FAN’S VIEW: 2025/26 – HULL AWAY

HULL CITY 3 OXFORD UNITED 2

So, with two games gone we’re pointless. A handful on social media among us seem to have already written the team off with 44 league games to go. I really do despair.

That said I’m far from impressed with our start. We’ve lost both by just one goal so it’s not as if we’re miles off, but whilst after some reflection following the Pompey game I talked myself into thinking we just about deserved a point, I can do no such thing here.

The stats speak loudly. We only had 25.2% possession. Our xG was 0.78 compared to the hosts’ 1.98. We had 15 touches in their box. They had 39 in ours. Our passing accuracy was just 64.2%. Hull’s was 88.1%. They did though only have one more shot on target than we did: 7-6.

There are probably some flaws in this data but the general picture isn’t misleading.

Neither defence looked up to scratch, particularly in the first half. In a back four our pairing of Elliott Moore and Michal Helik in the centre does not sit comfortably. Neither is suited to playing on the left. For all that Greg Leigh, one of the fans’ favourites, brings to the team there are at times questions over his defending at this level. Jack Currie is highly thought of and is a clear rival for the left-back/left wing-back berth but he made a terrible error in the few minutes he was on, giving the ball away when that was obviously the last thing we needed to do.

It is to be expected – and accepted – that home sides at this level will have the ball more than we do and to a large extent control the game. But I’d also expect there to be a few periods, however brief, when we are able to keep the ball and do a bit of the dictating. There was none of that here. The Cameron Brannagan/Will Vaulks combination doesn’t deliver on that front nor, let’s be honest, does it bring Championship level creativity “in and around” (need to get a footballing cliché in) the centre circle. The opposition always seem to have bodies in these areas and we don’t.

Brian De Keersmaecker’s battling qualities will strengthen us here when fit. We didn’t get him for him not to play when available. I can’t envisage him and Vaulks being in the team together but our no. 4’s long throws are one of our most potent weapons. Getting the ball into the penalty areas from these, corners and free-kicks is the only way that we really look like scoring. Defenders struggle against this and as often as not can’t clear the ball effectively. We’ve got big men who can cause damage and it all becomes about winning that second ball.

It’s down to Gary Rowett to solve all this and come up with solutions with his team selections. I don’t envy him. Fair play that he changed it at half time, bringing on Sam Long and going to a back 5 (or is that 3?). It was so much more comfortable with Moore in the middle and Helik to his right. Long, who looks out of place when he has had to play at left-back, slotted in fine as a left sided centre half.

The player remaining in the dressing room to accommodate Long was Mark Harris. Our Welshman was not having a good game. No point pretending otherwise, although the criticism from the guys sitting behind us may have been OTT. I can understand the frustration though. “He’s not a Championship player” was one comment and on this display there’s no counter argument.

I think even his biggest fan would concede that if we had everyone fit (never going to happen) Sparky would not be a starter.

It’s not just him I was very disappointed in. Tyler Goodrham didn’t do a lot but his replacement, Siriki Dembele, frustrates me so much. Runs into trouble, doesn’t pass when the pass is on and gets knocked off the ball way too easily.  Yes, he is capable of going past three or four opponents and scoring a wonder goal but that’s once in a blue moon. I want more of a team player. I’d rather have a 7 out of 10 man week in week out than someone who will mostly be a 5 or 6 with the very occasional 8 or 9.

Tom Bradshaw came on for Will Lankshear and had over 20 minutes playing time. Sadly, I can’t see that he’s bringing anything to the party.

It’s not all negative from me though. I was happy with the performances of Lankshear and Stan Mills, although on one occasion I thought Mills should have gone haring down the wing instead of coming inside and just running at a right angle causing no concern to the Tigers’ defensive set up. These two lads have some physical presence.

Other positives have to be that we’ve got so many on the injury list that surely will make us better when they get match fit. All clubs will say this applies to them but I doubt few such lists this early in the season are as long as ours.

