Despite it being an unsurprising outcome in the end, there were many positives to take away from the 3-1 home defeat against this season’s champions elect , Burnley.
The difference
Although Liam Rosenior has made us defensively sound since he took charge, some of the errors last night were uncharacteristic, and without surprise were punished by one of the best talents in the division, Nathan Tella – who scored his second hat-trick of the campaign. This was one of a few areas where not just Hull have fallen short against the Clarets in the previous 37 fixtures!
What is more surprising is some Burnley fans saying that their team’s performance was below the average they normally produce. This could be an ominous sign for their remaining nine opponents, as a shot at the record points total is still in the equation for them.
However, whilst City aren’t a million miles away, the main difference between us and the top sides in the league is cutting edge. There were a handful of occasions where the difference in quality going forward was obvious, as City did have two or three glorious chances to give the match a different complexion. It was another case of creating some good openings but not being ruthless enough, which is what sets the top sides apart from those in City’s region of the table.
This statistic below highlights this fact, and proves the quality a side like Burnley possess when they aren’t on such a list, yet end up somewhat “comfortable” winners in the end.
Also, the fact Ozan Tufan’s consolation goal was only his fifth of the season, yet he remains our second highest scorer says all you need to now in a sense…
Impressive duo
Regardless of the scoreline, Malcolm Ebiowei and Adama Traore were the two standout performers for The Tigers last night. The former has received some mixed opinions from fans since making his debut in the 0-0 draw against Stoke City, but finally showcased his talent yesterday up against one of the best full-backs in the league in Ian Maatsen. If anyone deserved a goal on the night, it would’ve been the 19-year old who’s endeavour in particular caused Burnley issues on the right-hand side, his link up with Lewie Coyle was also impressive.
Traore also showed glimpses of what we can expect from him moving forward, looking extremely neat in possession. For someone who’d been injured for eight months to perform as well as he did against the top side in his first start for the club shows what an exciting and pivotal player he could turn out to be next season.
What next?
The last two matches in particular will have given Rosenior plenty to ponder against sides who provided benchmark tests for City.
Now it looks set in stone that come August we will be in the Championship, it can work as a head start going into the following season. These remaining nine games can be used as a mini-springboard to test out various ways of playing against a mix of opponents who are either chasing the top two, top six or battling to stay in the division.
There’s no doubt that a top-half finish is the aim for the remainder of the season, and would be a true reflection of how this side has progressed since the disastrous run between September and November which saw us plummet down the table.
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