Hull City’s strong start as Liam Rosenior faces Adama Traore decision
City made it back-to-back away wins early on in the season
Hull City produced a statement victory on Saturday to go into the September international break with a well-deserved 1-0 win at title favourites Leicester City.
Liam Delap’s goal on the quarter-hour was enough to register a first clean sheet of the campaign and see City win at the King Power Stadium in a league game for the first time since 2008.
Though the Foxes created a host of opportunities, just one of their 20 efforts landed on target and City themselves could have added to their tally in the second period.
It’s now 10 points from the opening five games for Liam Rosenior’s men who now have a couple of weeks until the play again with Coventry City the visitors to the MKM Stadium.
Powers of recovery
The opening 10 minutes or so were rocky. Alfie Jones and Lewie Coyle were both booked and coupled with Matt Ingram’s indecision, the prospect of a clean sheet looked a long way off.
To their credit, City warmed ot the task and the worries of the first half were long gone in the second with a much more controlled performance, and one we’ve come to expect over recent months.
Battling spirit
For all their possession, Leicester struggled to create a meaningful opening during the game. Yes, there was the effort from distance which cannoned back off the post and Jamie Vardy’s glancing header, but away at the King Power, the home side are going to create something.
City kept Leicester at arm’s length for much of the game, and carried a real threat of their own. Delap, Connolly and Twine posed real problems, and in Jean Michael Seri and Regan Slater, the Tigers enjoyed some joy in the engine room against Harry Winks and Keiran Dewsbury-Hall.
The Traore quandary
Not for the first time this season, I’ve watched Adama Traore and been underwhelmed. Yes, he’s silky on the ball at times, but he needs to bring more to the party than the odd nice touch. Too often, the game passes him by and he struggles to get himself involved in the play.
Yes, he’s feeling his way into Championship football because it’s still new to him, but in the opening five games of the season, he hasn’t done enough to warrant a starting berth, and with the options, Rosenior will have at his disposal moving forward, it’s hard to see him featuring in the strongest XI.
Crafty Connolly
If anybody wondered why Rosenior is such a big fan of Aaron Connolly, his performance at Leicester was a fairly good advert. A nuisance all afternoon, he caused no shortage of problems for the Foxes’ defence with his running, ability to carry the ball and create opportunities.
The only thing that let him down during the game was his finish in the second half after some quite brilliant wing play from Liam Delap.
The crazy final few seconds at Norwich aside, this has been a very good start from City. Ten points from five games represent a very respectable opening and gives Rosenior a solid platform to move forward.
That one defeat was controversial to say the least and really, they should have come away from Carrow Road with a hard-earned point for their troubles.
Now the transfer window has closed, City know what they have in their ranks and can move forward during the break ready to face Coventry City.
