Introduction

After his team fired a blank against Blackburn last time out, Phil Brown will have to ensure his side make a swift return to top gear as they take on Arsenal who, though inconsistent, have the ability to pass teams to death given the time and space.

Hull City were derailed from a good spell of form in the 3-0 defeat to Aston Villa and passed up a good opportunity to bounce back at home against Sam Allardyce’s Blackburn. A trip to The Emirates does not offer the easiest chance to get their survival plans back on track, but City will look back to their against-the-odds victory in the same fixture last season for inspiration this Saturday. That day - as they will be on the forthcoming matchday - there was no Jimmy Bullard to run midfield, and Hull relied on Geovanni for their magic in the middle of the park which he provided subliminally. It might just take something like that wonderstrike to ensure Hull take a first away win of the season from The Emirates, where they remain the only team to concede the opening goal and win, as Arsenal look to bounce back themselves from a disappointing 1-1 draw against Burnley.

The Gunners are trying to mount a serious title challenge for the first time since they last won the Premier League in the 2003/04 season and will be desperate to give a flawless display that shows they mean business with Arsene Wenger’s reputation coming under more and more scrutiny as the title-less years go by. They have at times been brilliant this term, such as a recent 2-1 victory over Liverpool, the 1-6 demolition of Everton and the match against Spurs in which Van Persie and Cesc Fabregas led them to a 3-0 win. But Arsenal are without their Captain Fantastic: Fabregas will be out with an injury for the game so there will be no chance of on-field repercussions of the spitting accusations from the cup tie last season, but more importantly he won’t be able to dictate the play for Arsenal which he does so well. They are also missing Van Persie for the match and his absence in their last few matches has been evident, Wenger has at times been forced into playing Andrei Arshavin as a lone frontman to little or no effect – though that wasn’t the case against Liverpool. The Gunners’ biggest problem lies not with the personnel at their disposal, instead it is their consistency. If Mr. Wenger can solve his side’s inability to string together five or six wins then they may be able to build some momentum and challenge for the title, but anything other than a win against Hull City may leave Gunners fans running out of patience with their manager who has failed to deliver a hugely ambitious club the silverware they crave.

My Hull City team to play Arsenal:

Myhill

McShane - Zayatte – Gardner – Dawson

Barmby - Olofinjana - Marney – Hunt

Geovanni – Altidore

Obviously City are without Ashbee and Bullard, either of whom could be brought in to completely change the line-up but they will instead have to rely on the likes on Marney, Geovanni and Olofinjana to pass well and provide solidity in midfield. Phil Brown is perhaps more likely to include Fagan instead of Barmby and have him up front alongside Altidore, but in my opinion City would be better off including Nick Barmby because of his experience and understanding of big matches like these. Hopefully the Tigers can stay the same at the back where they look resolute in the most part and work together as a unit, aside from the occasional error, but it is midfield where this game will be won and lost.

Arsenal, on their day, are unplayable – the result of this match is down to them. If the unstoppable Arsenal side seen this season takes to the field, they will be leaving it with three points; if we see the same side which lost to Sunderland and drew with Burnley, Hull City will once again be leaving North London with a positive result.

Prediction: Arsenal 1-1 Hull City

In the end Aston Villa simply had too much for Hull City. The Tigers had lost their midfield talisman Jimmy Bullard through another knee injury and the uninspiring performance that followed did not warrant them taking any points from the game.

Aston Villa’s first goal came after some lackluster marking afforded Richard Dunne room in the Hull penalty area and an in-form James Milner slid him through expertly with a through ball, which the Irishman controlled sublimely, adjusted himself and finished as any top striker would have done, leaving Matt Duke with no chance. It was soon after Hull had been dealt this blow that they received another – and this one is probably more devastating to the Tigers. Jimmy Bullard, who received November’s Player of the Month award, tumbled innocuously over the shoulders of a Villa player as they competed for a header, landing awkwardly on his neck. Somehow though, the energetic playmaker had injured his knee and was visibly upset as he was forced to hobble off the pitch and out of the game, clearly in a considerable amount of pain. The Englishman’s tears as he left the field were no doubt a sign of his frustration with the apparent fragility of his knees: first his right caused him to miss nine months of football for Hull and now his left looks set to keep him out for some time too. He is due for a scan on the knee on Monday at 18:00 GMT.

