The past few months have seen Hull City’s players add glorious chapters to a previously modest 110-year history, but that did not spare them from a total tongue-lashing from Steve Bruce, their enraged manager, yesterday.
The Europa League odyssey that came from being last season’s beaten FA Cup finalists turned out to be short-lived, ending in away-goals elimination by Lokeren on Thursday night, but many a team have found it difficult to muster a passable Premier League performance straight after a European tie, as Bruce knows from his years of service under Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United.
Yet so poor were Hull in the first half at Villa Park that Bruce, relieved to be only two goals down, showed them no mercy in the away dressing room before completing the condemnation in public after the final whistle.
“That was arguably the worst I’ve seen us perform in my two years here,” he said. “Thankfully there was a response and on another day we could have nicked something, but I still can’t get over how bad we were in the first half. We were so lifeless it was incredible. We gifted them goals, we made mistake after mistake, we didn’t get above a jog, so how do you expect to win a Premier League game?
“I wish we could get them in tomorrow but we can’t because most are away on international duty. Mind you, if they keep playing like that they won’t be internationals.”
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Ouch. He had a point, though, as Villa had been worth more than the two-goal cushion given to them by Gabriel Agbonlahor and Andreas Weimann, with each having a significant hand in the other’s goal. Agbonlahor swivelled in the 14th minute to remind everyone that he used to be an England pick and turned provider in the 36th by sending Kieran Richardson into space on the left of the box to pick out the Austrian.
Fabian Delph, the new England recruit, had rattled the crossbar in the second minute and Ashley Westwood saw a free kick strike an upright just before an interval that Bruce admitted had him “ranting and raving”.
The revival took a while to arrive, Nikica Jelavic heading home from a free kick, but Villa had to hang on after that, Brad Guzan, the goalkeeper, making an excellent save to deny Jake Livermore and a more routine stop from Sone Aluko, a substitute.
Villa have made their best league start since 2006 and are in a Champions League slot, for the time being, with supporters content enough to sing the name of Paul Lambert, the manager; something that has not happened too often in the past. “Next week it could be something else,” the Scot, only half-joking, said.
Both managers expect to be busy on transfer deadline day. Bruce is close to completing the signing of Abel Hernández, the Palermo striker, to replace Shane Long and has moved George Boyd on to Burnley.
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Bruce has given up on Tom Cleverley but Lambert remains hopeful of signing the Manchester United man, and also wants to bring in at least one more player. The Scot has agreed to let Karim El Ahmadi leave for Feyenoord but is adamant that Ron Vlaar, the captain, who suffered a calf injury in this match, leaving his side to complete it a man down, will not be sold.
Ratings
Aston Villa (4-1-4-1): B Guzan 7 — A Hutton 6, R Vlaar 7, P Senderos 7, A Cissokho 6 — A Westwood 7 — C N’Zogbia 6 (sub: C Sánchez, 64 6), K Richardson 7 (sub: J Grealish, 75), F Delph 7, A Weimann 7 — G Agbonlahor 8 (sub: D Bent, 85). Substitutes not used: S Given, N Baker, L Bacuna, J Cole. Booked: Guzan.
Hull City (3-5-2): A McGregor 6 — C Davies 4 (sub: L Rosenior, 46 6), M Dawson 5, P McShane 7 — A Elmohamady 5, S Quinn 7, T Huddlestone 5 (sub: S Aluko, 71), J Livermore 5, A Robertson 5 — T Ince 5 (sub: R Brady, 57 7), N Jelavic 6. Substitutes not used: S Harper, A Bruce, D Meyler, Y Sagbo. Booked: Jelavic, Elmohamady, Quinn.