City know time is running out to solve their season-long problem
Patson Daka and Ivor Pandur collide at the King Power Stadium(Image: Plumb Images/Leicester City FC via Getty Images)
Dean Holden has issued a defiant message, saying Hull City will keep fighting until the end after slipping out of the play-offs for the first time in four months.
Tuesday night’s thrilling 2-2 draw may have been viewed as a good result earlier in the season, but after leading at half-time, City found themselves 2-1 down before Oli McBurnie earned a point.
Their second straight draw and fourth in five games, coupled with Wrexham’s 1-0 win at Oxford United, sees City slip to seventh with only two games to go.
The Tigers go to Holden’s former club, Charlton Athletic, on Saturday, with Wrexham at Coventry City 24 hours later as both clubs sit locked on 70 points.
Holden has, however, acknowledged that City’s inability to keep clean sheets, coupled with not killing teams off when they’re in front, has again proved their downfall.
“We’ve proved all season that the boys will keep fighting till the end. I think what’s hurting us at the moment is both boxes really, it’s really as simple as that, that’s something we’ve gotta (fix),
“Although there’s only two games to go, we’ve got to keep working, keep improving on that, it’s been a downfall for us if we want to use that word most of the season in terms of defensively, we’ve conceded too many goals and again tonight.
“The message has to be that we’ve just got to regroup, and Everybody’s talking about the league table and where we are and where we’re not, and I don’t think that matters. I’ll be honest with you because we’ve got to go and win the game on Saturday anyway, irrespective of what side of the line we’re on.”
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Defensively, City have struggled all season, with them often falling asleep and allowing themselves to concede frustratingly poor goals at key times, something Holden says has to improve, and quickly.
“It always comes down to the way that we defend as a team. We’re a team that gets through the pitch quickly, that can spring defence into attack. We demand a lot from our midfielders, from our full-backs to get forward and equally, without the ball, we put just as many responsibilities on the forward players as well.
“Ultimately, we need to stop conceding as many crosses as we are into our box; we need to try and stop at the source, a bit better, and the box defending’s gotta improve, it’s as simple as that.”
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