When the full-time whistle went on Saturday, the reaction was mixed to say the least. Many City fans welcomed the point, another towards safety and Championship football next season. Some were unhappy with the performance, left dismayed and fairly disheartened with City once again, despite the result.
Hull had picked up 13 points from a possible 15 before our meeting last week, no team had won more in that period. Despite their lowly position and lack of goals, they posed a serious threat. Anyone who saw the game would have seen them control the game for periods, certainly create their fair share of chances too. To come away with a point was no mean feat, whatever you thought of their quality on the day. When we pressured them, they certainly struggled to maintain any sort of grip on possession and play.
We didn’t exactly control the game a huge amount, some fans saw it as a match lacking in quality. Something that Nigel Pearson seemed to agree with. Talking to RobinsTV after the game he said “”i don’t think it was a great game today, littered with mistakes. We still tend to be our own worst enemy, in terms of making unforced errors”. We really didn’t show quality on the ball, something you’d want to see in a game against a team in a similar position to our own.
Despite the return of Matty James, we didn’t seem capable of recycling the ball for long periods. He is the calming influence we need right now, but alongside Massengo and Weimann our play through the middle was far from calm. Both are capable of starting attacks and driving the team up the pitch. When tasked with keeping the ball and building pressure they regularly weren’t up to the test.
There are Clear Positives, We Mustn’t Ignore Them
The positives on the other hand, are fairly obvious: two goals away from home, coming from behind twice and seeing Antoine Semenyo get his first goal of the season. Firstly on the second goal: what a beautiful finish, James looked absolutely shattered come full-time. You can question the quality he showed on the day but you certainly cannot question his desire and commitment. A brilliant finish in the final minute from someone who was clearly shattered.
On our first goal, brilliant to see Semenyo get up and running for the season. This is for sure a big season in his career. He’s shown real flashes of quality in spells whilst playing for Bristol City. He kicked on again last season, ending up our top assist-maker whilst netting a few goals. Everyone knows he’s got immense qualities, everyone knows he’s got immense potential. This should be the season where he makes his mark and leaves no debate to be had about his quality. I fear he may be a player that frustrates for a long time, even Brian Tinnion sounded exasperated on numerous occasions whilst commentating for RobinsTV. Inconsistency is the buzzword for Semenyo right now, he’ll do the most amazing bit of trickery to beat a defender only to misplace a five yard pass seconds later.
It’s unclear where his ideal position is and where it will end up being. In this current formation he may have to get used to being a striker, I know he himself considers left wing to be his ideal role. He’ll blow hot and cold, he’ll have flashes of brilliance but he’ll bring excitement that’s needed up top. Huddersfield have won just one of their last six games, tomorrow presents a real opportunity for more excitement. Here’s hoping Semenyo provides some.