At the City Ground
Hull are a strange team when it comes to form they are one of these teams that can just go a long picking up points and get closer to the top then suddenly be on an endless bad run without warning. I would say Hull are a very flexible side who do not have a preferred formation at the moment although they do seem keen on having 3 in the centre of the midfield in some form or another be it 3 normal center mids or two and one playing a defensive or attacking role. They have started games playing 4-1-4-1, 4-3-3 and 4-4-1-1 already this season and will switch to different formations during games even to a back 3 at points. This chopping and changing could be a reason behind the runs of peaks and troughs of the hull form.
Hull are a team whose best form of attack comes from counterattacking the opposition. A strong team that work hard and efficiently to steal the ball from the opposition before attempting quick through balls mainly down the wings with the preferred attack coming down the left. Hull will often attempt through balls when in possession of the ball and they are not afraid to try the riskier pass rather than play it safe. They believe in high risk and high reward strategy and so far this tactic has allowed Hull to create a lot shooting opportunities mostly from long range but they are good chances none the less.
Even though they attack down the left and right wings they don’t create many chances to shoot from out wide in fact more than 60% of the shots are from the central zone from a short pass.
It is worth noting as well that Hull prefer to shoot from freekicks and have one of the fastest reaction stats in the championship when it comes to the second ball inside the box.
Player to watch – We all know Hull have some great attacking players in Bowen (would like Forest to sign him very much) and Grosicki who are going to be the danger men against forest but if you are looking for a player outside the normal danger men then can I suggest Kevin Stewart. The 26 year old is filling the same kind of role as our very own Watson and has been putting in some seriously good performances in that role to date as well as getting assists and a couple of goals for his trouble.
So how to get at Hull?
Hull, as I alluded to earlier, play a high risk passing game which means they do lose the ball often. Defending as a team is key to making though balls harder and easier to intercept rather than having to go chasing the ball, you could say positional sense is key when we don’t have the ball.
I expect Hull to continue to use the left as their main point of attack so Cash’s performance and recovery runs when forest lose possession will be key to forest winning his game.
Hull are happy to have the ball at the back and play passes along the back line but they do not have the players to create chances in condensed areas. Forests half press system could frustrate Hull as they will want players to push onto them to create pockets for midfielders.
Attacking Hull is very much use their strengths against them. Yes they are good attacking down the wings but they leave themselves so open to the counter attack down them it makes you wonder if it worth playing two up top to go into those spaces for a more direct ball. Although after the Wigan game I’m not confident in us being able to play with two up top.
Even though Hull have struggled at defending down the wings there seems to be one thing they hate more and that is players who can play a quick one touch passes into dangerous spaces. Getting turned for Hull seems to lead to mistake after mistake at the moment and even if the ball does not head directly to the striker the defence struggles to cope with clearing the ball when they face their own goal. In my view this has actually resulted in the midfield giving more free kicks away because of the uncertainty they have in the defence.
If Forest were to find themselves a goal down then just keep going as Hull have had issues holding on to leads this season and do concede most goals nearer the end of a game rather than early doors.
Match predication: For me it is a Forest win. We are at home, we are a good side that is not afraid to be patent in a match in order to create that goal scoring chance. 2-0
Hull are a strange team when it comes to form they are one of these teams that can just go a long picking up points and get closer to the top then suddenly be on an endless bad run without warning. I would say Hull are a very flexible side who do not have a preferred formation at the moment although they do seem keen on having 3 in the centre of the midfield in some form or another be it 3 normal center mids or two and one playing a defensive or attacking role. They have started games playing 4-1-4-1, 4-3-3 and 4-4-1-1 already this season and will switch to different formations during games even to a back 3 at points. This chopping and changing could be a reason behind the runs of peaks and troughs of the hull form.
Hull are a team whose best form of attack comes from counterattacking the opposition. A strong team that work hard and efficiently to steal the ball from the opposition before attempting quick through balls mainly down the wings with the preferred attack coming down the left. Hull will often attempt through balls when in possession of the ball and they are not afraid to try the riskier pass rather than play it safe. They believe in high risk and high reward strategy and so far this tactic has allowed Hull to create a lot shooting opportunities mostly from long range but they are good chances none the less.
Even though they attack down the left and right wings they don’t create many chances to shoot from out wide in fact more than 60% of the shots are from the central zone from a short pass.
It is worth noting as well that Hull prefer to shoot from freekicks and have one of the fastest reaction stats in the championship when it comes to the second ball inside the box.
Player to watch – We all know Hull have some great attacking players in Bowen (would like Forest to sign him very much) and Grosicki who are going to be the danger men against forest but if you are looking for a player outside the normal danger men then can I suggest Kevin Stewart. The 26 year old is filling the same kind of role as our very own Watson and has been putting in some seriously good performances in that role to date as well as getting assists and a couple of goals for his trouble.
So how to get at Hull?
Hull, as I alluded to earlier, play a high risk passing game which means they do lose the ball often. Defending as a team is key to making though balls harder and easier to intercept rather than having to go chasing the ball, you could say positional sense is key when we don’t have the ball.
I expect Hull to continue to use the left as their main point of attack so Cash’s performance and recovery runs when forest lose possession will be key to forest winning his game.
Hull are happy to have the ball at the back and play passes along the back line but they do not have the players to create chances in condensed areas. Forests half press system could frustrate Hull as they will want players to push onto them to create pockets for midfielders.
Attacking Hull is very much use their strengths against them. Yes they are good attacking down the wings but they leave themselves so open to the counter attack down them it makes you wonder if it worth playing two up top to go into those spaces for a more direct ball. Although after the Wigan game I’m not confident in us being able to play with two up top.
Even though Hull have struggled at defending down the wings there seems to be one thing they hate more and that is players who can play a quick one touch passes into dangerous spaces. Getting turned for Hull seems to lead to mistake after mistake at the moment and even if the ball does not head directly to the striker the defence struggles to cope with clearing the ball when they face their own goal. In my view this has actually resulted in the midfield giving more free kicks away because of the uncertainty they have in the defence.
If Forest were to find themselves a goal down then just keep going as Hull have had issues holding on to leads this season and do concede most goals nearer the end of a game rather than early doors.
Match predication: For me it is a Forest win. We are at home, we are a good side that is not afraid to be patent in a match in order to create that goal scoring chance. 2-0
