Kingston upon Hull: Hull City will need to quickly adapt to their new 3-5-2 formation if they are to drag themselves out of the Premier League relegation battle, manager Mike Phelan said, ahead of Friday’s clash against seventh-placed Everton.
Hull, who are glued to the bottom of the table with 12 points from 18 games, four points adrift of the safety zone, have not won since deploying their new system in the draw with Crystal Palace on December 10.
“It’s not an impossible mission, we’ll keep going,” Phelan told reporters on Thursday.
“We are up for the challenge ahead and players have bought into the new formation. We need to use it to its best.” A similar 3-4-3 formation has proved spectacularly successful for leaders Chelsea, who have gone on a 12-game winning streak since switching to it.
Striker Abel Hernandez will definitely miss Friday’s game. Phelan said the 26-year-old, who injured his groin at the start of November, is now jogging but still “10 days to two weeks” from full fitness.
Everton travel to Hull without Maarten Stekelenburg and James McCarthy, though buoyed by their victory at Leicester on Boxing Day, a first win on the road since the start of September.
Boss Ronald Koeman reverted to his favoured three at the back system against Leicester and may keep the formation against Hull. “Most of the time I prefer three centre-backs against teams that play 4-4-2, because it means it’s not one against one behind,” he explained. “You look for the best way to deal with your opponents’ strengths. It isn’t being afraid, just being prepared.” Young players such as Mason Holgate and Tom Davies may again be called upon as Koeman tries to cope with so many games in such short a period. “We are better off than some, because we get a day extra rest before playing again on January 2,” he said. “But it is a tough period, you can’t do it with 11 players.” Hull have only three wins all season but Koeman intends to take nothing for granted. “The most dangerous thing you can do in football is to expect to win a game, especially when the Premier League is so unpredictable,” he said. “I don’t look at the position in the table because I watched Hull play against Man City and after 70 minutes it was still scoreless. Hull lost against West Ham but they were the best team and hit the post a few times. It will be a tough game and we will need to be at our best.”
