Source: Telegraph
Iain Dowie demands 'huge response' from Hull against Birmingham
Hull City find themselves four points adrift of Barclays 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]Samuel Di Carmine at home with Flavio Briatore at Queens Park RangersNow Dowie wants his side to show similar fight as they look to break their own away duck at Birmingham City.[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]
