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Few things in football hurt more than your team conceding a late winner. But it really hurts when your team in question, Hull City, have played for the whole second half with only ten men, holding one of the best teams in Europe in the process. What a huge sickener Nicklas Bendtner’s injury-time goal was.
City battled and scrapped away well after an annoyingly docile opening 20 minutes, and were well worthy of a point in my book. It was terrific to see a 10-man Hull City side deny 11 Arsenal players for so long, but begs the question; why can’t we produce this level of performance against the poorer teams? (away from home in particular).
It’s really hard to say. Radio Humberside’s David Burns think it’s to do with nerves, and that the players struggle to play at their best against teams they are expected to achieve results against. I’m inclined to agree, but don’t think it’s as simple as that. Bullard’s absence hasn’t helped, for one other thing, but Phil Brown must also take the blame for insipid recent performances against the likes of West Ham, Blackburn, Wolves and Bolton.
Had we nicked just one win from these very winnable games, then we’d be looking down at Burnley and Wolves from a position of relative safety. It’s almost worst that we’ve taken points from Chelsea, Tottenham and Man City; you know the players can do it, but for whatever reason, they haven’t prospered against the poorer teams in the division.
Saturday’s performance had everything anyone can hope for from Phil Brown’s team – effort, honesty and a little bit of quality. City pushed Arsenal really close, and but for a couple of odd decisions from the referee and a semi-howler from Bo Myhill, would have held on for a richly deserved and valuable point.
Andre Marriner’s decision to not send off Sol Campbell angered and confused me in equal measure. Would Jan have got a shot away if Campbell hadn’t been there? Of course he would; so Campbell should have gone. I’m not big on blaming referees, and I thought Marriner had a decent game apart from that incident, but a red card would have totally changed the game and meant City would have had a real chance of winning.
But enough of refs. What of City? There were loads of positives, which although don’t provide points, offer hope we can secure a result at Fratton Park next weekend. Liam Cooper was excellent in replacing Zayatte in the second half, Bullard was influential in the midfield, and Mendy was excellent at right back.
The biggest plus was the continued form of Big Jan and Jozy Altidore. I thought Vennegoor of Hesselink was excellent, and Jozy again looked the part, especially in the second half when he went on one terrifically marauding run. They must be used together next week at Pompey, which looks to be almost a must-win game in view of Wolves’ victory at Burnley.
There’s a couple of questions left for me to answer in the comments, so I’ll do a Q+A this week, looking at the relegation run-in. It’s going to be tense – what are your thoughts on City’s situation?
Cheers,
TC
Comments
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Posted by Franny on 03/14/2010
Sol Campbell sending off angered you? The lack of a yellow card for Fagan for his thuggery in the first half bothered me. The fact that Boateng deserved 2 straight red cards bothered me. The fact that Bendtner got booked for being poked in the eye bothered me. The fact that Vinegar was offside bothered me.
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Posted by Hjörri on 03/14/2010
Sorry... but your gole came after the striker beeing offside by a mile. You never deserved to vin this game.
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Posted by Spike on 03/14/2010
Hahaha! Completely clueless analysis of the game.... I bet you are often confused judging by the rubbish you have spewed out here!
Why on earth should Sol have been given any sort of card, never mind a red one?
I hope Hull get relegated.
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Posted by Spike on 03/14/2010
And you thought the ref had a good game??? I am not surprised given the amount of fouls he let Hull get away with. And not a mention about the horrendous challenge by Boateng.
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Posted by Alan Skirton on 03/14/2010
So, you say if the Ref had done his job,Campbell would have been off.
Well, I say if the linesman and ref had done their job, Jan V of H would have been given offside.
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Posted by Andre Peltier on 03/14/2010
Were you as angered that the ref missed the obvious offsides before Campbell lightly touchedd him and he went to ground as you were by Campbell not getting sent off?
The reason Hull can't do that against the lesser teams is because those teams arer just as thuggish as Hull so playing an ankle kicking, ugly game will only produce occassional rersults against other ankle kicking, thuggish teams.
