Characters and leaders: Abel Hernandez is proving missing link as Hull City rise

MARCO SILVA may have started learning English almost a year ago but he clearly needs to step up the sessions in the classroom further.
Hull's Abel Hernandez celebrates scoring his second goal.Hull's Abel Hernandez celebrates scoring his second goal.
Hull's Abel Hernandez celebrates scoring his second goal.

Stood in the technical area in the second half on Saturday, the Portuguese was oblivious to the request of Hull City supporters, in joyous song, for him to give them a wave.

If someone cared to inform him after the game about that etiquette of managers reciprocating that gesture and the meaning of that phrase, he will have quickly understood and probably had a smile on his face, too.

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It is a sign of early success and acceptance when fans warm to a manager in that way.

While Silva’s command of English may not be fine-tuned yet, the messages that he is conveying to his Hull players at their training ground in nearby Cottingham are most definitely not getting lost in translation.

Dressed in a sharp suit, minus a coat and looking ill-prepared for the east coast winter weather, Silva may have felt chilly in the opening half-hour of his first league match in charge.

But, thankfully, the temperatures had risen significantly by the final whistle, with players and supporters entitled to like the cut of their new manager’s jib.

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Some wins are bigger than others and this one was a huge one, with the psychological aspect of Hull moving off the bottom of the Premier League following their first win in 10 league matches since November 6.

That date was also significant for representing the previous league start of Abel Hernandez and on Saturday’s evidence, the £10m striker is clearly intent upon making up for lost time.

In a performance of tenacity, character and substance from Hull, Hernandez stood tall. His first goal was clinical in the best traditions of a centre-forward, and his second was mesmerising.

On the importance of a fit and flying Hernandez and on City’s much-needed victory and ebullient performance, Robert Snodgrass said: “This is why the club paid the money for him. He scores goals.

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“We have played well for five or six weeks, from the Middlesbrough game onwards, but we have not had that sort of clinical finisher to take the chances. You only get half a chance sometimes against these big boys. Abel was that man today.”

On the Silva factor, the Scot added: “He has just been on the training ground, constant. It has just been small, little details killing us in recent weeks – goals (conceded) against Everton, Palace, things like that. He is just trying to stop that and create chances at the other end.

“The new manager is looking for reactions. He is looking for characters and leaders.”

In the end, a sticky afternoon ended up being a comfortable one, as City overpowered a Bournemouth side who had embarrassingly put them to the sword on the south coast with an 6-1 autumnal victory.

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That said, the early omens did not look good as the free-flowing Cherries threatened to carry on from where they left off in Dorset by playing some enlightened football against bewildered hosts in a dominant opening half-hour.

Hull were afforded the worst possible start when Harry Maguire, filling in the problematic right-back berth, needlessly bundled over Ryan Fraser in the area and Junior Stanislaus was not about the pass up that gift, blasting home a third-minute penalty opener.

Weaving pretty patterns with their passing and movement, Bournemouth looked far too sophisticated for Hull, with Harry Arter going close to a second before Jakupovic made a key save to deny Benik Afobe, who had too much pace for Michael Dawson.

To Hull’s credit, they dusted themselves down and not for the first time this term, their response was stirring.

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It brought a 32nd-minute leveller when Hernandez clinically headed home Andrew Robertson’s centre and, after that, the hosts did not look back.

Bournemouth came into the game with a record of having conceded three goals or more in six of their past eight league outings. A side with a soft centre, small wonder they want to bring in John Terry.

Hull suddenly started to expose the Cherries’ deficiencies and piled on the pressure for the rest of the half and proved unrelenting on the resumption.

With a home crowd increasingly buying into their efforts, the hosts soon manufactured a wonderful second goal when Hernandez went solo to bamboozle Tyrone Mings before firing home a delicious and instinctive curler.

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Ryan Mason went close to a third, which arrived when Mings diverted Tom Huddlestone’s shot past Artur Boruc.

Brow-beaten Bournemouth’s only telling response came when Jakupovic made a fine reaction save to deny Jack Wilshere. It was an effort in isolation.

All the pre-match talk may have been of a daunting forthcoming run for Hull against Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal.

The Tigers will be thinking about Burnley, Swansea, West Ham, Middlesbrough, Watford and Sunderland – teams they have yet to play at home. Game on.

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Hull City: Jakupovic; Maguire, Dawson, Davies, Robertson; Diomande, Huddlestone, Mason (Livermore 86), Clucas; Snodgrass (Evandro 76); Hernandez (Niasse 83). Unused substitutes: Marshall, Weir, Tymon, Bowen.

Bournemouth: Boruc; A Smith, Cook, Mings, Daniels; Surman, Arter; Stanislaus (Pugh 69), Wilshere, Fraser (King 55); Afobe (C Wilson 55). Unused substitutes:Federici, B Smith, Gosling, Ibe.

Referee: M Atkinson (West Yorkshire).