I admit it. I have a soft spot for underdogs. Three years ago, I was enamored by Wigan’s brilliant beginning to the season where they surprised so many teams and fans by playing attacking football. Two years ago, it was Reading’s turn to brighten up the Premier League. Last season there was no underdog, but this year we have Hull City, the Yorkshire Terriers of the Premier League.
After watching Hull’s gutsy performance against Manchester City in the 2-2 draw, here are 9 reasons why it’s impossible to not to love Hull City:
- They give 100% whenever they go in for 50/50 balls,
- Midfielder and captain Ian Ashbee has been at Hull City for seven years,
- Geovanni. Say no more,
- Striker Marlon King has regained his form despite being kicked off the Jamaica team and written off by many pundits when he was at Watford two seasons ago,
- The foreign contingent of Kamil Zayatte, Daniel Cousin and George Boateng have been spectacular,
- Defenders Paul McShane, Michael Turner, Zayatte and Andy Dawson have been a rock for Hull City at the back,
- Unsung heroes such as Boaz Myhill, Dean Marney and Samuel Ricketts have been a joy to watch,
- Phil Brown looks like a Sam Allardyce in training, which is exactly what he is (in a good sense), and
- Perhaps most importantly of all, the entire squad plays together so well as a team.
Hull City is everything a Premier League underdog should be. They’re battlers. They’re a joy to watch. The fans are exuberant. Their stadium is sold out. And the eleven players on the pitch never give up.
Phil Brown has instilled a winning belief in the Hull City side. They don’t play in fear of their opponents. How could you not love a team like Hull City?
