Ian Ashbee tips Hull City for automatic promotion
HULL City's ground-breaking former captain Ian Ashbee believes the stage is set for Steve Bruce's side to eclipse the Tigers' achievements of 2007-08 and clinch automatic promotion to the Premier League.
Five years after ending a 104-year wait for top-flight football under Phil Brown when winning the Championship play-off final at Wembley, City are on course to write another magical chapter in the club's history.
-
Ian Ashbee and Nick Barmby at Wembley during Hull City's 2008 play-off win.
A two-point cushion separates the second-placed Tigers from their nearest promotion rivals and, with just eight games remaining, Ashbee is tipping the class of 2013 to sidestep the play-offs for a direct path to the Premier League.
"They've got a massive chance," said Ashbee, who captained City in their play-off final win over Bristol City, as well as back-to-back promotions in 2003-04 and 2004-05.
Our transparent fixed sales fees set us aside from the competition, offering full Estate Agency Service for a fixed fee regardless of the value of your home.
Contact: 01482 423365
Valid until: Sunday, May 26 2013
"There's a quality squad that Steve Bruce has assembled and you couldn't wish for a more experienced boss in the last few weeks.
"I don't see many weaknesses in this side and if they can carry on as they have all season, there's no reason why they can't win automatic promotion.
"I think they'll finish second, I really do.
"They're good enough and play a lot more football than we ever did.
"I said at the start of the season they were good enough for the play-offs but to be second with eight games to go, it would be a disappointment not to go up in second place.
"I can honestly see them going one better than us and that would be fantastic."
As the Championship takes its last breath during the international break before a frantic chase for the finishing line, the Tigers hold down an enviable position in the automatic promotion battle.
Despite losing 2-1 to Nottingham Forest on Saturday, City are still two points better off than Watford and three ahead of fourth-placed Crystal Palace. Forest, back in fifth, are cut eight points adrift.
City also hold a huge advantage over Brown's side of 2007-08. At the same point of their last promotion season, the Tigers had only amassed 59 points – nine less than the current crop.
It was during the final weeks of March that City launched their last charge for the line, taking 16 points from their last eight games to finish third, and Ashbee accepts the pressure will be a burden.
"There's probably more pressure on them than there was on us because there's expectation now," he added. "The crowd and the city has experienced it before and they want more of that.
"They've dealt with it up to now and they've got to keep going with one last push over the final hurdle.
"You don't want to be left with any regrets so they've got to just go for it and stick together."
21 Comments
View all
by BeggarsWall
Friday, March 22 2013, 12:06AM
“Cra1g26
That's priceless - a rugby league fan calling Ian Ashbee a "nobody"!”
by FodTiger
Wednesday, March 20 2013, 9:01PM
“JezHull: while I realise and understand that everybody has, and are entitled to their opinion, your comments on Ian Ashbee are both ridiculous and completely untrue. That's all I'm going to say to you because quite frankly your post doesn't deserve a balanced counter argument.”
by TigerPhi1
Wednesday, March 20 2013, 6:57PM
“Gareth - we have discussed Ash before at length - I do agree that he was never that good a footballer - but for some reason he seemed to be able to drag the rest of the team around him -I remember coming away from Arsenal when we won 1-0 and Ashbee just got in the way of EVERYTHING... He stopped players like Fabregas and the rest playing... He broke up everything and it all stemmed from him... There was a number of times in the PL that he was found out technically- but never in his heart and his leadership....”
by workscomitee
Wednesday, March 20 2013, 6:46PM
“yeovil away.ash to junior,junior to ash. bang. sat alongside it in yeovil home stand.will never forget captain fantastic.”
by jezhull
Wednesday, March 20 2013, 6:34PM
“As far as ashbee is concerned, let's be honest, he was an absolute donkey and one of the slowest players in the division. Take off the rose coloured glasses and you'll realise how bad he was.”
by jezhull
Wednesday, March 20 2013, 6:31PM
“BennyStol hit the nail on the head, City don't score anywhere near enough goals. Their goal difference is much lower than their close rivals.
A play off place is best they can hope for and it's unlikely they'd win through to the PL again.”
by BennyStol
Wednesday, March 20 2013, 4:14PM
“Sorry cant see it happing, city dont score enough goals and lack quality up front and in defence.”
by Cra1g26
Wednesday, March 20 2013, 1:40PM
“Ian Ashbee, a nobody who ruined a childs bday party fact”
by FodTiger
Wednesday, March 20 2013, 1:12PM
“GarethC2010 Ashbee may not have been the greatest footballer in the world, and everyone, even himself would tell you that, but to say "he was very lucky and winged his way through the leagues" is IMO a tad short sighted and disrespectful to our club' most successful captain. Every manager picked him as captain that surely tells us something. I don't care that he didn't have %100 pass success rate in every game, or that he didn't score 20 goals a season from midfield. But what he did do, was give %100 effort and commitment and effort in every game he played, and as GinceLoyal says, he would demand the same from everyone else around him! The fact is he wasn't in the team to score and create goals, we always had others for that, he was in there to lead, break up opposition play and add vital steel to our midfield, and in my opinion he did it very well and continued prove everyone wrong every time we stepped up a division.... And yes even in the premier league. When he was injured, it showed in fact it showed big time. Often players were looking around for leadership which wasn't there. Again not the most gifted of players, but lets not de-value his worth to the success our club enjoyed under his captaincy. Success that was pivotal in helping us achieve.”
by SnothillBaz
Wednesday, March 20 2013, 1:10PM
“Ashbee's technical shortcomings were far outweighed by his amazing ability to lead and drive his team-mates on to better things.
Many the time he got the atmosphere rocking at the KC with just one full-blooded tackle, usually legal, that's all it takes sometimes.... it's called courage and commitment and the KC crowd will rise to that kind of thing.
Saying that, I don't think there is courage nor commitment missing in the current squad, we just have different types of players now.”