The injury seemed to upset Villa’s rhythm for a short time, but they were gifted a route back into the ascendency with a mixture of good fortune and carelessness. What looked to be an aimless punt up-field by Ashley Young was needlessly headed out for a throw-in by City’s ‘keeper Matt Duke, trying to play it safe. However, he headed the ball straight to Aston Villa substitute-turned-ball-boy Steve Sidwell and the former Chelsea man gave the ball straight to Gabby Agbonlahor. From the throw-in, Agbonlahor released James Milner who effortlessly used the outside of his right boot to volley the ball just under the bar as Duke sprinted towards his goal line and his defenders watched on in horror. It was to be, it seemed, Aston Villa’s day.

Whilst the home side continued to press in the second half, too, Hull City almost found an unlikely way back into the game. Bullard’s replacement Craig Fagan – a Birmingham City supporter – tried his luck with a lusciously-struck left footed strike only for it to rebound off the upright, summing-up Hull’s bad day at the office. It was made worse three minutes before full-time when Ashley Young skillfully made his way into the Hull City area only to be clattered to the ground by Matt Duke. A penalty was the only possible outcome and it was ruthlessly dispatched past Duke by John Carew to put the game beyond any doubt.

And so Hull’s recent run of form comes to an end and is compounded by the fact that the chief orchestrator of that run looks set for another lengthy spell on the sidelines. Hopefully the news regarding Bullard’s injury will be positive, otherwise Hull will struggle even more than expected against Arsenal, Manchester United twice, Tottenham and Chelsea all of whom the Tigers face in December or January. Whatever the result of his scan though, the Tigers need to play better than they did in the Midlands this weekend if they are to take anything from a crunch-match with fellow strugglers Blackburn next time out.

Result: Aston Villa 3-0 Hull City

On the back of four unbeaten games, Hull City head into an encounter against tricky but inconsistent opposition in the form of Aston Villa. The Tigers have shown great character to regain some form, coming from behind to beat Stoke and gain a point from matches against West Ham and Manchester City, soundly beating Everton as well. Aston Villa have won just once in their last six Premier League matches, but haven’t been beaten at home since the opening day of the season when they lost to Wigan. Neither side has kept a clean sheet recently, with Hull managing just one in 12 games and Villa without a shut-out in their last nine games.

The match is impossible to predict. Hull City are in their best form of 2009 and were deserving of the surprise point they earned at Eastlands last week – they are working as a team for each other, the manager and the fans. But Aston Villa are deadly going forward, and Hull’s occasionally shaky defence will need to be at their best to deny the likes of Milner, Ashley Young, Agbonlahor and Stewart Downing, who should finally make his first start in the League for Villa. Their attacking potency is shown in their top goalscorer – Gabriel Agbonlahor has netted 7 league goals, in comparison to Hull’s top joint scorers Hunt and Geovanni who have three league goals apiece.

My Hull City team to play Aston Villa:

Duke

McShane - Zayatte – Gardner – Dawson

Garcia – Bullard – Boateng – Hunt

Geovanni

Altidore

Hull are likely to line up in a similar way to how they did against Manchester City. I think that including George Boateng instead of Dean Marney could help the Tigers keep Villa’s attackers at bay and give Jimmy Bullard a bit more freedom going forward; knowing that Boateng can sit back in midfield and do a solid job defensively. Jozy Altidore - who will be relishing a chance to play against England at the World up next summer, now the draw’s been made – is definately a threat going forward, even if he doesn’t score many goals. Still without a Premier League goal, the American will be desperate to hit the net for City but his job is more than that – he tires out defenders with his pace and physical approach and frees up space for Hull’s other attacking players. The midfield area is where the game is likely to be won and lost. If Hull allow Aston Villa too much space to work they will undoubtedly take control of the game and go on to win, so City’s gameplan needs to be spot on for them to come away from this game with anything other than a worsened goal difference.

