Hull (h); The ACN Preview

Andrew Lawn – It’s been quite a hit and miss return to the Championship for you, with a 5-0 defeat at Derby (which having watched, was a far from fair reflection on the game), followed a few weeks later with your 6-1 home thumping of Birmingham City last time out – what’s going on?

Andy Dalton – Basically, we’re a midtable Championship side, capable of excellence and execrence in roughly equal measure. We’ve a pleasing habit of pummelling rubbish sides at home – the visits of Burton, Bolton and Birmingham, a triumvirate of abysmal B’s, have yielded 14 goals for City. However, anyone better than middling has beaten us with a little to spare…

Ahhh the sweet memories of us last year. Flat track bullies at home, terrible against everyone away. Photos appeared to show Leonid Slutsky enjoying one of those ‘roll a ball in a numbered hole to speed your camel along a race’ funfair games this week, is that a sign he’s settling in and finding his feet, or of a man regretting the decisions in his life?

Being a flat track bully is fine, and there’ll be some afternoons from it – but there aren’t enough flat tracks for it to work every week…

I feel for Slutsky, I think all City fans do. He’s made a few odd team selections and tactical plans, but there’s no doubt he’s been almost sabotaged by his employers.

They’ve sold everything that isn’t nailed down (and we can be sure that nail pullers are on order in time for the January transfer window), while giving him a mere fraction of the parachute payments to reinvest. They’re a total disgrace and despite our poor league position and famously awful away record – 13 months since a League success on the road – the fans have warmed to his endearing nature and are solidly behind him.

So you touched on the owners, from a national perspective it’s all gone a little quiet since the widespread recent protests, what’s the current situation there and what do you mean by ‘sabotaged’?

The owners remain almost universally reviled, though it must be said they’ve done a good job in knocking the stuffing out of many. Crowds barely reach 12,000 (whatever is officially announced) and many are too fed up to protest. Many think otherwise though and it could be cranked up soon.
It’s sabotage in the sense that the manager had reassurances about what would be made available…and it wasn’t.

No away win in 13 months is exactly the kind of run, our fans fear us ending (we have form in that regard), do you fancy your chances Saturday?

A few years ago we ended an even longer run without an away victory by finally winning at…Norwich. Not that I’m confident of a repeat.

Well isn’t that just wonderful. Moving on quickly from the prospect of a repeat AlongcomeNorwich then, what are your longer term hopes for the season? Having just come down and given the situation with the owners, is it consolidation or purely promotion or bust?

The best we can hope for on the pitch is a top half finish, I’d say it’s about 50/50 whether we manage that.

Though much important is getting new owners and beginning the long process of repairing this football club.

Jarrod Bowen has obviously been on fire, joint-leading the Championship scoring charts with 7, alongside Bobby Reid and Gary Hooper, but who else should we be looking out for?

Kamil Grosicki on the other wing [to Bowen] is a class act, much too good for the Championship. The problem is that he knows it, and is still sulking about not joining the summer exodus.

Otherwise, David Meyler – a longstanding cult hero – is making the transition to mainstream hero with a succession of towering displays for club and country.

So lots of threat from the flanks, but on the other side of that coin, where are you weak?

Our defence. It leaks, and can look alarming ponderous at times. We rarely look like keeping a clean sheet.

With our new found defensive stability, it could be a tight game in that case, although from what you have said about your season it reminds me so much of our own last time out, which gives me confidence that we can snatch it. I’ll say 1-0 to City, what do you think?

1-1, just because we always have a goal in us, but tend to ship them as well.