Life under Marco Silva appears to have been enjoyable for Hull City’s players so far, not least Abel Hernández. The Uruguay striker has scored three goals in as many games since Silva replaced Mike Phelan as head coach at the KCOM Stadium this month.
Hernández, 26, had scored only once this season before Silva’s arrival — in part because of a groin injury — but showed quality and confidence with two excellent strikes in a victory over Bournemouth that lifted Hull off the bottom of the Premier League.
“This is why the club paid the money for him,” said Hull forward Robert Snodgrass of the £10 million signing from Palermo in 2014. “He scores goals. When you have got a guy who can score goals, it can be the difference sometimes between winning the game and not.
“We’ve played well for five, six weeks but we’ve not had that sort of clinical finisher to take the chances.
“You only get half a chance sometimes against these big boys. Abel was that man.”
Advertisement
Hernández’s goals on Saturday helped Hull rally in admirable fashion after they fell behind in the third minute to Junior Stanislas’s penalty.
Bournemouth burned brightly for 30 minutes but Silva’s side never looked back after Hernández met Andrew Robertson’s perfect cross from close range.
Hernández’s second goal came after he ran at defender Tyrone Mings and swept the ball home, before the unfortunate Mings deflected Tom Huddlestone’s drive into the net for Hull’s third.
Both Hernández and Snodgrass, the Scotland international, have been the subject of interest from other clubs during this transfer window. Aston Villa are understood to want Hernández, while West Ham have had a bid rejected for Snodgrass.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Snodgrass said. “There’s too much stuff going on, from different angles, but it’s up to the club really.
Advertisement
“Let people talk. It’s for you guys [the media] to talk, not for me. I’m here and that’s why the manager has got me in the team, to work hard for my team-mates.”
Bournemouth’s season has been a continuation of remarkable progress under Eddie Howe, the manager, but they have conceded three goals in eight of their past ten fixtures.
“If you’re a neutral and you’re looking at Bournemouth, you’d probably say it’s been a great season so far,” Howe said.
“When you’re living it every day, you’re suffering defeats and it doesn’t feel that way.”
Ratings
Hull City (4-3-3): E Jakupovic 6 — H Maguire 6, M Dawson 6, C Davies 6, A Robertson 7 — R Mason 7 (sub: J Livermore 86min), T Huddlestone 7, S Clucas 6 — R Snodgrass 8 (sub: Evandro 75), A Hernández 8 (sub: O Niasse 82), A Diomandé 6. Substitutes not used: D Marshall, J Weir, J Tymon, J Bowen.
Bournemouth (4-2-3-1): A Boruc 6 — A Smith 5, S Cook 6, T Mings 4, C Daniels 6 — A Surman 6, H Arter 5 — J Stanislas 6 (sub: M Pugh 68, 7), J Wilshere 5, R Fraser 6 (sub: J King 54, 6) — B Afobe 5 (sub: C Wilson 54, 6). Substitutes not used: A Federici, D Gosling, B Smith, J Ibe. Booked: A Smith.
Referee: M Atkinson. Attendance: 17,963