Sunday 24 May 2015 21:10, UK
We reflect on Hull City's 2014/15 campaign following their relegation from the Premier League...
Hull City
Finishing position: 18th (-2 on last season)
Total points: 35 (-2 on last season)
Europa League: Eliminated in qualifying play-off by Lokeren
FA Cup: Eliminated in third round by Arsenal
Capital One Cup: Eliminated in third round by West Brom
Season review
A season that showed promise ended in disaster for Steve Bruce’s Hull City as their relegation was sealed on the final day of the campaign. After beating the drop and reaching the FA Cup final last year, Hull embarked on a summer of big spending to consolidate their position in the top flight. But record £10m signing Abel Hernandez scored just four goals, Jake Livermore tested positive for cocaine, Robert Snodgrass and Mo Diame suffered serious injuries, and the less said about loan signings Hatem Ben Arfa and Gaston Ramirez the better.
Their ill-fated transfer dealings were mirrored by poor performances on the pitch. Hull’s Europa League campaign was over before the end of August after an away goals defeat to Lokeren in the qualifying play-off, and their domestic season soon started heading in the same direction. After opening the season with a 1-0 win away to QPR, the Tigers embarked on a horrible run of just one win in 16 games, and at Christmas time they sat 19th having taken just 13 points from 17 games. Fellow strugglers Sunderland were beaten 3-1 on Boxing Day and there was also a 2-0 victory over Everton on New Year’s Day, but consistency deserted them again.
Consecutive defeats to Arsenal, Burnley and Tottenham meant they had to beat Manchester United on the final day of the campaign to have any hope of staying up. In the end, Newcastle’s 2-0 win over West Ham and Hull’s goalless draw with Louis van Gaal’s side ensured they will start next season in the Championship
Charlie Nicholas's star player: Andrew Robertson
“In terms of value for money, potential and making the step up to the Premier League, he’s a superstar find by Hull. He’s done brilliantly and, at just £2.85million and only 20 years old, looks a great investment. He deserves the acknowledgement and I’m proud as punch of the young lad.”
Quotes of the season
“We’re all let down. But the biggest one he has let down is a blossoming career. He’s let himself down. Being tarnished with that is awful and he’ll have to live with the consequences of that. The conversation I had with him is the hardest conversation I think I’ve had with any footballer I’ve ever had. To inform him he’s failed a drugs test is not easy” - Steve Bruce in Jake Livermore
“He showed an awful lot of ability in training, but you just wanted to bang your head against a wall” - James Chester on Hatem Ben Arfa
"At the end of August when I looked at the squad I didn't think we would be in this situation" - Steve Bruce on relegation
Stats of the season
- Hull have conceded the most goals from outside of the box in the Premier League this season (13)
- The Tigers have never won a Premier League game in the month of May (four draws and nine defeats)
- Ahmed Elmohamady created 63 chances in the Premier League this season - 28 more than any other Hull player
Jamie Carragher's view
“I know the owner has caused problems with the fans in terms of the name change but in terms of what he’s put into the club and the players they’ve bought, he’s backed the manager. It’s a big disappointment for them and they’ve spent a lot of money. In terms of getting them back up, they’ve got a manager who knows his way around the Championship, done it before and been successful.
"So I think it’d be right if they stuck with Steve Bruce. I think the owner came out a week ago and said they’d like to keep him if they went down. The way football has gone, you automatically think that if a team gets relegated then the manager is going to lose his job. But Steve Bruce has taken Hull out of the Championship so he’s proven in that division.”