In their last meeting – which was at Villa Park – John Carew scored the only goal to give the home side a 1-0 victory, and the Villa fans are likely to be expectant of another home win. Especially since Hull have not conjured three points away from home since their pivotal win against Fulham towards the end of last season, but The Tigers are becoming a very difficult team to play against and if they continue the work-rate they have shown in their last four games, they should leave the Midlands with a point at least.

Prediction: Aston Villa 0-0 Hull City

Hull City have now taken eight points from their last four games, and number eight came courtesy of another Jimmy Bullard penalty which forced an unfancied draw against Manchester City. The Tigers had fought hard against a hugely talented Man. City line-up, defending doggedly and riding their luck at times but ultimately they deserved a point. In earning that valuable away point, they condemned Manchester City to a seventh consecutive Premier League draw and heightened the pressure building on Mark Hughes to get the best out of his multi-million pound signings.

Whilst Manchester City had the majority of the ball in the first half at Eastlands, they were unable to carve any real openings. Robinho looked dangerous when in possession as he returned from a three-month absence through injury, using his quick feet to trouble Paul McShane at right back for Hull, but aside from a bending shot that narrowly missed Matt Duke’s far post the Brazilian failed to create any clear-cut chances for himself or his team mates. Stephen Ireland was another who came close for the home side as he flicked on a low Micah Richards cross whilst looking the other way, but his audacious effort flew inches over Hull’s crossbar. Despite maintaining a huge amount of first half possession, the Sky Blues were unable to make anything of it, largely thanks to the pressure constantly applied to them by Hull’s midfield and attack. However, Hull City were dealt a cruel blow just before half time when Shaun Wright-Phillips tried speculatively from 20 yards and what looked to be an easy shot for Duke to save was diverted wide of the ‘keeper’s grasp by Tigers captain Anthony Gardner’s head, after he flung himself at the ball.

Nevertheless, the Tigers – who were given their team talk in the changing room this time – came out after half time looking more intent to attack than to invite more pressure upon themselves and they had soon created the best chance of the game. Jozy Altidore volleyed a through ball into the path of Richard Garcia - who had been dominant in the air for Hull – and the Australian international reached it ahead of the onrushing Shay Given only to see his goal-bound effort cleared off the line by Joleon Lescott. But both sides struggled to threaten the opposition’s goal; Manchester City were  guilty of wasting yet more possession in the second half as Hull soaked up the pressure.

As they continued to soak it up, the Tigers looked to score on the counter-attack and had brought on Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink for an added aerial threat up front. And the Dutchman had been on the field of play for less than ten minutes when he was involved in the incident that changed the game. As Hull pressed, the ball was played into the path of Hesselink who looked to have a chance to score but was brought down under what looked to be a soft challenge by Kolo Toure. Lee Probert wasted no time in pointing to the spot and Jimmy Bullard, who netted a penalty two games previously against West Ham, was the only man who was ever going to take it. The influential midfielder stepped up and thrashed the ball home, and though Given got his finger-tips to it, the power was too much. The away supporters descended into a mixture of chaos and laughter as Bullard began to re-enact Phil Brown’s on-pitch team talk from last season, which even Brown himself was amused by post-match, saying that although he ”was trying to arrange a five-man midfield at the time”, he saw it later and admitted “I couldn’t deliver my post-match speech as I was laughing so much. The whole thing was timed to perfection.”

Even though the performances of either side were far from perfection, it was clear that at the end of the game there was one set of happy fans and one set of unhappy fans, just as there were managers and players. Hull can head back to Yorkshire knowing that they have worked hard to earn a deserved point against – on paper – a better team. Manchester City, on the other hand, are left wondering how they can turn these draws into wins because their dream of a place in the top four is beginning to look very distant.

Result: Manchester City 1-1 Hull City

Hull City travel across the Pennines for their toughest test in some time as they take on Manchester City at Eastlands. On the back of three home games, the Tigers face the Premier League’s biggest spenders and will be full of confidence with just two defeats in their last seven games. Manchester City, however, will be looking to turn around the poor form that has seen them draw six successive matches and left fans sceptical about their sides’ top four credentials. The managers of both teams have huge tasks at hand - Phil Brown testing an in form Hull City team against potential top-four side, and Mark Hughes looking for the formula to turn draws into wins.

