From Hull and back

There was something of the unexpected at Fratton Park on Saturday. Portsmouth without Dindane (just to save a cool 4 million) coming from behind to kick Iain Dowie squarely where it hurts in a game which did nothing to help the survival hopes of Portsmouth and must have given Dowie a long hard think on that journey back to the North East, with no points and no shortage of defensive issues.

To sack Phil Brown in the week was a move I and the women's institute could have understood for the guy had clearly lost control of the many issues he had in the dressing room. However when your in that much trouble at the wrong end of the table with only a handful of games left changing the guard is akin to rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic. Dowie was appointed by Hull in the week and within 7 days his hopes of achieving the first objective of his brief are looking bleak indeed.

This was a game that Hull without an away win all season needed to win because not only did it represent their best chance of the elusive win, the cost of defeat in terms of points and morale will be irretrievable come May. So when Jamie O'hara scored with his inch perfect free kick in the 88th Minute you would expect Jimmy Bullard and Co to dig in and at least hold on for a draw. But no. They simply switched off. Maybe the O'Hara strike had been such a hammer blow after they had nearly held out for the win they simply lost all hope and focus.

Whatever happened to eventually lose a game they needed so much to win will ensure that Dowie's task has become twice as hard as it was just 4 days earlier. At least then the players would have felt that by now they would have been closer to safety.

One defeat does not make the probable a dead certain guarantee but if Hull City survive from here then Dowie will have more than earnt a contract extension - he will have to change his name to Houdini!

Following up

Well Gillingham didn't win at Carlisle but I'll bet they fancy their chances at lowly Stockport tomorrow...
Also what is it at Arsenal - now Bendtner is doing what Walcott did on Saturday. On Saturday he couldn't hit a barn door with a banjo but on Tuesday night the same chances were put away with confidence and he looked a different player. Oh and Sol Campbell is getting clean sheets again. Write Arsenal off for the title - not just yet....

A wish away

Poor Andrew Strauss must have been watching Alistair Cook this morning and wondering if he really did make the right choice to stay home rather than join England's tour of Bangladesh.
True the opposition are not at the top of the cricketting ladder but when you struggled like Strauss did over the tour of South Africa then you will surely be eager for runs at the next opportunity. This tour always looked like it would provide just that.
Cook (or "Chef") as Kevin Pieterson called him lost the toss and was rewarded with the opportunity to bat and his 158 today can only have done him good.
Strauss may be a little burnt out and tired and I'm sure in one way it will have cheered him to see his colleagues racking up runs and finding some form. However in another way I'll bet there is a part of him that is wishing he'd gone now.....

Race for the World Cup

Is it me or does this happen every time we encroach on a World Cup?
Wednesday night Theo 'fish out of water' Walcott put in an England performance that was full of energy and pace but devoid of any quality when he received the ball. Wright-Phillips came off the bench and looked useful pocketing a goal in a decent of the bench performance. Beckham sat on the bench not even needing to kick a ball to remain a favourite for the finals in South Africa.
Then we get to Saturday. Arsenal v Burnley and all of a sudden Walcott looks the business; scurrying runs delivering dangerous balls into the box and scoring a sublime goal which put him back in the forefront of Fabio Capellos thoughts. Its infuriating but I guess that's football. It's a nice problem to have for England.
On the other hand there are other players like Peter Crouch who can not do hardly anything of purpose for their club (ask Liverpool fans as well as those at White Hart Lane) but somehow get selected for the national team and if you blinked you will have missed it but he now has 20 goals for England. Hands up if you saw that coming five years ago? Thought not. It's a funny old game....