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Posted by Mick on 03/14/2010
What a load of old crap. Would Hesselink have go a shot in? No, because the ball was behind him and he was too interested of falling in front of Campbell at the time. The fact that he only got in behind Sol was that he was coming from a offside position seems to have got past you too. Marriner had a terrible game, booking Bentner for being poked in the eye, missing a headlock on Sagna and many other poor decisions but I wouldn't expect an honest write up from a person who supports a team that have Brown and Horton involved with them.
BRIAN WHY DID YOU LIE?????
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Posted by aj on 03/14/2010
Your analysis of the Campbell/JVofH incident is all cock-eyed. You claim that, if Campbell had not been there, JVofH would have scored! Of course he would have! Arsenal would have scored 50 goals if the Hull defenders hadn't been there! The defender is under no obligation to get out of an attackers way, to let him score. Match of the Day highlighted it very clearly. JVofH decided to concentrate on winning the penalty, so he left the ball to move in front of Campbell, making the collision inevitable, but in so doing, he let the ball get behind his head. There is no way that you could call that a clear goal-scoring opportunity. And all that ignores the clear fact that JVofH was offside and the play should have been stopped before that incident. At least Hull were given an undeserved penalty, which is more than the benefit afforded to Clichy, when his legs were taken from under him in the penalty area. Hull have a lot to thank Marriner for.
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Posted by irish gooner on 03/14/2010
hull deserved a point,your obviosly insane,just cause you pull drag kick eye gouge and dive dosent merit a point,it was never a pen and i cant remember almunia making any save whatsoever,phil brown is pathetic,hull will go down im sure of that now,and you know what,i cant bloody wait!!!!!!
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Posted by Hugo on 03/14/2010
What exactly do you class as the "honesty" you see from Phil Brown's team? (And I'm talking here simply about the team's play, not Tango man's proven history of lying about Arsenal) Is gauging someone's eye "honest"? Is putting your studs into someone's knee "honest"? It's a word that has come to sugar-coat over the top physicality and a lack of genuine talent and really isn't something worthy of praise.
And secondly, why are you angry that Campbell wasn't sent off, when play shouldn't have run that far in the first place? You can't complain that one decision was incorrect but dismiss the fact that the other decison was also wrong. Had the officials done their job properly there would never even have been a penalty, so stop complaining about the fact that there wasn't a red cad on top of that.
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Posted by PG on 03/14/2010
It explains that you are a Hull city person and see everything in amber colored glasses. Boateng should have seen red twice - thats how cynical his fowls were, but you fail to mention. Or maybe you do under the term "battling". Eye gouging and knee high tackle. Shameful really!!
Oh and VoH would have got the shot from the back of his head ? Look at the replays again - absolutely no control of the ball. Plus of course he was miles offside. But then dont let facts get in your way of a good story.
Hull for relegation this year. I hate brown and his cronies.
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Posted by Mannie on 03/14/2010
Good Article but hang on Jan Vanegoor of Hesselink was miles offside and should have been flagged for the initial offside. Secondly after poking bendtner in the eye and for a very high challenge Boateng should have been shown a straight red for the second challenge. If you want to be a great writter cut out the bias
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Posted by Steveo on 03/14/2010
Van H was offside, son. You know it, I know it, even the permatan whinger Brown knows it.. end of. Had he not have been it was a blatant dive anyway, running across a defender who could not get out of the way then dropping like a sack of sh&t. Sad. Anyway, you lost. Get over it.
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Posted by Adam on 03/14/2010
Effort-yes, Honesty-No, Quality-Very little. People are sent off for denying a clear goal-scoring opportunity. With the ball behind him I can't see that VofH was in such a position. When Fagen carries on like a street thug and your captain pokes players in the eye before trying to remove their knee, how is this honest? I won't even mention Dawson's "tackle" except to say that it has no place the modern game.