A key component of that formula could be Robinho. The reportedly unsettled Brazilian playmaker is all set to return from an ankle injury that has kept him out for three months, and his presence in the first team could provide Manchester City with the edge in this game. He brings silky skills and a bit of genius to the side, and is always going to cause problems alongside the likes of Tevez, Ireland, Bellamy and Adebayor. What he is unlikely to do though, is sort out their defensive frailties: with just one clean sheet in their last nine matches it is no wonder that they are struggling to win. Despite this, only one team has won at the City of Manchester Stadium this season – Fulham – and Hull City will undoubtedly be up against it from the off as their opponents look to end a winless run that is surprising everyone.

Whilst the Tigers are yet to win away from home this season, their confidence is sky-high after putting together an impressive run to climb out of the relegation zone. Adam Pearson’s return as Chairman and Jimmy Bullard’s return to form and fitness have boosted the club greatly and seen them take seven points from their last three games. If they’re ever to get that elusive first win, they have a decent opportunity this Saturday. One problem that Hull will need to solve is their defensive solidity. Whilst Gardner and Zayatte look strong together, the Tigers are seemingly gifting the opposition goals through sloppy, lazy marking or carelessness in possession. In their last two home games they have conceded five; and ten in their last three matches away from home and it is something that needs to be addressed. What they are doing is scoring more than their opponents, and their goals are coming from all over the pitch – Olofinjana, Hunt, Marney, Hesselink, Zayatte have all chipped in with goals amongst others. It’s very important that a successful team is not overly reliant on one or two players to score all of their goals and Hull’s players are sharing them out well. All they need now is for Jozy Altidore to get off the mark as the pacy American is yet to score in the Premier League for City despite some impressive performances but as he begins to hold down a regular place in the first team, his first goal will surely come. Jimmy Bullard should come back into the side for Hull as he was rested against Everton in midweek. He brings a bit of quality, energy and spontaneity to the Tigers and has the ability to make a difference. Having Bullard in the team should help City bridge the evident gap in talent through hard work and reliability, as long as the rest of the team work with him.

My Hull City team to play Manchester City:

Duke

McShane - Zayatte – Gardner – Dawson

Garcia – Bullard – Boateng - Geovanni – Hunt

Altidore

It will be interesting to see if Geovanni starts against his former team and what kind of reception he receives, though as a player who scored the winner in a Manchester derby it is likely to be a warm one. The brilliant Brazilian could have a big role to play regardless of his position on the pitch because he will be required to support the attacker(s) and also provide a goal threat. Should George Boateng feature for Hull – and after one of his best City performances against Everton he deserves to - he will have a huge job in trying to nullify Manchester City’s midfield potency by reducing the space with which they can work. It could mean that Jimmy Bullard plays more defensively than has been seen before because in will require a lot of closing down to stop Gareth Barry and Nigel de Jong from creating chances.

The encounter at Eastlands promises to be a good spectacle. Hull will be desperate to avenge the 5-1 demolition they were dealt in this fixture last season and Man City will be desperate to repeat it.

Prediction: Manchester City 0-1 Hull City

Hull City rounded off their run of three consecutive home games in perfect fashion with a 3-2 win over Everton, a victory that edges the Tigers further away from the Premier League relegation zone.

City are now sitting in 15th place, with fifteen points, and most fans believe that they have turned a corner from their early season form. It looked as though they could have boosted their goal difference too, as they netted three times in the first half hour against Everton who were unable to reply and failed to test City ‘keeper Matt Duke. The first goal was a sharp finish by Stephen Hunt who charged towards a loose ball in the Everton area and lashed it home after Tim Howard parried a close range Jozy Altidore shot. Number two came soon after as both sides battled through the scrappy opening period. On twenty minutes, Andy Dawson was a surprise scorer of the goal of the game when he stepped up for a free kick from twenty yards and bent it perfectly into the top right hand corner of the goal, with Tim Howard grasping at thin air. The shot could have been mistaken for a David Beckham set-piece, with expert curl and dip to avoid the wall and reach the corner, leaving the ‘keeper with no chance. Hull’s third goal had one or two elements of fortune about it: Stephen Hunt hit a cross whilst turning which was deflected to the feet of Dean Marney and as he shot in search of his first Premier League goal for Hull, the ball was deflected again – sending it wide of Howard and into the bottom right corner. Marney celebrated with an emphatic knee slide and the City fans were jubilant as their team went in for half time with a three goal lead over Everton, something they would not have dared dream of eight games ago when they were drubbed 0-4 at home by the same opponents.

