Hull Daily Mail’s football writer on what Bolton can expect from Hull City this weekend
Philip Buckingham, football writer for the Hull Daily Mail, speaks to bwfc.co.uk to preview the weekend’s game at the KC Stadium.
bwfc.co.uk: How would you sum up Hull City’s season so far?
PB: Well, up until the last couple of games things had been going superbly well. A home defeat at the hands of Derby was followed up with a very poor performance at Leeds, though that said, most would have taken the position Hull are currently in at the start of the season. After those back-to-back defeats, I think it’s safe to say that there is a bit of pressure on Hull this weekend.
bwfc.co.uk: So it’s safe to say Hull have adapted to life back in the Sky Bet Championship pretty well?
PB: Yes, they have. Hull have a strong squad with a good blend of players, a lot of whom have spent the majority of their careers in the Premier League. They also have a smattering of younger players with something to prove. They may have lost their last two league games, but we’ve seen that in this division things can soon change with a couple of wins.
bwfc.co.uk: How important has keeping that core group of players and manager together been?
PB: It was a bit of a difficult summer in terms of clearing out players and at the time most supporters would have maybe seen promotion as a bit too ambitious. That said, as soon as the season started and, more importantly the transfer window had closed, Hull had a nucleus of a very good squad. Michael Dawson, Jake Livermore, Ahmed Elmohamady and Mohamed Diame all have significant top flight experience and in Abel Hernandez they have a striker who is scoring goals. We’re in a position now where they should finish in the top six, at least.
bwfc.co.uk: Who’s the dangerman?
PB: Personally I’d say Livermore. He’s had a few off-field problems, but he’s come back from those with a real hunger and looks a revitalised player. He’s a strong and physical midfielder and is someone who can get around the pitch very well. When he is on his game, Hull are a difficult team to play against.
bwfc.co.uk: And finally, a prediction?
PB: Whilst it might be a good time to come to Hull right now, I’m going to have to go for a home win. They don’t concede many goals at home, so I’ll go for a 2-0 Hull victory.
Philip is on Twitter, @PJBuckingham.
SEE ALSO...