Pre-match Report: Hull City

IT’S REALLY OVER AND THE MIGHTY VILLA ARE GONNA PLAY TODAY.

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Sorry, I got a bit excited.

But for all of us here at The Claret & View, we’re going to break down the positive and negative notes that Aston Villa need to pay attention to up to kickoff.

Hull City manger Nigel Adkins has been a little more than generous when talking about his side going up against Aston Villa. While Villa are 4th on the EFL Championship table, Hull City are in a lowly 18th position and are no means safe from relegation this late in the season. Adkins had this to say about  his side coming up against Aston Villa:

“We need more points than we’ve got now to make sure we’re in the Championship next season, that’s guaranteed, We’ve just got to break it down and do our best to win the next game. They’re all tough in the Championship, that’s the way you’ve got to look at it.

We’re going into Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday now and it’s demanding mentally and physically. It’s a war of attrition and you’ve got to put yourself out there. It’ll be tough.”

You can tell by the way Mr. Adkins chose his words that he is not confident going in to this match.

Hull City found themselves on the wrong end of a 3-0 defeat to Birmingham City right before the international break. Using the law of averages, if Hull City think that defeating Villa that easily, they are sorely mistaken. There a bounty of teams who will covet a defeat from The Tigers against Villa and Adkins will no doubt try to do all he can to make sure his team gains all three points in this contest.

Steve Bruce has been much more animated and positive in his pre-game comments. Bruce has done a remarkable job in being candid to cameras and reporters alike lately. Bruce has notified the press that Villa striker Jonathan Kodjia will be involved in the Hull City game. Kodjia has been injured for the majority of the season, but has shown Instagram photos and videos of his recovery. The news of Kodjia returning came off as a whirlwind to a multitude of Aston Villa supporters. Kodjias’ inclusion could mean a world of difference between playoff contention and automatic promotion in the event that Cardiff or Wolves start to falter on the league table. Even though the Villa striker has been doing all he can to return to full-time status, Steve Bruce has signified that 45 minutes of a closed-door friendly has impressed him mightily. Is there any chance that Kodjia will be the cog in the machine to see Villa prosper to the Premier League? Time will tell…

Aston Villa absolutely needs to win this game against Hull City. The Villans may not win this game in a convincing fashion after a long international break, but Villa need to attain 3 points no matter how hard the challenge must be. Steve Bruce will be wise to select a starting eleven that is right for this fixture coming off an elongated break, not so much for what the supporters must think is right.