Maybe but apart from Holdsworths kicking,he is distinctly average with ball in hand and horne is a runner...still dont believe our H/B problem is sorted.

Question for me is is it Gentles tactics/ game plan that is the issue or the fact the team just don't carry out the instructions? Either way Gentle needs to sort it which he seems unable to do.

Holdsworth has been a bit lacjking with ball in hand. However his kicking game is grade A and something we've needed for a long time and we miss it - Miller isn't as good and we can't even get organised to get a kick away most of the time without him. Holdsworth and Horne improve our organisation.

Horne was close to the top of the SL try assist rankings when he was injured. Think he's still still around 7th even now. He does more than just run.

Clearly he was Hull's best player and it wasn't just down to running as his assist stats show. He also defended better this year.

We seem to have a lack of attacking structures.
We can't blame certain players missing, we have enough quality on the pitch to be doing far better than we are.

He is a very good link player but not a "natural" organiser...id be tempted to go with Horne and Miller against wire.

Same for Wigan too

No idea. And TBH I'm way past caring.


Precisely.

Our attack tonight was the worst I've seen it all season.

I like Gentle, he talks sense and doesn't make excuses, but I'm really struggling to see our attacking game improve/be maintained. Where has our attitude gone from our 9/10 game winning form?

I wouldn't be surprised if he goes IF we lose next week, but I do know consistency is what this team needs and a new coach would mean right back to square one AGAIN. I'm struggling to stay positive at the minute, next week's game is keeping me going... just.

Well without Holdsworth and Horne, and between the two cup matches, I think we could have predicted that tonight. Gentle gambled on picking a full side and his reward is a defeat and an injury to Crooks. Perhaps if there wasn't this blood lust for coaches after a small run (five matches) of bad form then he'd have felt more comfortable resting players tonight, which is what we should have done.

Overall though what Gentle hasn't been able to address so far is the same problem we've had for a number of seasons - game intelligence. We must be the thickest, dumbest team of players that has ever lived. They get a game plan and stick to it until something changes - that could be an injury, a substitution by the oppo (as tonight), or just a bad ten minutes in the game. As soon as there is any change in circumstance at all we go to pieces, go away from everything we planned and start panicking. It's like they only have the brain capacity for a single idea and plan, so if anything happens that deviates us from that we've no idea what to do. I sort of associate it with Westerman's arrival because he's one of the worst for it but it's been going on longer than that and every new signing quickly gets drawn into it.

Remember Shaun McRae's famous 'cancer in the club' comment after a big defeat at Saints years and years ago. Wel we've got a new one now, and it's eating their brains.

Not having a go at the young guy but he did absolutely nothing tonight except kick too long early on. I like him but not yet.

very dissappointed tonight, ive stuck up for gentle in the past but its wearing thin, wouldnt get rid this year but hes got 5 sl games and a cup semi to save himself imo, i really hope he can turn our season around, funny thing is he can still be our first coach to win at wembley

, being hull fc that wouldnt suprise me lol, oh well i will get my tickets next week and shout the lads on next sunday,

Same here. Gentle's signings have been very hit and miss for me, with more misses imo. I'm reserving judgement on Miller for the time being.

Yep. Looking at the two sides before the game started, you'd have backed us to win fairly comfortably. No excuse for not having done so.

Westerman is one of the strangest rl players i've ever seen. From the sublime to ridiculous moments in every game.

I know what u mean about Miller and feel sorry for him as Gentle has just slung the poor sod in and told him to pass inside all the time.

Horne and Holdsworth produced our best attacking displays and worked well together. Horne and Miller would be yet another untried HB combination - and in our season defining game. If both Horne and DJ are fit I'd go with them.

More problems than just the halves though.

He had little choice about putting him straight in. Not sure about the passing instructions either TBH.

Pretty much how I feel. There'll be thousands there next week cheering them on as ever but at the moment we can't even execute a basic game plan and I'm not sure how much more "hard work" that should need at this stage of the year.

Horne could have done that when he returns.

I'm not sure he does on the evidence of his team selections. There are some cases of him leaving out players he signed for players who were here when he arrived. We look weak up front but of our 5 main props he signed 3, made another a regular from our academy, and the other has possibly been our best this season (certainly our most dangerous).

In fact from tonight's 17:

6 were signed by Gentle
3 were academy players made regulars by Gentle
7 have signed/been offered new contracts during Gentle's tenure

So that would leave Westerman he wants rid of.

Then there are 3 of his signings who can't currently get a game ahead of players who were here before Gentle.

Doesn't look like there are too many he's been lumbered with who he doesn't/didn't want to me.

He will do it when he returns.

Gentle's win ratio is around 50%. This season we have won 9 and lost 11 in the league. There is no 'bloodlust after five bad games', but a recognition that those stats aren't good enough.

That's if he's in charge of the recruitment and signing a player is different to coaching him.