HULL CITY: Bullard's available for Championship opener against Swansea
JIMMY Bullard will be made available for Hull City's opening league match against Swansea – despite being left out of all pre-season friendlies.
Head of football operations Adam Pearson says the 31-year-old will come into contention once Championship points are at stake.
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Available: Jimmy Bullard.
The news comes after the club's record £5m signing has been frozen out of the Tigers' pre-season games in order to avoid injury.
City remain hopeful of finding a club willing to take Bullard on a one-year loan, with a deal to cover around £1.5m of his wage demands.
But should Bullard still be part of the Tigers' camp come kick-off in nine days' time, Pearson says he will be available to play.
"I think if he is still here at the start of the season then he will come into Nigel Pearson's plans," the head of football operations told the Mail.
"Whether Nigel decides to pick him will be completely down to him. We have some good players in midfield and it will depend whether Nigel deems to play him there.
"From my point he will be available for the squad and it will be Nigel's decision whether to play him or not."
Despite not playing in the warm-up matches, Pearson says Bullard has put recent difficulties, and the fall-out from the collapse of a proposed move to Celtic, behind him. And despite saying the player has not indicated any desire to stay and a wish to play Premier League football, he praised his recent attitude to the situation.
"Jimmy is training well," he said. "He has accepted the situation and is getting on with it in a professional manner, which you would expect him to do.
"He understands the situation we are in and that we can't afford him to get injured playing in a friendly, which may prevent him getting a move to suit him and the club.
"We have been active and we have approached a number of clubs to see if they are interested in any kind of deal.
"They are Premier League clubs and I keep saying to Jimmy, he has to play games and prove his fitness.
"He is fit, as fit as he has been for a long time, and we saw in November what a fit Jimmy can do to a team. He has prospered in the Premier League for a number of years so if he can prove his fitness I am sure there will be somebody out there willing to take a slight risk on it."
NICK Barmby and Stuart Watkiss will take a youthful City XI to face Barton Town tonight (7pm kick-off).
The likes of Mark Cullen, Jamie Devitt and Mark Oxley will all be involved at the Euronics Ground with the majority of City's first team pencilled in to face Dundee United at the KC on Saturday.
The Tigers will also make a late decision on whether to include Ian Ashbee following his injury problems last year.
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by anthony, adelaide
Sunday, August 01 2010, 8:42AM
“MY GOD am i dreaming or what!!! Mr J BULLARD the best player to pull on a black and amber shirt !!!!! Gee i feel so sorry for city supporter,s i would love to hear what a Mr B ullless would think or Chris Chilton this joker would not get a jog cleaning boots!!”
by Anthony Fuller, Leven. Beverley
Sunday, August 01 2010, 1:31AM
“Response to Mike B.
I agree Mike the opinions on the 'best ever player to wear the Hull City shirt' are academic and not about what will happen in season 2010/11. However, as a lifetime footballing fan (fan being short for fanatic) I always enjoy entering into conversations/debates about the history of football, current day football and the future of football. I'll discuss any player, any club or any issue enthusiastically.
I cannot agree however, that Bullard will be affected mentally or detrimentally to such an effect that his ability in the Championship will suffer. Bullard is of Premiership quality. Of that opinion, I respectfully suggest there can be little doubt. Mentally therefore he will be extremely confident playing at a lower level than he is capable of, and as some previous contributors to this debate have suggested Bullard is and will therefore believe he is a better player than most of his opponents. Mentality therefore, not an issue. However, injury and physical fitness is an issue. A major issue!
No matter what your ability, if you are not 100% you will struggle at any level.
I use the brilliant Wayne Rooney as my example of this. Very few people, and certainly no one with any level of football knowledge will doubt Rooney's ability. However, there has been occasions for both Man U in Champions League games and England at international level when Rooney has not been 100% fit and as a result he's struggled. Torres (Liverpool), one of the worlds best strikers is another great example if you consider his contribution last season.
Just to make it clear, Bullard is not of course in any stretch of the imagination of ability any where near Rooney or Torres, but I use them as perfect examples as to how a lack of fitness can affect performance. After all, if it affects the best, it will affect anyone.
A fit Bullard will be a tremendous asset in the Championship to any side, and if he remains at Hull he will be a tremendous asset when fit and when on the field. Injured, he's no use to anyone, but still cost lots of money in wages.
Mentality, in my opinion does not enter into it. However, it is likely Hull City will not benefit from Bullard's talents this season as his Premier League wages are clearly such a serious drain on resources that (again in my opinion) Hull City will be prepared to give him away in the end.
The official club statement will read 'Bullard joined .... for an undisclosed fee'.
Better that than going bust!”
by Mike B, Boothferry Road
Saturday, July 31 2010, 8:56AM
“There's a lot of aruments going on a bout Bullard most of now history and academic just like the debate of who was the best ever City player. The sorry fact is; Bullard is a washed up crippled has-been. He may be able to shine in the Championship, but it's not just his knees that are dodgy. All that time out with injuries would affect any player mentally. Mark my words; he will only play ahandful of gamesthis season, injured at every hands turn and substitute early in the second half of the games he manages to start.
I hope I'm wrong!”
by Mark P, West Hull
Friday, July 30 2010, 10:50PM
“What about Tony Finnegan? He's an agent now and is probably the greatest 'Player' (in the modern day money grabbing sense of the word) to don a City Shirt.”
by Anthony Fuller, Leven, Beverley
Friday, July 30 2010, 9:51PM
“Response to Andy.
Thank you Andy for a fair and reasonable response. I am 53. My first game as a fan was in 1962 at White City for an FA Cup tie. I am retired, have worked in professional football most of my life and took a more than active interest in Hul City when I moved to the area on retirement five years ago.
I will not deny Jimmy Bullard is a real talent, but if he did not have the injury history I feel certain Fulham would never have sold him. I would be very interested to know the full details of the medical examinations carried out on Hull City's behalf, prior to transfer.
However, to the point. I accept Bullard is the most talented player to play at Hull City in recent years, on the understanding that Barmby was past his best when he signed. At his peak Barmby was a better player, in my opinion than Bullard. Everton, Liverpool, Spurs and 23 England caps probably support my opinion!
In short Andy you make a fair point and football is all about the fans and the fans opinions.”