Oct 29 2008
Geovanni Starts Talkin’ Trash
So I had planned to watch the first International Rules test on Saturday morning, but I ended up turning on the West Brom v. Hull City game instead. Stunned by how entertaining it was, I kept watching. For 45 minutes, Hull basically took the best West Brom had to offer and still kept them out. Then Hull gave them a 3-goal beatdown in the second half. It was at that point that I decided to jump on the Tigers’ bandwagon until Reading returned to the Premier League.
As of this morning, Hull is in 3rd place on the Premier League table, equal on points with Chelsea and ahead of Arsenal, Aston Villa and Manchester United. The club needs only 20 more points in 29 games to secure its Premier League status for next season.
You would think the Tigers would approach tonight’s home match against Chelsea as one in which they have nothing to lose. Apparently, though, that’s not enough for Geovanni.
“Big clubs should be wary of us because we are going to continue to surprise them,” Geovanni said. “Chelsea will be next after Arsenal. The Blues have a tremendous squad but they just lost to Liverpool, which is a blow for their morale, so let’s take advantage of it.
“Scolari is a top coach and I do not doubt he will be a success at Chelsea, but I feel sorry for him because we are going to beat his team.”
Yes, that’s a player from Hull City talking shit about his side is going to beat Chelsea. I had no idea that Brazilians enjoyed poking wounded animals with a stick.
You could say he’s earned the right to talk a little. After all, Hull is on a four-match winning streak that has seen the Tigers beat three London clubs. That streak includes a win over Arsenal at Emirates Stadium. Perhaps Geo is just a little drunk on victory right now.
Still, he just wrote a check that his ass might not be able to cash. Chelsea players probably weren’t thinking much of their first league game in KC Stadium since… well, ever, I think. (Chelsea’s last trip to Hull was a Carling Cup match in September, 2007.) But now? They’re probably quite eager to put these mouthy upstarts back in their place — especially after Liverpool ended Chelsea’s home unbeaten streak on Sunday. Do you really want to be the one to play, let alone provoke, these Blues after that?
I suspect Phil Brown, Hull manager and future Liverpool boss, is just smiling and shaking his head over this. He can afford to. After all, his side is playing great football and is in no danger of getting relegated. Still, it does kind of ruin his nothing-to-lose-enjoy-the-moment speech, doesn’t it?
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To me, that’s a sign of a team having fun, playing loose, and believing that they can beat anyone. Sure, it might have the same effect as trash-talking Steve Smith, but someone needs to get an attitude shift sometime. One of the things I hate about Steve Coppell is that he always talks shit about his own team, lowering expectations or something. That sort of thing seems to be endemic outside the Big Four, and it’s painfully horrible strategy. How the hell are you going to beat Chelsea if you don’t think you can do it? Maybe if Hull can pull off a successful season, the smaller EPL clubs will grow a pair and get some sort of swagger. The league desperately needs it.
Congratulations, I’m now officially on the Hull bandwagon with you. Maybe they’ll actually come out attacking instead of putting ten behind the ball and hoping for the best like other promoted teams do with the Big Four.