In the second half though, it was a different story. David Moyes made a wise choice in bringing on the young Dan Gosling to replace Yakubu, who had been unable to force any openings in the first half, and it seemed to shake the game up, giving Everton the spark they needed to try to get something out of the game. Four minutes into the second half, the Toffees had a breakthrough. Johnny Heitinga played a ball into the City area and as Kamil Zayatte tried to clear the ball, it looped into his own goal – a momentary lapse that allowed Everton a route back into the game. It was a route they travelled further down too, when Louis Saha effortlessly dispatched a penalty having been lunged at in the air by Zayatte – setting up an extremely tense final 25 minutes.

Nevertheless, except for a couple of chances apiece, neither team could find another goal and Hull City were able to hold on for a deserved point and their seventh point in three games.

They now look ahead to an away game at draw-specialists Manchester City, hoping to extend their unbeaten run to four games. Tigers fans will be confident heading into the game that they can come away with at least a point based on recent results – as should the players and manager.

Result: Hull City 3-2 Everton

When Craig Fagan was deemed to have been fouled in West Ham’s penalty area, no one in the entire ground could have stopped Jimmy Bullard from grabbing the match ball and giving Hull City the lead in a truly remarkable turnaround for the player himself, and Hull City in this hard-fought encounter.

Bullard is just two full games into his comeback from a lengthy lay-off that had left people – media and fans alike – questionning whether he could justify his £5million price tag. However, in those two matches he has imposed himself fully, showing what difference he can make in City’s midfield and taken a lot of pressure off the shoulders of his manager. Phil Brown had been fighting for his job (and could still be) but Bullard’s presence in the team has lifted the Tigers’ performances and has them looking able to build an unbeaten run.

Obviously, Bullard hasn’t done it alone and his team mates have certainly had as much to do with Hull’s change in fortunes. Something that can’t be denied is that Hull have had a dramatic change in luck. In several matches this season they have been left cursing their luck; from Drogba’s unintentional cross-shot-goal in stoppage time on the opening day, to Michael Turner scoring on his debut for Sunderland against City – where he was a fans favourite – with a deflected header, to an appalling refereeing display in the away match against Burnley. It’s a relief to Hull City fans that they have finally seen some (not always correct) decisions going their way; Abdoulaye Faye being sent off against Stoke, Thomas Sorensen spilling the ball into the path of Hesselink in the same game and the awardance of a ‘dodgy’ penalty in their favour, as Craig Fagan went down under a soft challenge at the end of the first half against West Ham.

The spot-kick came at the culmination of an eventful first period which had already seen four goals shared equally between the teams. The Hammers had gone two-up in just eleven minutes, at which point Hull’s players and fans probably had their minds cast back to the heavy home defeats against Tottenham and Everton. But the spirit of the team shone through, led by the energetic midfield duo of Marney and Bullard, and Hull looked fully capable of winning only their 5th league game of 2009 when they completed their stunning first half comeback after 46 minutes. West Ham could have run away with it as they raced into a 2-0 lead – despite Hull playing some neat football from the kick-off. One of the smallest players on the field netted the first with a header, and Guillermo Franco didn’t even need to jump to give West Ham the lead from a corner after five minutes. The diminutive play-maker had a hand in the second too with what seemed an aimless ball forward, but Hammers youngster Jack Collison had made a run and caught out both Andy Dawson, who he easily out-muscled, and Matt Duke over whom his header looped.