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Posted by Song is King on 03/14/2010
Dear Mr Tom Collins,
Didn't u see before Campbell brought down Jan, Jan was in offside position? The ref was good enough to award you a penalty. It angered and confused me too in equal measure. Don't blame the ref for not sending off Campbell. Blame yourself for not winning or at least taking a point of that game. Arsenal had much of this kind of things before but we still get on with it. Get real man. The ball is round and anything can happen.
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Posted by Pat on 03/15/2010
At the time contact was made, the ball was behind Hesselink. Red card? certainly not. Why don't you mention Hull scored from a penalty which shouldn't have been given since he was well offside.
AND, if that was a penalty, what say you of the challenge on Clichy in Hull's penalty box? you're lucky Clichy is the quiet type who doesn't complain, but there was more contact in that challenge than the one Campbell committed, or should I say, Hesselink forced him to commit by positioning himself so that he was fouled. We both know Hesselink played for it.
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Posted by Rich on 03/15/2010
Offside. To claim Campbell should have been sent off is plain crazy when the penalty award follows an offside. Offside given, Campbell stays on, Arsenal remain one up, what's the end result. Hard to see a goal coming apart from a set piece.
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Posted by Gooner on 03/15/2010
1st of all he was offside, and 2nd of all the ball was behind his head when Campbell made contact, so unless he's elastic man, you shouldnt listen to Jon 'lets get Campbell sent off' Champion and Phil Orange...sorry Brown.
As for Sol's beautiful and clean tackle on Zayate, he clearly won the ball and actually got kicked from Zayate, but because he doesnt roll around feigning injury no one sees that. I'm sure Champion is still going on about it now.
Count yourselves lucky Boateng didnt receive a straight red for that horrendous knee high tackle, and Fagan got away without a yellow after having Sagna in a headlock.
Enjoy the Championship...
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Posted by AndyE on 03/15/2010
You neglect to mention the fact that he was offside in the first place, there were two decent penaly shouts for the Gunners, and that VoH wasn't in control of the ball (it was behind his head) so it was never a goal-scoring opportunity.
Fair play though, it was a tough game
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Posted by Darshak Patel on 03/15/2010
Hull did give a good fight but I have to disagree on giving Sol a red card. When Sol and Hesselink collided or rather when Hesselink jumped towards Sol, the ball was actually behind him. According to the law, the ball needs to be infront of the attacking player for the defender to receive a red card. See the replays and you will notice what I am saying.
Dont forget Boatengs tackle was horrendous and FA really needs to step up for such tackles. All in all, it was Myhil's mistake that led to Arsenals winner.
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Posted by PSL on 03/15/2010
Odd you choose to mention the referees inability to show Sol the red card, though seemingly ignoring the fact that your player was offside.
Like you insipid manager and his "was'nt an offside coz the assistant didnt flag it". Well, going by the same logic, how come it was a red card when the ref didnt show one?
You guys are going down, make no mistake. And good riddance if you ask me.
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Posted by Jammathon on 03/15/2010
Yeah, sure V of H would have got a shot away. Scorpion style, as the ball was behind his head. Plus he was offside. I hear Division One is the perfect place for eye-gougers. Enjoy.
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Posted by Rick Jones on 03/15/2010
Vennegoor of Hesslink was offside, so there should n't have been a foul, nor a penalty. Watch the video. Otherwise, what you say is mostly true - perhaps Boateng shouldn't have poked his finger in Bendtner's eye, (isn't that a straight red?), and maybe Sol shouldn't have scythed your man down (even as an Arsenal supporter, it looked dangerous to me) - so all in all not a bad result. I don't like the idea of Hull City being relegated, and wish you good luck for the remainder of the season - AND all the best from California.
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Posted by O M on 03/15/2010
It seems a bit rich that you point out to a couple of 'odd' decisions without mentioning that Jan was clearly offside. Wasn't it odd that the linesman did not raise his flag? When Sol's tackle came in the ball was behind Jan's head, how could he have possibly got a shot away?
