.

And again, the majority of City fans are happy to go along with all of this. A good number of them have no time for the rugby club, and vice versa. A good number of them would like Allam to own the stadium, as he's promised to extend it beyond its current 25,000 capacity if he did. Some of them would even go along with the Tigers nonsense, because they perceive the club and its precious Premier League status is entirely dependent on the continued backing and presence of the owner.

But if they were to get relegated and fail to get back, then Allam may well find burning off all that good-will and putting that many backs up when he should have been riding around on the shoulders of the jubilant people of Hull wasn't such a smart idea after all. Big few months ahead.

Scout Report

Newcastle recognised this and targeted it successfully. Hull played Gaston Ramirez as a left winger, but he was clearly detailed to move infield and join Jelavic and Hernandez in the attack as a third striker almost in a free role, leaving Robertson to bomb forward from left back into the space created. Newcastle were wise to it, and used Remy Cabella wide on the right to revel in the space left behind when Robertson went forward. It meant that every changeover of possession was dangerous for Hull - when they gave it away as Newcastle looked quickly for Cabella in that space and found him effectively.

Two games ago, you’d never have guessed that Matt Phillips could be the key to QPR success, but the right winger showed in the second half against Southampton and the first against Sunderland that if he keeps his game simple and focuses on running at full backs and delivering crosses he can be an effective player for QPR. At the Stadium of Light Sunderland had Patrick Van Aanholt, a similar left back to Robertson in that his instinct is to attack more than defend, and Phillips gave him a torrid night. He could be key here.

It’s these wide areas where QPR can have success. Bobby Zamora will lose in a physical battle with Michael Dawson and Curtis Davies and there’s been no real hint so far, for all his success this year, that Charlie Austin has the physical hold up and lay game to play as a lone striker in a team that is looking to punt the ball up to a player who can maintain possession while others catch up. He will however thrive attacking well delivered crosses from wide — something Harry Redknapp’s QPR constantly failed to utilise.

I expect QPR to play a five man midfield with two out and out wingers — Phillips and whoever fancies bringing their boots and playing wide left. By maintaining possession high up the field, as they did at the Stadium of Light, QPR can both make up for the lack of hold up game in attack, and the lack of pace in the side overall. By feeding it wide early, they can then expose the areas where Hull are vulnerable and service Austin in much the same way they did Leroy Fer in the last away match.

Injuries mean right back will be an issue — Mauricio Isla and Nedum Onuoha are both out. Karl Henry has played there before for Wolves and Stoke and can do so again, creating a space in the middle of midfield. Michael Doughty fill your boots? Either way, the midfield’s job should be a simple one of hard work and feeding the ball wide early.

Links >>> Hull City official website >>> Hull Daily Mail sport section >>> City Independent site and forum >>> Hull City Mad site and forum >>> Not 606 Hull forum >>> Vital Hull site and form >>> Amber Nectar Blog

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timcocking added 02:33 - Feb 20 Doughty was (ok, admittedly 10 minutes not really long enough to judge) excellent in his cameo. Completed every single pass, showed some skill and composure, made two good tackles (more than people make all game nowadays) and blocked one on the line. Get in there Micheal!
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QPRski added 13:11 - Feb 20 Excellent scout or tactical report. I will watch on my "web stream" with interest to see how our actual tactical plan develops.
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TacticalR added 18:10 - Feb 20 Thanks for your oppo report. It's an unfortunate fact that any team outside the top six or seven clubs in the Premiership can have a bad season and face the risk of relegation, and that's quite aside from the objectionable behaviour of any particular owner. It sounds as if Hull are in as big a mess as us, even if Phelan has improved things recently. Let's hope we get the pre-Phelan Hull.

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