Hull City Season Review 2009/10

Last updated : 12 May 2010 By Andy Beill

How has the season gone? Was it better or worse than you expected last August?
Worse. I expected a relegation battle, we ended up with relegation acquiescence. We had a couple of short runs of good results - four games unbeaten in November and holding off Chelsea and Manchester City in February - but the rest of the season was mainly long periods between wins and disappointment as we failed to beat the division's lower ranked teams. Whether that was the manager's or the players' fault, or both, is open for debate, but there were many games we could and should have got better results from that would have left us safe at the end of the season. Some poor teams survived because of Hull City.

Who has been your best player over the season?
There has been no stand-out player. Stephen Hunt probably delivered the most top quality performances. Geovanni showed good early season form and Jimmy Bullard had three outstanding games, but after that both were disappointing. Jozy Altidore and Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink looked like capable strikers, especially when paired together, but were not given long enough runs in the team. George Boateng and Andy Dawson always gave it their best, and Anthony Gardner gave us a good return despite two injuries. Youngsters Steven Mouyokolo and Tom Cairney were very impressive; we may struggle to keep hold of them.

What was the best moment of the season for your side?
We again gave the big teams a run for their money - losing to injury time goals against Chelsea (away) and Arsenal (home), battling to draws against Manchester City (away), Tottenham (away) and Chelsea (home), and beating Manchester City (home) - but they're not the games that will keep you up.

The run in November was the high point of the season. Jimmy Bullard made his comeback in the game against Stoke and he set up the last minute winner. We came from 0-2 down after 11 minutes to go ahead against West Ham, and then held on for a draw after having a man sent off. We beat Everton after racing to a 3-0 lead in 28 minutes. The month was completed unbeaten when Jimmy Bullard equalised at Manchester City and performed the greatest ever goal celebration. It was downhill from there: We lost the next game and injured-again Bullard left the field in tears.

What was the game of the season?
The 3-3 draw against West Ham. Although it was only the 13th game of the season both clubs knew they would be fighting each other to avoid relegation. Drawing the game at home wasn't the result we were hoping for, but we couldn't count ourselves unlucky after being 0-2 down early on and playing most of the second half with ten men. Poor defending from both teams made for an exciting game of football.

If you were manager what would you be doing this summer?
We don't have a manger this summer! Chairman Adam Pearson has taken on the role of Head of Football Operations to concentrate on selling players and renegotiating the payments of players' contracts to see that the club makes it to the start of next season without going into administration and has a squad that won't drain the club's resources (and more).

Ideally, players with expensive contracts will be sold off to clubs willing to match what we're paying them, leaving us with the mainstays of our last promotion team and some good young players to add to it.

Where do you see the club going from here?
If we can make it through the next few weeks and sell the players we need to, we should be left with a team capable of competing in the Championship. If the finances pass critical point and we go into administration, we can only hope that Adam Pearson is able to save us once again and we don't continue on a descent down the leagues.

Dan Buxton of Stoke City Mad site The Boothen Roar was asking the questions