Did you not find it odd that Fagan put Sagna in a head lock in front of the linesman and did not receive a yellow? Wasn't it odd that Boateng received two yellows for two separate incidents each worthy of a red card?
Very odd indeed..
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Posted by Empress on 03/15/2010
Lol. Fail regarding Campbell. Long name man had no opportunity to score. The ball was behind his head when he went down. Thus not a "clear goal-scoring opportunity. Don't use the ref as an excuse.
Anyway good luck with the rest of the season.
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Posted by mickey on 03/15/2010
you seem to have conveniently forgotten that "Big Jan" was in an offside position to begin with & he played for a penalty instead of taking a shot. I think the ref immediately recognized his mistake but since he couldnt overturn the penalty he gave a yellow card instead.
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Posted by Rob on 03/15/2010
Sol Campbell should have been sent off? Idiot.
The ball was behind Jan's head...therefore it is not a clear opportunity and does not warrant a red card. This is also ignoring the fact that HE WAS OFFSIDE LOL! I love how you didn't mention that in your little rant.
I wouldn't mind Hull if they didnt have that knob of a manager...but that's life. Enjoy the championship matey!
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Posted by Brad in SoCal on 03/15/2010
Questions, actually:
When might the Aston Villa fixture be rescheduled?
When is Stephen Hunt expected to return?
Geo wasn't even in the squad on Saturday. What's up with him?
Looks like Portsmouth is the place where the away form must, absolutely must, improve.
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Posted by Sir Charles Charlie Charles on 03/15/2010
would vinegar strokes have been in a goal scoring position if the ref's asst had rightly flagged for offside? Nope, so he should not have even been allowed to have been in that position anyway. the debate over this penalty and possible sending off for campbell confuses and angers me in equal measure too. Play should have been stopped for an offside beforehand, so it evened out in the end...
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Posted by chandraraj on 03/15/2010
TC, if you are talking about the refree, then you should blame the assistant refree who fail to see that Vennegoor was off-side in the first place. So, it wasn't a penalty at all!
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Posted by Chambwe on 03/15/2010
Am guessing u ddnt he dat Jan was in an offside position wen da challenge 4rm Campbell hapend.
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Posted by philmatt24 on 03/15/2010
I think you've nailed it, Tom. This team is capable of achieving solid results against big teams - win and draw vs. Man City, one goal away loss and home draw vs Chelsea, home win over Everton, road draw vs. Tottenham, and this latest one goal game vs. Arsenal. And yet they have a 3-0 loss and a 3-3 draw vs. West Ham, home draws vs. Portsmouth and Wolves, and a draw at Wolves. These dropped points vs. teams in the relegation battle are what may send Hull down. Inconsistency is killer in all competitive sports. In American pro leagues, if you have the potential to play up to the level of top opponents, you can just squeak into the playoffs and then make a run. But in the EPL, the regular season is it for teams like Hull - and they're running out of chances to earn points and stay up. At this point, it looks like wins vs. Portsmouth, Wigan, and Burnley are essential, and at least a point vs. Fulham, Stoke, Sunderland, and perhaps Birmingham would be quite helpful as well.
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Posted by philmatt24 on 03/15/2010
Also, how do you think the sacking of Brown will affect their chances? He seems to have had some great successes (getting the team to the top flight, keeping them there, albeit at the last day, last season, the aforementioned results vs. quality opponents this season). And yet, he hasn't been able to muster winning efforts in the "six-point" games vs. the lower ranks.
Is the shake-up going to spark the players to find a way to stay up? Or is it going to create more turmoil at a time when they won't have time to recover?
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Posted by Mike on 03/15/2010
I'm a little deflated by today's news, guess you'll have to post again to update things.
But TC I really think the explanation for why we can't duplicate our Man City form against our relegation rivals is that teams like Arsenal used a 3-man midfield basically as do the likes of Chelsea and Man City I think. So our four or five can not only hold their own they can excel. But Pompey and Wolves don't play with three up front--we'd have better luck in my mind matching their 4-5-1 (Bolton H) than conceding the midfield possession battle.
