Hull preview

I'm back in the UK for a fleeting visit, but sadly a midweek trip to Hull is not on the agenda for me. Having researched trains, plane and automobile options, I've sensibly decided not to make a tortuous trip up north, that would have required me to be back in London for an early meeting on Weds.

It does all beg the question why for example Ipswich are travelling to Burnley (231 miles), on the same night that Charlton are travelling to Hull (195 miles), when we could be travelling to play each other (75 miles and 91 miles respectively)?

Anyhow, as is becoming a habit, it is another fixture that offers the chance to reacquaint ourselves with old friends, in this instance Bryan Hughes and Michael Turner. Meanwhile our own Phil Parkinson will be feeling a bit like Iain Dowie did on Saturday ie. a little embarrassed about his short and disappointing spell at the club (even if Dowie managed to suggest he was anything but).

The draw at Coventry was frustrating, although I suspect most fans would have settled for a point before the game, and it maintains the strong run of unbeaten form that we began during the second half at home to Sheffield Wednesday.

Including our two Carling Cup games during that period, we have scored 16 goals in just 8 games, reinforcing the sense that we have something of an embarrassment of riches in terms of attacking options. Sadly we are yet to feel the same way about the defence, and as a result, again I would settle for a point, with another very winnable home game on the horizon.

With Danny Mills generally impressing at right-back, and Yassin Moutouakil a very capable alternative, our options at left-back are notably less deep, with Chris Powell presumably not exactly relishing the relentless tide of fixtures, and Ben Thatcher a less than convincing 'first choice'. In between the full-backs, Fortune and Bougherra have become the default partnership, and one which does not yet give fans that warm fuzzy feeling of confidence, particularly away from home.

Hull have begun the season solidly, and their front two partnership of Henrik Pedersen and Dean Windass are a pair of veritable battering rams. What price a flair up with Danny Mills some time this evening? Elsewhere former Addick Hughes has been relegated to the subs bench, again begging the question how anyone (particularly Curbs) ever thought him remotely Premiership quality.

I expect Pards to opt for Iwelumo alone up front, with Holland returning to central midfield, and Zheng released from some of his defensive reponsibilities to provide deep-lying support for the big Scot. As a result, I expect us to line up as follows: Weaver, Mills, Powell, Bougherra, Fortune, Sam, Reid, Zheng, Semedo, Holland, Iwelumo. Subs: Randolph, Moutouakil, Sodje, Varney, Todorov.

NY Addick predicts: Hull 1 (Windass), Charlton 1 (Zheng). Att: 14,220.