Ciaron Brown – Proven. A big miss. Can’t find an update since 30 July when the Oxford Mail reported a ‘minor setback’ in his recovery from a knee ligament injury suffered at the back end of last season.

Nik Prelec – Loan signing announced on 2 August. Hopefully a big strong centre-forward who can do it in the Championship and ensure that this season’s leading scorer will register more goals than last season’s. Been told he’s not match fit. Heard nothing as to how close he is to achieving the required level. Not even been on the bench yet. Proof of the pudding as ever.

Ole Romeny – Spent a lot of money on him. Crocked in Indonesia and out for a long time. Can’t say he’ll be missed because he’s not done it for us yet. 

Przemyslaw Placheta – Just over a week ago we were informed that he was struggling with back and hamstring problems. He was okay last season but for me never set the world alight. I’m hoping for better his time around. But when?

Luke Harris – Loan signing.  Over a fortnight ago Rowett told us “He’s not going to be back any time soon”. Did he already have his ankle injury when we got him? If so, bloody madness getting him I’d say. We need bodies now.

Perhaps I need to revise my assertion that we have a stronger squad for 25/26 than we did in 24/25.

I may also need to do a u turn regarding Hull being a club in trouble and scrub their name out as a team likely to finish below us. In the summer they signed Ollie McBurnie on a free and also again got Joe Geldhart on loan from Leeds. Both definite assets along with John Lundstram from Trabzonspor, also on loan. Additionally, they’ve paid £2.9m for Gustavo Puerta from Bayer Leverkusen but we didn’t see him.

It is rather annoying for us visitors but Hull know how to set things up to give themselves an advantage. To some they may be just little things but I think they can make a difference. Marginal gains and all that. Like many clubs they have their fans located behind both goals. We were in the corner, if there can be such a thing in an oval shaped stadium. I recall they did not put our team up on the scoreboard before kick-off, only their own. What really struck me though was the music blaring out. Way too loud and intrusive for an oldie like me. As the teams were lining up for the start “Only Fools Rush In” was coming out of the speakers at max volume. The sound was only cut a second before kick-off but the crowd had been swept along with it all and continued the song in very loud fashion. Their team drove forward with purpose and in the second minute we’d buckled.

The move started with their keeper, Ivor Pandur, playing out from the back. We’d not pressed from the front to make his pass difficult. It couldn’t have been easier. The next pass was down the wing and when it was moved on again, I thought Brannagan’s effort to cut it out should have been better. Geldhart was unmarked out wide and, when the ball got to him, he ran at Moore who just backed off and made it easy. Jamie Cumming was beaten at his near post. Collectively and individually way below the standard of defending required in tier 2, but I’m not forgetting what these players did for our club (their club) last season with their contributions in keeping us where we are today.

One thing that can be said is that whatever the setback we don’t let our heads go down and so never totally collapse.

A magnificent block from Leigh prevented us going two down and just seven minutes after going behind we levelled. We’d thrown men forward so must have had a set piece of some sort. Will Vaulks played a ball into the box which lacked quality but poor defending meant he got it back. He moved it on first time to Brodie Spencer who immediately fed Mills. Goodrham won his cross from the by-line. After using his head, he hooked the ball back over his shoulder into the danger zone where Lankshear emphatically volleyed into the back of the net. This was good football.  If only we were able to produce moments like this more often we’d be fine.

Behind again though in the 20^th minute and the goal coming down the same side although this time somewhat more central. A long ball from our ex-player Jon Lundstram was gathered by Cody Drameh. After receiving the ball Gelhardt ran with it then played it to McBurnie whose first time touch gave it to Matt Crooks who we had failed to mark despite having enough men back to have done so. Crooks finished well.  Again, I think Brannagan could have done better but he was soon to make amends.

