City’s play-off push has hit the buffers in recent weeks
Hull City’s recent slump sees them winless in their last three home league games(Image: PA Wire/PA Images)
Let’s be honest, expectations at Hull City in recent weeks have shot through the roof. Talk of promotion was bordering on a pinch yourself moment.
At the start of a run of four straight home games in the league, five if you include the FA Cup game with Chelsea, there was huge optimism, especially given they’d won four on the trot coming into it.
City were set to face a Watford side in poor form, where their manager had just left. They were then taking on a Bristol City outfit pumped 5-0 at home by Derby County in their last game, and had seen their best winger leave for Ipswich Town in January, and their second-best one move to the MKM Stadium.
Then there was QPR. Beaten 3-1 at home by Blackburn Rovers the week before, and with just one away win in 10 games prior to their trip to East Yorkshire.
Football, though, has a habit of biting you on the backside and bringing you kicking and screaming back down to earth with an almighty bump.
And that’s been the case. City were awful against Watford and escaped with a goalless draw. Despite taking the lead against Bristol City, they found themselves 3-1 down and though there was late hope, a 3-2 defeat was their punishment for another tepid display.
Admittedly, Chelsea were good, but they were helped by yet more schoolboy defending from City, and that finished 4-0. No massive issue, rather just a mild annoyance. Full focus on resting key players for QPR.
QPR then arrive and get given a freebie after 20 minutes. Joe Gelhardt recovers it, and the game is level at half-time. A big home crowd were expecting a side with aspirations of winning promotion to go on and deliver a performance in the second half. Instead, Sergej Jakirovic’s men crumbled. Wilting under the expectation, producing errors we’ve not seen too often this season, but so often last.
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Three games in the league. Three games without a win against opposition with their own issues. Christmas had come late to those three visitors, all given three points without ever needing to break a sweat.
It’s probably a relief to everyone that after Tuesday night’s visit from Derby County, the Tigers are on the road for trips to Portsmouth and Ipswich Town.
City have enjoyed playing away far more than at home in recent seasons, and for now, it feels like that could be the case again, for the time being at least.
For many, this is the slump they expected. There will be those who say the Tigers’ wheels have come off, that this is the point where they fall away and finish in mid-table. Their flirt with the top six over in February and dreams crushed before the clocks have sprung forward.
This, however, is not the time to panic. It’s taken until now for the Tigers to have a genuine blip. We’re coming to the end of February, and this is the first time this season they’ve produced stuff like this.
Everyone has their dodgy spell, and it would appear this is their time. The acid test of any dressing room is how you respond to setbacks. We’ve all been told how good that dressing room is, how the characters are key.
Now is the time to show it. Backs against the wall, questions being asked, and a six-pointer up next. Lewie Coyle and his players must come out fighting, prove that this is just a blip and not terminal.
There’s still a long, long way to go. A myriad of twists and turns to follow. City are in a fabulous position. Yes, their last three home games have been rubbish. One point from nine is dreadful. It is, however, the Championship summed up. A notoriously harsh mistress, and one you can never take for granted.
City must not feel sorry for itself. There’s a huge game to come on Tuesday night, and it’s an opportunity not to be passed up. The horse needs to be ridden again, and they must take the reins.
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