West Brom boss slams ‘fake’ Hull City as he launches scathing attack

West Brom boss Valerien Ismael slams ‘fake’ Hull City as he launches scathing attack on his opposition after beating them on Wednesday night.

The Baggies head coach blasted the Tigers’ tactics after inflicting a fifth straight defeat on the struggling side at The Hawthorns.

Karlan Grant swept home in the 69th minute for the only goal of the game to reward a dominant West Brom performance to see Hull suffer a seventh game without an away goal with there now being calls to sack Grant McCann.

In Ismael’s post-match interview, he highlighted his displeasure at what he believed to be ‘fake injuries’ and time-wasting from the travelling side, who lost Alfie Jones early on to a recurrence of the hamstring which had kept him out in recent weeks.

The Albion boss was far from happy at the tactics employed by McCann, who now sit second bottom of the table with just two wins from their opening 16 Championship games.

“It was a difficult game, as we expected,” the ex-Barnsley boss said.

“But the opponent came here to waste time, with so many fake injuries, trying to create frustration and they wanted the ball out (of play).

“We know this situation and we managed it well – we stayed patient and we controlled the game.

“It was the best ‘in-possession’ game we have had this season and we created plenty of chances.

“It was all about staying patient and then we scored at the right moment.”

Ismael also paid tribute to former Huddersfield Town striker Karlan Grant, who notched his seventh goal in eight games, to seal a fourth straight Hawthorns win.

“He is important for us,” he explained.

“When I came in I said he will have a massive part to play in our season.

“We’re all delighted for him but he needs to continue and he can’t be satisfied with that.

“Last week he made a mistake when he lost the ball and we conceded a goal but I was delighted he did really well here.”

Despite the result, Grant McCann admitted Hull’s battling performance in defeat to West Brom left him feeling proud and frustrated.

“I couldn’t have asked for more of the boys tonight, I thought they were excellent in terms of what we asked them to do in terms of the game plan,” McCann told BBC Radio Humberside.

“We were defensively sound, the shape and structure of the team was excellent.

“If I had one critical element of our play it would be that we didn’t (get) the last pass at times, to get Keane and Magennis in was a bit lacking, but when we did we looked threatening.

“We defended manfully all game, it’s a mistake from us – it’s a mistake that’s obviously cost us and that’s what West Brom want to do, that’s what we drummed into the players, we wanted to play over the press and down the sides of their press,” he said on conceding the goal.

“We didn’t want to play into their press and we did it, and it cost us the game.

“I said to them if we play like that for the rest of the season then we won’t have any problems and we will climb the table.

“I thought we were magnificent against one of the best teams in the league, probably the best, we defended everything that came into our box manfully.

“We had two possibly three magnificent chances to equalise right at the end, Ryan Longman possibly should have shot on his left foot, Keano on another day probably scores.

“For us, I was proud of the performance, obviously disappointed with the mistake.”

As the West Brom boss slams ‘fake’ Hull City whilst he launches a scathing attack on his opposition, Twitter users reacted to the final score…

ON WEST BROM’S TWEET:

@jpriv78982: poor game management today as usual

@maxutfa: how can he say that without laughing

@Marty_Duffy: We were pony

@BenKirman11: Shit footy

@thefuzzzyone: Against a newly promoted Hull City from League One and we only scrape 1 goal against them yeah we won I get that but we won with a poor performance as per usual. Taylor Gardner Hickman was outstanding tonight. I know he was only there to fill in for Furlong but he deserves more!

@BaggiesTom1: Wouldn’t say we deserved to win

@Rondxnn: Philosophy man’s head is well and truly scrambled

@BogsAIf: Starting to quite dislike this chap. He’s either completely deluded or just chatting pure lies to make our performances seem better. Just come out and say we weren’t good enough today man it’s not hard

@PallettJack: 3 points towards finishing in the top 6. That’s about the only “positive” I can find.

@tomfletcher1978: Shambles and a lucky team we are tonight, we need massive changes and even bigger investment, rubbish albion

@WBALLLLL: Christ Hull are awful and we nearly threw it away ffs

@jayreillywba: That was a difficult watch 😂

@itzCbee11: How have we escaped that then

@HappyB79: Don’t kid yourself – that was dreadful.

@JDWBA2: Lucky, first half performance was awful. TGH and Reach only ones that performed

@joebell45: scraped past them, 2 guilt edge chances, any other team in the league takes one. We are genuinely so bad

@WBADyl: Well that was fuckin shit

@normifieder: Timewasting against Hull 😭 what a shambles we are

@Yacxb: Good result but awful performance. This feels like papering over the cracks

ON HULL CITY’S TWEET:

@Luke_R02: Last 36 Championship games under Grant McCann
Won: 3
Drawn: 6
Lost: 27
Scored: 26
Conceded: 75
Difference: -49
Points: 15 of a possible 108

@j_atkinson04: That was better but what’s the point if we’re gonna throw it away with stupid individual errors. On it’s own not a bad result, in context it’s awful. McCann out

@HullPhilT: The only reason McCann is still here is the Allam’s…..
No budget
No idea
No backbone…
The only interest they have is what they get the club to pay themselves on their “gift”…

@rodrigobringela: we’re all going on a league one tour once again

@BelcherHCAFC: Sell Potter whenever you can. Let Wilks leave and put Magennis back in the Bolton wanderers side. Fuck me.

@ArchE56111461: McCann is just undoing everything from last season, don’t get me started on that pathetic so called defence. This Hull City compared to the one of previous seasons is unrecognisable

@BelcherHCAFC: Absolutely shite. Three chances in the last few minutes!! Disgraceful

@lucyk512: Sack him. Sack him immediately.

@Joshstart11: Cardiff bad run – sacked manager. Barnsley bad run – sacked manager. City bad run – keep the clown in charge!!!

@DougWestcott1: Another horror shit show. Absolutely clueless manager, so awful.