Hull City v Newcastle United
Venue: KC Stadium
Kick off:1:30pm
A recent blip has dented Newcastle United’s progress and John Carver wants the winning feeling to return at Hull City today.
John Carver wants Newcastle United to put a smile back on his face this weekend with a repeat performance of last season’s rout at Hull City.
Newcastle left the KC Stadium with three Premier League points courtesy of a superb 4-1 victory last March, a brace from Moussa Sissoko and further goals from Loic Remy and Vurnon Anita doing the damage.
A similar showing would be a welcome relief to a Newcastle side who have failed to win any of the four matches Carver has overseen and they have lost three on the spin.
However, Carver, who this week was confirmed as head coach until the end of the season, remains optimistic that victory today could be the catalyst for an upturn in fortunes.
“Last season at Hull was one of our best performances of the season,” he said.
“A similar performance and result will see a smile back on my face.
“We’ve got 16 games left. Why can’t we go on a run? I’ve seen enough to suggest we can.”
Carver, whose side have slipped to 11th, described his pride at taking the Newcastle role until at least May and stated that he is keen to fully implement his own ideas.
“I’m so proud and honoured to be able to be head coach of a football club like this,” he added.
Carver has been boosted by the returns of Gabriel Obertan and Mehdi Abeid from thigh and toe injuries respectively, while the game comes too soon for Siem de Jong (knee), who has been absent since August.
In Hull, Newcastle face a side who sit in the relegation zone having lost three of their past four league matches.
A crippling injury list has hindered manager Steve Bruce, who has been forced to make do without the likes of Nikica Jelavic, Mohamed Diame (both knee), Abel Hernandez (groin) and Andy Robertson (ankle).
In the reverse fixture earlier this season, Papiss Cisse’s late double denied Hull victory in a 2-2 draw in September.