Then Hull City stepped up a gear. Just as in the Stoke game, it had taken conceding a goal (or two) to kick-start their performance, but they began threaten West Ham’s defence and won a free kick just outside the area. On only his second appearance at the KC Stadium as a Hull City player, Jimmy Bullard smashed the ball goalwards and – with the help of two deflections – the ball reached the top corner and it was game on. It was another set-piece that delivered Hull’s equaliser too, as a left-footed Stephen Hunt ball was met with Kamil Zayatte’s right boot at the near post and slipped past a helpless Robert Green. West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola couldn’t believe how wasteful his team had been in letting Hull back into the game, but his disbelief was compounded when the Tigers managed to take control of the encounter with another goal before the break. Jozy Altidore over-hit a flick-on which looped skyward and as it came down, Craig Fagan was sent to the ground by what was deemed to be an over-physical approach by Julien Faubert inches inside the West Ham penalty area. There was only one man who was going to take the resultant spot-kick, and Bullard made no mistake from 12-yards, ruthlessly blasting the ball into the top corner.

In the second half Hull were in the driving seat, but a turning point came when Scott Parker charged through and was brought down by Mendy: the Frenchman was denying a goalscoring opportunity and referee Mark Clattenberg had no choice but to send him off. This led to a tactical re-think by Phil Brown, but soon after Mendy’s dismissal West Ham’s pressure forced a goal and the game was level again through a Manuel Da Costa shot after a scramble in the area - this time with the Hammers in the ascendency. Substitute Luis Jimenez hit the side netting late on, and Collison could have scored had Matt Duke not excellently parried his effort to safety, but Hull held on to a point which delighted most fans – because their team had shown the desire and endeavour required to avoid relegation, even if they didn’t quite manage to hold out for the win.

Hull now face a tricky task against Everton on Wednesday, who are never easy to play against – even if they are in poor form of late. But they do so on the back of a very positive performance and although the result could have been better, the Tigers are likely to be feeling confident ahead of another important game.

Result: Hull City 3-3 West Ham United

Game number one out of three in a week for Hull, and three very tricky games they promise to be. Battling against three sides that can play devastating football at times (and Everton have already shown City just how devastating), Hull will be put to the test as they look to record back-to-back wins for the first time this season, facing West Ham United after the international break.

Three is also the number of Hull City’s players that will be returning to the city with the bitter taste of Ireland’s World Cup Play-off exit lingering in the mouth. And however professional Paul McShane, Kevin Kilbane and Stephen Hunt are about the situation, there is no doubt that the aggrievement they will feel will last long past this week. Nevertheless, it is strong characters that Hull City need if they are to avoid relegation this season when they are being tipped to go down, and the Irishmen will have to bounce back in time to put a shift in for the Tigers this Saturday as they face West Ham.

The Hammers are having a torrid time of it themselves at the moment, with their manager Gianfranco Zola struggling to get what is undoubtedly a talented squad to play the kind of football he wants. He has an in-form Scott Parker at his disposal against the Tigers and a crop of outstanding young talent including Jack Collison and James Tomkins, not to mention youth-team graduate and one-time City loanee Mark Noble. Their team-mate, in-demand England striker Carlton Cole will be West Ham’s biggest threat to Hull City and the former Chelsea man is, on his day, almost unstoppable. He is the exact kind of player that Hull had hoped to bring during the, as they pursued several big name strikers.

They ended up with Jozy Altidore and Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, the latter of which most definately has a big name, and Phil Brown has Hesselink to thank for two of his three wins this season with the big Dutchman netting the winner on two occasions. The other winning goal, against Bolton, was scored by another summer signing. Kamel Ghilas - who played for Algeria in midweek as they secured their place at the World Cup – netted that day after a neat interchange with American frontman Jozy Altidore. Against Stoke, Hull City looked assured in central midfield and so the onus is on the strikeforce to lead from the front versus West Ham this weekend because Bullard and Olofinjana will not be quite so successful against a technically superior Hammers midfield. The back line for City is pivotal as always, and with Gardner and Zayatte looking able to form a solid partnership it is important that the pair are kept together to develop further understanding. The core of the team is beginning to come together, and it has taken some time to do so since Turner’s departure and Ashbee’s injury lay-off. It’s now Hull’s wide men that are under pressure from the fans to give more to the team because throughout the season they have failed to provide adequate service for the strikers, which explains Hull’s lack of goals when they play Hesselink as an aerially subliminal lone striker who is receiving no high passes.