We equalised marginally quicker second time around. A typical mid 2020’s OUFC goal coming from a Vaulks long throw. Moore’s head flicked it upwards from the angle of the six-yard box. Helik set more about making it difficult for the defender to head away cleanly than win the ball himself. The clearance only made it to the D where Brannagan volleyed goalwards. Pandur got his hands to it but couldn’t keep it out.

At 2-2 with just 26 minutes having elapsed and with both defences appearing anything but watertight the expectation was that the goals would continue to flow. More likely them to register than us I thought, but with the score remaining as it was as the clock ticked on to 90 minutes, I began to have genuine belief that we were just about on for a point, deserved or otherwise. If we’d got it this would have been categorised as a battling performance with the team having done well in coming from behind twice.

However, when Hull got away down the left in the third minute of added time, I suddenly feared the worst once more. Ryan Giles, a £5m signing a year ago, was unmarked when he received the ball. This would not be a problem if we had solid defensive shape, comprising of fit personnel, between him and our goal making it difficult to breach our ranks but we looked leggy whilst they looked to have the greater energy. Giles found substitute Abu Kamara down the line and Spencer was too slow in going with the Hull no.3, who got the ball back, ran into the penalty area and cut it back to McBurnie, who controlled well, turned and scored. Moore was not tight enough on the scorer. As our captain ran back, he kept looking over his shoulder to see where McBurnie was but when the Hull man stopped to create the space that allowed him to score, Moore didn’t. I also thought Helik got too close to Kamara making it easier for him to play the ball back to Giles. Again, lots of mistakes which added together equals a goal conceded and a point lost.

In the last couple of minutes, we did give it a go.  We got men and the ball into their box, but despite a scramble or two this time there wasn’t long enough remaining to get back on terms for a third time.

On paper our next game, away at Birmingham, is a harder one than this.

On the bright side, even though we’re pointless, we’re not in the bottom three. Those places are occupied by teams with a worse goal difference than ours. They’re all on minus four.

Joint bottom are the two Sheffield clubs. It’s understandable that Wednesday are there but very surprising that they are joined by their city rivals. Derby are in 22^nd position.  We finished above them last season. Blackburn are also below us having only scored one goal to our two.

One other team is without a point. That’s Wrexham, but they face Wednesday at home on Saturday so that’s very unlikely to remain the case.

Couple of other points before I sign off.

This game took place on Sunday because Hull FC (Rugby League) had a home game on Saturday at the MKM Stadium which they share with the football club. Seems they get priority so it’s not just Sky that bugger us about.

Actually, in this instance I wasn’t buggered about at all. Quite the opposite. We made a long weekend of it, leaving on Friday and returning on Monday. Premier Inn Doncaster Lakeside on Friday night which is within a stone’s throw of Rovers Keepmoat stadium. The following day they drew there 1-1 against Wycombe. At the time I was a couple of miles down the road losing money at the races. Another course ticked off.

Another Premier Inn on Saturday, Hull West, which is actually just outside Hessle, before heading into Hull itself on Sunday for the main reason we were up north. Breakfast, well brunch, in Santi’s then two doors away to the Pave for a couple of pints before the match. I’m embarrassingly forced to say that the rhubard flavoured cider, although quite a bit more expensive, was equally as good as the beer. This area of Hull seems quite a trendy area. I like it.

The Pave has no soft furnishings and the sound from the clientele takes over making it at times hard to hold a conversation even with the person sat next to you. It goes without saying it became full of Hull supporters with only a small handful of yellows on the premises.

Given the result at Cherwell District Council on Thursday evening I thought there would be an extra buoyancy to the mood of us travellers. There wasn’t.

I sat through all four plus hours of the live stream of the Planning Committee meeting and had intended to include comment on it in this FV but given that it would delay publication still further I’m not going to. I still may hit the keyboard on this topic though, hoping it won’t be too historical by the time I get round to doing so.

On to St Andrews then.  What a test that will be. Keep the faith.