So, the final curtain has fallen on the Premier League
season for 2014-15. Hull City’s 2 year tenure in top flight football has come
to an end. Not for a want of trying today against Manchester United, but
perhaps for a lack that certain something during the course of the season.
Steve Bruce, I’m sure, will let the dust settle on this
season’s campaign before he makes any decisions about the future of his squad.
For me, as a non-Hull City supporter, the reason that they
went down is due to the players on the pitch. Steve Bruce has proved that he
can manage at this level. What has been sadly apparent this season is that
there are too many players who are only out for themselves. Most notably, this
has been seen in Jake Livermore’s alleged use of cocaine.
The crux of what Hull do next boils down to this: Too many
players have underperformed this season for Hull. Assuming that Dr Allam will
continue to bank roll a team in the Championship, then these players need to
stay with Hull for a season and pay back the fans and the club for their
support. The failure of too many players to play at an acceptable standard has
cost the club, and the city, Premier League football.
Some players would be expected to leave. Hernandez hasn’t
justified the fee they paid to Palermo, Ramirez has shown why Southampton were
willing to let him go out on loan, Sagbo has a first touch that goes further
than a lot of passes. Rosenior is a good full back but doesn’t seem to fit
Steve Bruce’s plans. You would expect that Andy Robertson would be on a lot of
shopping lists as well.
If Hull can keep its squad together for one season, players
like Meyler, Elmohammady, Quinn, McShane, Dawson, Huddlestone, Jelavic and N’Doye
will, I’m sure, get Hull back into the Premier League. Add players like Harry
Morgan and Tom Ince back into the picture, and you would have to back Hull to
win the Championship.
Perhaps the biggest test of Steve Bruce’s managerial career
is ahead of him. Can he keep the players together and get Hull back into the
top flight? With the squad he has, you wouldn’t bet against him.