My Hull City team to play West Ham United:

Duke

Mendy - Zayatte - Gardner – Kilbane

Barmby - Olofinjana - Bullard – Geovanni

Ghilas

Altidore

Nicky Barmby has only started once since being installed as club captain this season and deserves a start (even though his ability to last 90 minutes is disputable) after he changed the game against Stoke City in Hull’s last Premier League match. The last time Altidore and Ghilas had a decent amount of time on the pitch together was against Bolton where they combined superbly to get Hull’s winner, and are deserving of a place in the side – even though it was Hesselink who scored the goal that sealed City’s winning goal last time out. Brown proved that he knows what to do with a striker in Hesselink’s mould on the bench – get the starting centre forward to ‘rough-up’ the back line and then send on the aerial threat late on and bombard the opposition with threats from both midfield and the added high-ball alternative. It’s worked in the past and could well be the key to breaking down United’s defence which includes the highly rated Matthew Upson.

Prediction: Hull City 2-1 West Ham United 

Jimmy Bullard, who had been excellent throughout the game, hit a right footed shot from twenty yards but Sorensen spilt it. From there it was whoever could react fastest and Hull City fans were jubilant as Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink pounced to make the score 2-1 in stoppage time.

It marks the end of a dismal run for Hull City, their third League win of the season comes on the back of some stinging criticism towards the manager and his players after a string of poor performances. It might have come a little late though, with Hull at the back end of a string of fixtures against teams they would have expected to beat but in their slump in form were found wanting. However, the Tigers do still have back to back home games in which they will strive to put together a winning run that has so far eluded them this season.

Hull seemed to be in control of the game as they looked to set a quick pace in midfield with Jimmy Bullard’s appearance at the KC coupled in the middle of the park with an on-song Seyi Olofinjana. City had a couple of half chances with Bullard missing the target from range and American frontman Jozy Altidore failing to test Thomas Sorensen from the edge of Stoke’s box. Despite one or two chances falling to the Potters, Hull had begun to dominate. It was a surprise then, when Matthew Etherington raced clear to smash a ball past Matt Duke at his near post following a Hull City attack. Ryan Shawcross’ upfield punt wasn’t cleared by Bernard Mendy and Etherington, who has been in great form of late, did the rest effortlessly.

Whilst the Tigers were effective through the centre, their wingers were struggling to create anything and were often drifting far too far across to try and attain possession. Having seen this, Phil Brown made a smart decision in the second half to replace an out-of-sorts Richard Garcia with Nick Barmby, whose fighting spirit instantly rubbed off on his colleagues and the fans. City had a fortuitous moment when Gardner looked certain to have diverted an Etherington cross into his own goal only for the ball to be saved by a sprawling Duke and bounce slowly wide of the post. Nevertheless, it was Hull City who were undoubtedly on top and when Seyi Olofinjana equalised with a majestic turn and finish from 18 yards it was what the Tigers deserved. Scoring for the first time for Hull against the club from which he was signed was clearly a special moment for the Nigerian, evident in his Maradona-esque belly slide that his team mates joined in with.

That moment opened the game up and Stoke could have taken the lead back when their tough defender Ryan Shawcross headed against the bar. Another turning point soon came though. After Nick Barmby’s battle with Abdoulaye Faye became a little too heated, referee Mike Dean booked Faye who then cynically hacked at Barmby in a later duel to earn a second yellow and subsequent red card from Dean. The ref’ had been under pressure from the home support to prevent Stoke’s physical approach from becoming over-powerful but Faye left him with no choice. After this, Hull pushed forward and not long after four minutes of added on time were signalled by the 4th official Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink netted for the Tigers with a predatory poke after Jimmy Bullard’s long range strike was not dealt with effectively by Sorensen.

