Hull City’s away form is really becoming a concern. In Sunday’s game at Everton, the Tigers started quite well, before capitulating worryingly in a second-half performance that had all the hallmarks of a relegation-bound team. There was no quality, urgency, or most worryingly of all for me, fight on display, as Everton overwhelmed City’s midfield and scored three goals in the second period.

Goodison Park is never an easy place to go, and few were predicting City could get anything from this encounter. But we expect a better shift being put in from the starting XI than was on show yesterday, particularly after the horror show at Upton Park.

At least the display was an improvement on that, and City carried a reasonable goal threat at times. The goal by Tom Cairney was a terrific finish and a rare bright spot in the game. Phil Brown will be very keen to sign the 19-year-old up to a longer-term deal, and rightly so.

Brown is fielding a lot of criticism on the messageboards, a little unfairly in my point of view. His side are struggling down the home straight, but I thought yesterday’s result was more down to attitude and will from his players more than selection or tactics. I was quite happy with the starting XI yesterday, and many are keen to be wise after the event. I won’t be one of them.

The stats make for unpleasant reading, and we get force-fed them every day by the pundits, so I’m not going to labour the point, but I still maintain we need at least one away win to stay up. Yesterday’s result hasn’t relegated us by any stretch, it’s still very much up for grabs, but of the olther two we’re really fighting with now, Wolves still look to be coming forward, Rocky-style in the championship rounds. Burnley and ourselves, particularly away from home, look like we’ve gone 12 rounds with a prime Mike Tyson. Maybe the knockout blow isn’t far away.

What do you think? Are we destined to go down this season?
Cheers,
TC