Hull City 0 Millwall 0: New style, old problems as toothless Tigers are booed off

Under Liam Rosenior, Hull City played pleasant football without any punch and drew too many matches, particularly at home.

It is too early in the life of Walterball to be making judgements – Oscar Zambrano, who made his debut will hopefully adjust to the pace of Championship football in time, new signings Chris Bedia, Charlie Hughes, Finley Burns, and Anthony Racioppi were all on the bench and there seem certain to be more in the last week of the transfer window.

Bedia was only denied an overhead kick goal 19 minutes into his first appearance in English football by an excellent reaction save by Lukas Jensen, and Hull might have had a first-half penalty.

As in the previous home Championship game, Will Jarvis looked more dangerous on the right wing than the man he came on for, Abdukadir Omur, and the longer the game went on, the more likely they looked.

Their best chances came not from intricate build-ups, so much as Lewie Coyle chancing his arm from distance. Sometimes, simple is best.

The end result was a third draw in three games – two goals scored, two conceded – as they played out a 0-0 with Millwall.

The verdict of the home fans was damning, booing their side off.

Certainly before the introduction of the proper, direct winger, Hull's football was all very clever but neither effective nor exciting. That is what cost Rosenior his job.

There were occasional moments of heart-attack football, but only when Hull took risks playing it around at the back.

Walter's touchline histrionics when his players made wrong decisions were more entertaining than his team's football.

Hull tried to do some clever things and were very fluid positionally, but played the ball too slowly and/or inaccurately for it to cut through despite having 68 per cent of it.

When it came to shots, they edged it 14-13.

Millwall was a mixture of the cultured and the agricultural, and made decent headway in the first half, starting with Tom Bradshaw's header over at a second-minute corner.

Hull's willingness to take risks in deep positions made their job easier. Their two new centre-backs, Burns and Hughes were on the bench as Hull played with a back four three of whom played for Grant McCann in League One, and like Ryan Giles for Rosenior last season. Watching on from the director's box was Hull-born Liam Cooper, without a club since failing to agree new terms at Leeds United.

Coyle made a good tackle on Duncan Watmore in the 11th minute and black-and-amber shirts blocked two efforts from Japhet Tanganga, one from the corner, a second when the ball eventually came back in.

Millwall's best chance came in the 19th minute when Romain Esse threaded George Saville through, only for Ivor Pandur to come off his line and make a good save.

Jake Cooper headed a corner at the Croatian from too far out to expect to beat him and three men were free at the far post when Joe Bryan played a short corner in, but the chance was missed.

For all that, Hull can consider themselves unlucky not to have had a penalty.

Midway through the half Regan Slater played in Mason Burstow – making his first start with Oscar Estupinan seemingly on his way out. Lukas Jensen denied him but when Slater tried to make the most of the rebound, his shot his Cooper's arm, perhaps outstretched to break his fall, but outstretched nevertheless. Whatever David Webb decided was going to infuriate one set of players, and it was Hull's he frustrated.

Apart from that, Hull only really threatened at danger in the opening, Liam Millar looking dangerous without being able to find team-mates from crosses, Coyle chancing his arm from distance after his excellent finish the previous weekend.

The Tigers seemed to grow in confidence on the ball as the game went on and went up another great with Jarvis on the field, even if Bradshaw should have done better than steer a long throw at Pandur.

Defenders were more tired when he came on but Beida looked more effective than Burstow, and nearly started with a flourish, but for the goalkeeper.

Coyle caught a volley beautifully only for it to deflect with and substitute Xavier Simons was just wide from a pull-back and had a shot blocked in stoppage time.

But it was too little, too late. Too much of what Hull were supposed to have turned away from.

Hull City: Pandur; Coyle, Jones, McLoughlin, Giles (Drameh 71); Slater, Zambrano (Simons 58); Omur (Jarvis 58), Mehlem, Millar (Sellars-Fleming 88); Burstow (Bedia 58).

Unused substitutes: Hughes, Burns, Jacob, Racioppi.

Millwall: Jensen; Leonard, Tanganga, Cooper, Bryan; Saville, De Norre: Esse, Honeyman, Watmore (Azeez 71); Bradshaw (Langstaff 88).

Unused substitutes: Roberts, McNamara, Hutchinson, Harding, Wallace, Emakhu, Massey.

Referee: D Webb (County Durham).