The City performances gave plenty of plus points, such as Jimmy Bullard’s completion of a full match and Altidore starting to good effect. In addition, Bernard Mendy played at right back and looked remarkably solid aside from one or two occasions when he was caught ball watching. Phil Brown could do to swap Stephen Hunt for Geovanni which would put the Brazilian in a position to impose himself on the game, and with Hunt being ineffective since the Chelsea match (despite scoring since) it would be a good idea to bring in the club’s top scorer at the soonest opportunity. It may seem that dropping Garcia from the right hand side would make more sense but he has an added aerial threat which Hunt simply doesn’t, and as he regains full fitness he should provide more for the team than he did in this match. Another key point from the win was Olofinjana’s best performance in a Hull City shirt. The summer signing has not really given City fans an indication of his true ability until now and whilst he has been criticised for inconsistency in the past, Hull supporters will be desperately hoping he can continue to play as he did against his former team-mates in the tricky matches to come this winter.

Result: Hull City 2-1 Stoke City

It’s been widely tipped as the game that will decide Phil Brown’s future. The first match since Adam Pearson made his KC comeback for his second stint as Chairman, many people think that if Brown loses he won’t just have squandered three points, but his position as manager too. However, building up to Sunday’s clash Brown has placed more emphasis on the performance that his team gives, insisting that if Hull play as they did against Burnley then they have a chance in the match. Interesting that City lost that one 2-0 (no matter how controversial).

Whilst so much could change if Hull lose, if they win there won’t be much difference. It would still be only eleven points, the Tiger’s would probably still be in the relegation zone and Phil Brown would probably still be fighting to save his job. If you think about Gareth Southgate’s exit as Middlesbrough manager not very long ago, after a few poor results he was sacked, even though he had turned it round with a win over Derby the night he was given the boot. There’s nothing to say that Phil Brown isn’t out of a job already. Conversely, there’s nothing to say that Adam Pearson won’t give him until Christmas, although his footballing sensibility would suggest otherwise.

City are obviously without Geovanni, who will be suspended after being red carded against Burnley on an awful game week discipline-wise in the Premier League. Jimmy Bullard is unlikely to feature for whatever reason, whether it’s a gashed shin or something else, there are so many rumours circling about Hull’s record buy that it’s not worth speculating further. Boaz Myhill is still missing with knee ligament damage, so he won’t figure this weekend either. These absentees are the only issues Brown has to contend with (aside from long-term injury Ian Ashbee). The major challenge that Phil Brown has is the creation of chances. Just four shots on target in the last three games, and no goals. His apparent refusal to include Daniel Cousin – unless already losing heavily, beyond repair, to Liverpool – hasn’t helped the Tiger’s inability to find the net this term. How he can go from scoring against Arsenal and Manchester United and spearheading City’s attack last season to near extinction from the Hull squad is utterly bemusing. Especially given that none of the other attacking options brought in by Phil Brown have been particularly inspiring.

My Hull City team to play Stoke City:

Duke

Mendy - McShane - Gardner – Kilbane

Marney - Zayatte - Boateng

Altidore – Cousin – Hunt

This 4-3-3 formation would undoubtedly provide Hull with plenty of attacking firepower. The midfield three is strong and energetic and not giving Boateng the full defensive responsibility is sure to help his game in my opinion, and Zayatte is more than capable of carrying out his position in the ‘Makelele role’. Cousin is strong up front. He will win headers and he will hold the ball up well. Having two men around him increases the likelihood of him finding an amber shirt with any knockdowns he wins. Jozy Altidore is still unproven, although he is certainly talented. I think that putting him in an attacking role that sees him involved in play more than if he was a lone striker – which is definately not his position - would highlight his true ability. Defensively, there is stability in McShane, Gardner and Kilbane even though they do not pose much of a threat going forward. Bernard Mendy is probably not as defensively sound as McShane at right-back but can be troublesome if his pace can be utilised on the overlap, and with Zayatte in the deep defensive midfield role he could cover for Mendy if need be. Though I genuinely feel it should be, this will almost certainly not be Hull City’s team against Stoke City.

There comes a time when a team has had a string of awful results when they come out fighting and given the media attention that has surrounded the club of late and the personal things that are being said about the players and the manager, maybe this weekend is the time for Hull City to really take the game to Stoke City and show a real determination to win their way out of trouble.

Prediction: Hull City 3 – 1 Stoke City