Hull 0 v Derby 0

[ramAnag]

Okay result on paper...stats don’t look too bad...sounded as if we were outplayed on Radio Derby and may have picked up one or two injuries.
I’ll wait for mista’s informed verdict, but with Pulis going to Boro’ it’s not getting easier and that upcoming ‘window’ may be looking more important.

[MadAmster]

We did them 5-0 at PP not long ago and the question is why so a difference?

The answer is Hull City. They did their name proud. Tigers. At PP they tried to out football Derby and, as has happened so often in the past few years, Championship sides just can't do that. This time they employed different tactics. They hassled and harried and forced Derby into mistakes. Our front 4 did a lot of running to close Hull down but, right through the entire 90 minutes, they seemed to have us outnumbered in every third of the field. There was a lack of cohesion. We couldn't string 4 or 5 passes together, mainly because the man with the ball was harried and there was no outlet for them.

In short, partly because of us but mainly because of them, we had a bad day at the office. We can say, with hindsight, that changes for Hull was the right way to go. GR decided not to change a winning team. As has been said, on paper this was the easiest of the 3 league games coming up. The next 2 at Ipswich and home to the Blades look more difficult. This was the game to rotate players in a sequenece of 4 games in 11 or 12 days. GR chose not to. A decision he might now be regretting.

Too much Christmas pud? One glass of sherry too many on Xmas day? No idea but this was a sub standard performance and a repeat in the next 2 matches will see us lose not only the games but also possibly slump to 6th.

Hopefully this was a one off. I expect 3 or 4 changes at Ipswich.

[ManxRam]

Hull have a decent side that has been steadied in recent weeks. A penalty miss at Derby proved decisive in the direction of the game on a night where everything we hit went in.

In previous seasons we would have lost yesterday but we dug in and battled for a point.

Yet another clean sheet and I remain glass half full. In my opinion and in a tricky fixture point won as opposed to two lost.

How would you feel as a Millwall fan, 2pts from 9 against Villa, Derby and Wolves and yet not outplayed once.....

You can't win em all, we are in reasonable health turning in to the 'back nine'.

[Manofpride]

A point away from home anywhere in this league is a good result, a win is brilliant!

[swaledale]

In this league that is a good point as results elsewhere have shown, only Wolves look unstoppable and given the moeny they ahve spent thats no surprise.

[ramAnag]

Just interested to know from anyone who went...were we as under the cosh and ‘not at the races’ as Ramage repeatedly suggested or was it a decent away performance at a difficult place to go?

[MadAmster]

Just interested to know from anyone who went...were we as under the cosh and ‘not at the races’ as Ramage repeatedly suggested or was it a decent away performance at a difficult place to go?

Neither side was really "at the races" IMO. Rounded up stats have them with 60% possession and winning 60% of the duels. We won 60% of the aerial duels. They were in our half more than we were in theirs. They had 10 shots to our 7. They had 2 on target to our 3. They had more nearly's than we did. They seemed to have more players on the park than we did in all areas of the pitch. I would like to see the distance covered stats for both teams. They conceded 4 fouls to our 19.

Overall they were the better side on a day when neither looked good. Both GR and Keys described the performance as poor in their post match interviews. We were very flat on the day and didn't seem to have much idea. Way too many wayward passes as the passes completed stats show.... Hull 75%, us 65%. We have been having 90% of late.

This was a game where their effort and pressing put us under pressure and we were unable to play our game. It wasn't helped by us sticking to our 2 man midfield once it became obvious we were being bossed in that area. No plan B?

Not having heard Ramage so I don't know how he worded it but I would say that we were in this game more than we were against Wolves at PP.