Hull City's wake-up call must spark a quicker start with Arsenal looming large

Hull City came from behind to earn a 2-2 draw against Ipswich Town in another thriller between the two clubs at the MKM Stadium on Saturday, though it could have been much different.

City were woeful in the first half, summed up perfectly by goalscorer Oli McBurnie, who labelled it sh*t in his post-match social media summary.

To their credit, a change in shape at half-time to 4-3-3 enabled the Tigers to get further forward and thanks to Tim Iroegbunam and McBurnie, they led 2-1 before Julio Enciso's wonderful strike salvaged a point for the Tractor Boys.

Here, Tigers reporter Barry Cooper reflects on a fifth draw of the campaign...

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In all honesty, both can be right. After that first half, had somebody offered City a point, they'd have gladly taken it because the game was going only one way.

To their credit, they turned the game on its head in the second period and led thanks to a wonderful Tim Iroegbunam strike and Oli McBurnie's lovely free-kick, but once again, they threw away a winning position at home.

That's three MKM Stadium games in a row where the Tigers have been in front but been unable to hold on and claim maximum points. Being difficult to beat is a good thing; however, they do need to sort out the game management and learn to see these results out.

While one or two are slagging City off, perspective is important. They've lost two out of nine games, are unbeaten at home and sit in the middle of the Premier League. For a newly promoted team, that's not bad going.

In the first half, City were far too passive, bordering on negative. Nothing went forward, and because of that, they allowed Ipswich far too much respect, and they dictated the game. At one point, the home side had a throw inside the Ipswich half, ended up going backwards slowly with Mendy to Tzolakis. The Greek got his feet in a mess, but managed to fudge it out to Mendy, who sliced out of play. They deserved that for being so negative.

Late on in the first half, they found something, and then the change of shape at the break made a huge difference in enabling them to play 20 yards further up the pitch and engage McBurnie in the contest.

It will be fascinating to see if that 4-3-3 is used more, especially at home when you need to be positive and try and play on the front foot, as much as possible.

We shouldn't just ignore the 3-5-2, though, because it has served City well. That said, having the flexibility in systems is important, and it showed that in the right moments, in the right games, it can be effective.

One of the best things about City's start to life in the Premier League is the way in which they've gone after teams, the battling qualities, the hustling and scrapping.

At Fulham they were rubbish, paid them far too much respect and got what they deserved, and in the first half against Ipswich, it was the same thing. Lacklustre, sitting off and allowing teams to dictate the play without any pressure on the man or the ball.

Yes, they recovered in the second half, but they've got to learn, and learn quickly, that you cannot start games so badly and expect to keep dragging yourselves out of it. If they start as badly as that, and give Arsenal that amount of time, space and freedom, they'll be on the wrong end of a battering.

The fact that Sorba Thomas didn't make the squad, along with the likes of Lucas Gourna-Douath and fit again Jack Butland, shows just how strong the Tigers' squad is now. Jakirovic said in the build-up to the game that he's got 27 fit players, and he can't name them all in the matchday squad.

Jakirovic will need options as the season wears on, when injuries bite, and suspensions inevitably follow. December is a manic month, and by some distance, the busiest so far, which will require changes with some regularity.

Everybody will get their chance, so having so many options with Charlie Hughes and Ilias Ansah on the horizon, too, can only bode well for the manager, though they will need to prove their worth on the training pitch.

What he will want to see is players fighting for a place. His comments about Vaz and Thomas are a little concerning. Being in the Premier League isn't a free ride, and City cannot afford players not giving absolutely everything.

Arsenal would strike fear into most newly-promoted clubs, but the Gunners have had a couple of wobbles this season already, albeit both coming on the road at Brighton and then Fleetwood on Tuesday. City must go there with no fear, and give it their best shot.

Everybody will expect a drubbing and give them no chance, and that will be fine because City have come to expect that. They'll go there with full belief that they can catch the champions on an off day and get a positive result.

The fixture is their biggest test yet, but an occasion the Tigers should relish. These are the games you win promotion for, to be playing the champions away from home. Jakirovic will just hope his side start the game well and not allow the champions to kill them off early.

Starts at Chelsea, Newcastle, Fulham and on Saturday against Ipswich have served as a warning, and it's a warning that must be taken on board.

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