Football
Exclusive: Alfie Jones Urges Hull City to Regain Momentum Before the International Break
Defender Alfie Jones calls for a much-needed win to regain momentum before the international break. Jones reflects on recent struggles, adapting to a new style under Tim Walter, and his role as a senior player in Hull’s journey for stability."
Phil Noble - Pool/Getty Images
Defender Alfie Jones is desperate for Hull City to go into the international break with some much-needed momentum.
The Tigers have been toothless in recent weeks and have gone a frustrating six games without a win, a run which started with a 4-0 drubbing at Norwich City.
Tim Walter thought his side had turned the corner before that mauling after three impressive wins on the spin with 3-1 victories away at Stoke City and Queens Park Rangers either side of a welcome first home win of the season when they hammered Cardiff City 4-1.
“Turning It Around”
Ahead of hosting draw specialists West Bromwich Albion, who have drawn six in a row, on Sunday Jones told SportsBoom.com: “It’s about turning it around and getting points on the board.”
“I think it’s massive to go into the international break with a bit of momentum. Recent results haven’t been good for us, but getting a win before the international break will stand us in good stead for when we come back.”
“We’ve got that quality in the group; we showed that during those three wins. That’s what we need to get back to get that confidence up.”
“We relish the challenge. It’s another opportunity for us to get points on the board and to get that win we sort of need at the moment.”
We’ve had a debrief after the past few games and that’s totally behind us now. We just have to look forward to West Brom and get a result
Alfie Jones
Adjusting to the New Style
“The summer was a massive change for everyone, and I think it was to be expected that there would be a transition. The turnover of the squad was massive and obviously the manager and a new style of play coming in. It’s all going to take time.”
“There’s a lot of responsibility on our shoulders as centre-backs to play out. It’s definitely a lot different to last year and that’s why it’s taken a while to adjust. I don’t think any of us have ever played that style before.”
“But I think we’re getting to terms with it now. We’re understanding what the manager wants, and I think the manager is understanding the demands league now as well.
“It’s been a big change, but now is the time to start getting results.”
Seeking Resilience
There was a big change on the Humber coast in the summer as Liam Rosenior, who was nominated as Championship Manager of the Season, was sacked after narrowly missing out on the play-offs.
Walter — who has managed Bayern Munich II, VfB Stuttgart and Hamburger SV — was charged with taking over at the KCOM.
The German coach said his side “lacked resilience” after losing against newcomers Oxford United in mid-week.
Jones admitted: “The result wasn’t the best so it was a fair enough comment. He knows what we’re capable of and he wants to get that message across to us.”
“Results like that are difficult to take. No disrespect to Oxford, but that’s a team we feel like we should be beating. “We need to be beating the teams who have come up and have to get back to doing the basics well.”
Experience and Responsibility
Despite only being 27, Jones is one of the senior players in the Tigers’ dressing room having made over 150 league appearances for the club.
It is a world apart from the 23-year-old who made the move up north seeking regular game time after coming through the academy at Southampton without ever making a league bow for the south coast club.
He added: “It’s been a good journey for me here at Hull. I felt like I needed to get out of Southampton and find a home and play games.”
“I’ve enjoyed every season I’ve been here and enjoyed my journey here so far. I’d like to think I’m taking that responsibility as one of the more experienced players in the dressing room.”
“It’s been massive for me. As any young player breaking through at academy level to first-team level it’s about playing games.”
Shane is a respected journalist who has covered a range of sports for a number of years.