I've seen the same thing for years with the USA national team. We can beat a Spain and look like worldbeaters against top teams. But when a team decides to sit back and be content with a 0-0 draw and make us come at them, we don't have the class up front to surgically pick apart a goony back nine, and we get throttled by the likes of a Poland or a Slovakia. I think the same thing happens to City. It's hard to counterattack the counterattackers.
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Posted by TC on 03/15/2010
Wooo you Arsenalses get a bit stroppy don't you when we don't all roll over like Porto. Get over yourselves, and stop being petty whingeing babies like your manager and players. It's embarrassing.
Why am I going to moan about Arsenal's injustices? I don't know if you've noticed but this is a HULL CITY blog? I'm a Hull City fan, and write as one. If you don't agree then tough, but keep your comments clean. I offer honest opinions, not abuse, so if you gooners could do the same i'd be very grateful.
Yes, JVoH was offside, but Campbell should still have walked once the pen was given. Boateng's foul was an honest mistake, he pulled out of the challenge once he saw Sanga there, but he was deservedly booked again and sent off. Dawson's was late, and a yellow card, which he received. I fail to see what you're moaning about.
Some Arsenal fans really need to get over their obsession with Hull City. You just can't let last season's glorious victory at the Emirates slide can you? GET OVER IT
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Posted by Gooner on 03/16/2010
Haha who's being petty and whingeing about decisions you never got and rightly didnt get?!
My favourite is Boateng's foul was 'an honest mistake' LOL...how naive.
Soon enough back down to where you belong...oh, and how sweet it was that it was us who got Phil Orange the sack!! hahaha
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Posted by AndyE on 03/16/2010
Just because it is a Hull City blog doesn't mean it has to be myopic.
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Posted by Paul on 03/16/2010
TC I can't go with you in saying Vennegoor of Hesselink was excellent. His inability to stay onside in simple situations really hurt Hull's momentum. As you probably know he was even offside on the play where he was fouled in the box so the goal was a bit of good fortune. I hope with the new manager we will see Ghilas (is he still on the team?) or a resurrected Geovanni paired with Jozy. Does anyone remember the Bolton game?
And I for one can never figure how sports will go. If Mendy played all year like he played against the Gunners I do not think that Hull would be facing relegation. I think it could have made the difference in 2 or 3 results consistently having that kind of play from a fullback.
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Posted by Steveo on 03/16/2010
Ok. Thanks for that admission that it was offside but you got a penalty anyway and still wanted a carding for Sol. Why we Gooners don't like you is because you are a team of cloggers lacking in skill and a bit dirty and cynical. And your half-wit ex-manager is a two faced liar who's been found out. Anyway, you've had your moment in the sun, such as it ways, so get back down where you belong now with the other kick and rush boot boys.
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Posted by SteveS on 03/27/2010
Hull City fan since the mid 60s here, watched Waggy and Chillo as a kid, now live in the States....Geez, it's Arsenal's God given right to be in the top four every year, what with being in London and having a larger fan base, more money and a far better manager and team while Hull have to scrap for every measly point with lesser money and players. Yup, JVH was offside, never should have been a penalty, and yes, Hull are not even close to being as good as Arsenal. Arsenal are a great team. However, you all come across as snotty nosed London elite looking down your nose at anything that moves outside of London. If Hull stay up, and it appears unlikely coz our defense really stinks, but if Hull stay up, the few pints we have at the end of the season to celebrate will go down much better than any pint served near the Emirates.
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About
Welcome to my new blog. I've been watching Hull City for over ten years now, and have seen the club rise from a lower league laughing stock, locked out of their own ground, to Premier League upstarts turning over Arsenal at the Emirates. Hopefully you'll find my views on the Tigers interesting, so feel free to join the debate. Come on you Hull! |
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