The Local Lowdown: Hull City

Hull have been hovering in and around the play-off places all season. How would you rate the team’s progress under Liam Rosenior?

I think it's been really positive and the progress is clear. They've struggled since promotion from League One and it's taken time for them to put together a competitive squad capable of competing in the top half, which is something they've got now.

We all know how tough, competitive and relentless the Championship is, and to have been in and around the top six after 30 games is significant progress, but the challenge for them is to remain there in the next 15 when it matters.

What they do have under Rosenior is a defined way of playing, a clear style and approach which has now cascaded down throughout the club and into the academy – and powers of recovery to respond to the inevitable setbacks all teams suffer throughout the campaign. They're right in the mix and deserve to be there, and they'll hope the opportunity they've created for themselves isn't wasted.

Three wins in the last four had thrust Hull back into contention ahead of the weekend’s fixtures. With only two goals conceded in that time, has the team tightened up defensively?

That's a tough one to answer. The goal they conceded against Swansea City and Rotherham United were both poor from a defensive point of view, and that's been an issue throughout the season. Poor goals have been a theme. At the New York Stadium, they were rocky for the first 15 minutes but recovered well and battered the Millers thereafter.

Ex-Saint Alfie Jones and Jacob Greaves have formed a terrific partnership, but, as a team, they've not been as solid as last season under Liam Rosenior, but that can be put down to a desire to be a little more expansive, and that's come at the cost of being, at times, too open going the other way.

Jaden Philogene went viral for his “goal” at Rotherham last week… was it actually his?

The EFL have since credited him with the goal and rightly so. He manages to get enough bend on the ball to suggest it was arching towards the far corner even before it flicked off the ruffled mop of Cameron Humphreys. It's a wonderful piece of skill from a player who brings you so much joy as a football fan.

That said, as good as the goal was, we shouldn't forget the role Ozan Tufan placed in pressing Ollie Rathbone into making the error, but it was sublime and surely has a chance of being nominated for the Puskas prize?

How highly do you rate the winger, and who else should Saints be keeping an eye on?

I'm a big fan of Jaden, and I wrote just before his return how much joy players like him bring. Football's all about making memories and enjoying those moments, and Jaden is a player who can deliver them. We saw in the home fixture (4-1 win) over Rotherham when he backheeled in the third goal, it's just a joy to watch. He's City's most exciting player for me, but in Fabio Carvalho and Anass Zaroury, they have players who can do similar. 

How do you see the game going at St Mary’s?

I think on paper at least, it has the makings of being a really attractive game. Both sides have a defined way of playing, both managers are similar in their approaches and, as ex-Saints midfielder David Prutton described the game on our 1904 Club podcast ahead of the home game earlier this season, it could be a passathon.

Saints will be keen to protect that impressive home record, but City will arrive confident and bullish about their chances. Obviously, due to print timings, these notes are written prior to the weekend action, but Rosenior's men will be hoping they arrive at St Mary's on the back of a win at Huddersfield and looking to win three games in a row for the first time since the manager took charge in November 2022.

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