Source: Team_Talk
Dowie rallying 'wounded animal'
Iain Dowie has called for a "huge response" from his Hull players when they take to the pitch at Birmingham on Saturday.[LNB] The Tigers find themselves four points adrift of Premier League safety after last weekend's KC Stadium horror show against Burnley.[LNB]Brian Laws' side arrived in Hull on the back of a thrashing against Manchester City and still searching for their first away win of the season, but came from behind to triumph 4-1 and move above their opponents.[LNB]Now Dowie wants his side to show similar fight as they look to break their own away duck at St Andrew's.[LNB]He said: "Goals change games and change the fragility of people's confidence. The second half was abject in terms of our response, in terms of the way we passed it; our ability to come back from disappointment wasn't good enough and our all-round play wasn't of a standard I expect or will accept.[LNB]"I had a chat with the lads after the game in more heated terms and another chat on Tuesday in more reflective terms but still with a huge amount of anger and disappointment.[LNB]"They had to be told what I expected of them, what I expect going forward and the extent of what it means to the region to stay in the Premier League.[LNB]"There's been an edge to training. I like people who come with a positive attitude and also train with a real intensity and we've seen that.[LNB]"It must be a huge response from us. At 3pm we need to show we're a wounded animal, play with a great deal of intensity under pressure. Burnley had a response and we must have a similar one."[LNB]Dowie, though, denied he and his staff had been summoned to a meeting with chairman Adam Pearson, saying: "It's absolutely, totally untrue. It's just scaremongering. I had a meeting with the players on Tuesday morning, that was it."[LNB]The former Crystal Palace and Coventry boss revealed he will make changes to the side - turning to players he believes will show the required fighting spirit.[LNB]"Where we go is we get back to playing with desire, playing with care, playing with a degree of quality, playing to our gameplan but playing with our eyeballs out," he continued.[LNB]"Nothing will stop us outworking Birmingham, no one can stop us out-running Birmingham, out-heading Birmingham, out-tackling them.[LNB]"Hopefully, as we've shown against Fulham and Portsmouth, we can play as well. But that's the key element, win the battles that we control and hopefully our football will out.[LNB]"We've finished the discussion and how we go forward is them showing they care in training. The ones that show me that will be in the team.[LNB]"Saturday night I could have picked a totally different team outside (captain) George (Boateng) and maybe one other but, on reflection and given the options I have, it's fair to say there'll be some changes."[LNB]Saturday is the start of a week that will go a long way to shaping Hull's destiny, with Aston Villa and Sunderland due to visit the KC Stadium in the following seven days.[LNB]Dowie said: "We've got to start the week in the right fashion. If we can get some points on the board at Birmingham, it really does set us up.[LNB]"We've got two home games and our home form has been good. We've got it all to play for.[LNB]"Villa and Sunderland are difficult games but there's no reason we can't get three points on the board in either of them.[LNB]"There's 15 points to play for. Given our form over the year, no one's going to say we're going to get 15 out of 15.[LNB]"But I'm of a positive nature and, if we've got a degree of desire, enthusiasm and understanding what it's about for this region to stay in the Premier League, we'll get a reaction."[LNB]
