Match Preview: Hull City AFC vs. Derby County
Monday, 13th Sep 2010 23:35 by Mick McDermott

Derby County endeavour to get their season back on track by visiting the club where ex-Rams director Adam Pearson swapped a relegation-haunted club in the Midlands for another one on Humberside.

Hull City AFC vs. Derby County

The KC Stadium, Kingston-Upon-Hull

The npower Championship

Tuesday, 14th September 2010, 7:45pm

Hull City vs. Derby County – Historical:

P 23 W 3 D 10 L 10 F 21 A 39

Last game at The KC:

12 August 2006: Hull City 1 – 2 Derby County (Oakley, Smith)

Hull City: 18/24 P 5 W 1 D 1 L 3 F 3 A 11

Leading scorers - Hull: Ashbee, Barmby, Bostock, Cullen (1)

Derby County: 17/24 P 5 W 1 D 1 L 3 F 6 A 8

Leading scorers - Derby: Commons (2)

The Rams:

To boo or not to boo? Personally, I would never boo. It's not productive and doesn't do anything to inspire confidence among the players - it probably makes a bad situation worse. Fans, however, pay to go to the game to be entertained and they are perfectly at liberty to vent their frustrations if they so desire.

Against the Blunts we were utterly toothless and all of the good form of recent weeks went out of the window. You have to ask the question; why were we playing a formation that required a big target man up front when we didn't have one?

As poorly as we played, we might have snatched a draw or even a win if we'd had a target man up front, instead of Kris Commons (whose best chance was about six inches above his head) or if it had been a striker instead of midfielder Paul Green glancing wide.

Clearly Rob Hulse would not have been fit for the game as he's still on QPR's treatment table - but why hasn't he been replaced until today? There's always the paper talk about 2-3 signings by the weekend, but we've been crying out for a replacement for Hulse for 3 games now.

I know we have to cut our cloth according to our means - and fair play to the board for taking that course - but a striker who can score goals is a prerequisite of any football team - we have to pay what they cost.

There seems to be a complacency around Pride Park Stadium that if we just tread water, eventually things will go right for us. That's a dangerous attitude and one that could see us relegated.

Nigel Clough had plenty of time to get it right at Burton; the Brewers had only low expectations. Our crowd does not. Many of us have seen League Championship-winning sides and anger at the lacklustre displays is beginning to mount.

The Hull game should see the debut of loan (and lone) striker Shefki Kuqi. He's scored enough against us, so hopefully he can give a few back. To be honest he's probably the right sort of striker for the formation, even though he is years older than Hulse. I doubt he's part of a long-term plan but he does give us some options up front.

Probable Team:

Bywater

Brayford Leacock Barker Roberts

Bailey Savage

Cywka Green Commons

Kuqi

Subs – Deeney, Moxey, Buxton, Bueno, Pringle, Martin, Doyle

Current Squad:

No. Position Player

1 Keeper Stephen Bywater

2 Defender John Brayford

3 Defender Gareth Roberts

4 Midfield Paul Green

5 Defender Shaun Barker (vice-captain)

6 Defender Dean Leacock

7 Striker Steve Davies Injured

8 Midfield Robbie Savage (captain)

9 Striker Shefki Kuqi (on loan from Swansea City)

10 Midfield Kris Commons

11 Midfield Stephen Pearson Injured

12 Striker Chris Porter Injured

13 Keeper Saul Deeney

14 Defender Russell Anderson Injured

15 Midfield David Martin

16 Midfield James Bailey

17 Defender Jake Buxton

18 Midfield Ben Pringle

19 Striker Tomasz Cywka

20 Defender Miles Addison Injured

21 Defender Dean Moxey

23 Striker Conor Doyle

25 Defender Mark O'Brien

26 Striker Callum Ball

27 Striker Alberto Bueno (on loan from Real Valladolid)

32 Keeper James Severn

35 Midfield Jeff Hendrick

36 Defender Kallum Keane

37 Midfield Ryan Connolly

38 Midfield Medi Abalimba

39 Defender Mitchell Hanson

Hull City:

Another relegated team struggling at the wrong end of the Championship table. Do no clubs learn that recovering from relegation and making an impact on the Champioship is hard? The Tigers were toothless against Cardiff at the weekend and they lost 2-0.

It's not good enough for manager Nigel Pearson. Speaking to the Hull Telegraph he said;

"I know people will be asking questions and a lot of the fans will be disenchanted about what's happening at the minute,"

"But I can assure you that I will do everything I can, along with the players who want to be on the journey, to rectify it".

"That's really the only way to get through situations like this. I've seen it before and the psychological hindrance that you sometimes have can affect form".

"Unfortunately at the minute we are still playing with some sort of a blockage which doesn't allow us to perform".

"We'll get it right though, it's as simple as that."

Jimmy Bullard may be fit to face the Rams. Pearson hinted as much when he said;

"I'm prepared for him to be in the reckoning,"

Current Squad:

No. Position Player

1 Keeper Matt Duke

3 Defender Andy Dawson

4 Midfield Ian Ashbee (captain)

5 Defender Paul McShane

7 Midfield Richard Garcia

8 Midfield James Harper

9 Striker Caleb Folan

10 Striker Craig Fagan

11 Midfield Kevin Kilbane

12 Midfield John Bostock (on loan from Tottenham Hotspur)

13 Keeper Mark Oxley

14 Midfield Tom Cairney

16 Midfield Péter Halmosi

17 Defender Liam Cooper

18 Midfield Nick Barmby

19 Midfield Will Atkinson

20 Midfield Jamie Devitt

21 Striker Mark Cullen

22 Midfield Robert Koren

23 Striker Jay Simpson

24 Midfield Nolberto Solano

25 Defender Anthony Gerrard (on loan from Cardiff City)

26 Defender Daniel Ayala (on loan from Liverpool)

— Midfield Jimmy Bullard

— Midfield Nicky Featherstone

— Defender Steve Gardner

What the bookies think:

The Tigers are just shy of evens for the win at 21/20 while the Rams are 13/5 outsiders. The draw is 23/10. Jay Simpson is a 5/1 bet to open the scoring whilst Kris Commons is at 7/1. There aren't any odds on Kuqi yet.

Information for travelling fans:

Driving:

Take the M1, M18 and M62 to Hull (alternatively take the M180 across the Humber Bridge). Take the A63 into Hull and when you see the B&Q store, take the second exit at the roundabout then turn left at the lights and over the flyover then turn right. The Ground is well signposted from the M62.

Parking:

There's a car park at the Stadium and in fact plenty of parking places all around the ground. The big difficulty is getting away at the end. Some suggestions are to park in the town or at the Infirmary. It's a 10-15 minute walk to and from the KC but this will give the traffic a chance to clear.

Drinking:

If you get there early enough, try the city centre as many of the pubs near the ground are hostile to visitors. Footballgroundguide.com says that the Brickmakers Pub opposite the car park is okay, but I found it hostile the last time I went.

Mick's prediction:

We were poor on Saturday - and so were Hull, in their game. We have been good but have not gained the results. Will Kuqi be the missing piece that kick-starts the season? I hope so - it's frustrating to have to keep moaning - especially when there are some green shoots showing.

Hull City 0-2 Derby County

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