Starts: 📝 Here's your Hull City line-up to take on @LaticsOfficial this evening…* Unchanged Starting XI.* Brandon Fleming replaces Liam Ridgewell on the bench.#hcafc | #theTigers pic.twitter.com/6Y7jdC5wev— Hull City (@HullCity) April 10, 2019
Starts: 📝 Here's your Hull City line-up to take on @Boro this afternoon…* Nigel Adkins sticks with the same starting 11 for a third game running.* Liam Ridgewell is back on the bench in-place of Brandon Fleming.#hcafc | #theTigers pic.twitter.com/2jHJrwABDd— Hull City (@HullCity) April 13, 2019
Starts: 📝 Here's your Hull City line-up to take on @SUFC_tweets this afternoon…* George Long starts in-between the sticks.* Marc Pugh & Robbie McKenzie return to the starting XI.* Jackson Irvine takes the captain's armband.#hcafc | #theTigers pic.twitter.com/jpzIsxGLKa— Hull City (@HullCity) April 22, 2019
Starts: 📝 Here's your Hull City line-up to take on @SwansOfficial this afternoon…* Henriksen, Kingsley & Stewart replace Kane, Pugh & Campbell.* Brandon Fleming takes a place amongst the substitutes.#hcafc | #theTigers pic.twitter.com/KFISW2VDiN— Hull City (@HullCity) April 27, 2019
Starts 2nd half in friendly: 📝 @HullCity Second Half XI: Long; Lichaj (C), Greaves, de Wijs, Fleming; Stewart, Batty, Chadwick; Salam, Lewis-Potter, Milinkovic.#LosTigres | #hcafc | #theTigers— Hull City (@HullCity) July 9, 2019
On the bench: 📝 @HullCity Starting XI: Ingram (GK); McKenzie, Greaves, Tafazolli, Fleming; Batty (C), Sheaf, Toral; Bowler, Milinkovic, Dicko.Substitutes: Long (GK), Lichaj, de Wijs, Stewart, Grosicki, Bowen, Henriksen, Kingsley, Ritson, Lewis-Potter, Irvine.#hcafc | #theTigers pic.twitter.com/gLnpHgj958— Hull City (@HullCity) July 24, 2019
Smart decision to make Eric Lichaj @HullCity Captain next season, experienced, consistent, passionate and gives his all every single game. Congratulations Eric! #CaptainAmerica🇺🇸 #Hcafc🐯 pic.twitter.com/8F7VJkqUMB— Hull City News🇹🇷 (@HullCityStats) July 25, 2019 Good deal for Eric Lichaj. Nice to see he's impressed the new manager.
Yes, he signed a two-year contract with Hull last summer. I suspect he'll stay in England but I don't know about Hull. We'll see how they fare under their new manager but they're projected to finish pretty low. Hull went really young this offseason so I'm not surprised they're counting on Lichaj to serve as a leader. If the youth is up to the task, maybe they'll be a surprise.
Starts in friendly: 📝 @HullCity Starting XI: Long (GK); Lichaj (C), de Wijs, Burke, Kingsley; Stewart, Irvine, Toral; Bowen, Grosicki, Dicko.Substitutes: Ingram (GK), Tafazolli, Batty, Bowler, Fleming, Henriksen, Greaves, Lewis-Potter.#hcafc | #theTigers pic.twitter.com/XjHKEfELfz— Hull City (@HullCity) July 27, 2019
Here's the report from Hull's newspaper on his player rating: Eric Lichaj City’s new skipper was typically diligent at right-back and pushed on in support of his winger when possible. Most of the Tigers’ problems came down the opposite flank to the more impressive Lichaj. 6 I read in the game story he had a nice shot from distance that swerved just off frame. Overall not a great result for Hull but our YA put in an honest shift in his first as permanent captain.
💬 "I will be proud and honoured to wear the armband and lead the team out this season."@EricLichaj reflects on being named Hull City's Club captain for the 2019/20 campaign ➡️ https://t.co/mcjfc8O2KR#hcafc | #theTigers— Hull City (@HullCity) July 31, 2019
I suspect Eric has the highest minutes-as-pro-in-England to minutes-played-for-the-NT ratio, for any US player.
Starts in the season opener away to Swansea City (they are up 1-0 already). 🔥 Our XI to take on @SwansOfficial in half an hour...#hcafc | #theTigers pic.twitter.com/SGtOW72BJe— Hull City (@HullCity) August 3, 2019
Hull ended up losing 2-1. Lichaj went the distance and picked up a yellow card. In the highlights below, he draws a yellow card at 2:22 (right on the left edge of the video). Runner gets behind him a 6:42 eventually leading to a chance. During the 2018/2019 season he played in 39 games (35 starts) for Hull City registering 1 assist and 5 yellow cards. Lichaj also made 1 start in the FA Cup.
I went back and watched most of this game. Hull had a good chance to steal a point without their best striker, Bowen. Swansea did not look very good for a team many favor for promotion. I did not think it was one of Lichaj's better games. Some uncharacteristic stuff I expect he'll clean up. However, he probably should have been moved to LB to start the second half. Dyer killed Kingsley, their LB, all game. It felt like any goals Swansea got would come from him and he basically got two assists although he won't be credited with the first. They also have some new CB's they're working in. Of note, rumors that Kingsley may be sold to Scotland which could lead to Lichaj moving back to LB as he did at the end of last season. That combined with Hull getting 10 million pounds from the Maguire sale could make for an interesting end to the transfer window for Hull.
Lichaj didn't end last season in good form, at least compared to how he looked when he regained his starting spot back in January. That's why I stopped asking to see him with the NT too.
I thought he looked really good when they moved him to LB and let him stay there the last third of the season. Between that, his Portugal friendly, and the dearth of other options, that's when I started calling for him to be the LB in earnest. He was looking a little shaky for Hull towards the end of the winter when he was moving to a different position, even CB, each game. When they basically got down to him as the LB and let him play there all the time, he was really solid when I watched. I guess we'll see what shakes out the rest of this transfer window. The new manager seems to like him so that's a positive.
Eric's not going anywhere unless his form drops dramatically. Thing is, Hull is a mid-table Championship club at best, with no big ambitions. So he's ok, but just ok.
Starts: 📝 The team news is in!Here's how the Tigers will line up to take on @ReadingFC this afternoon…🔶 Eaves makes his first start.⬛️ Honeyman & Pennington features on the bench.#hcafc | #theTigers pic.twitter.com/UkCargDuVQ— Hull City (@HullCity) August 10, 2019