Hull Boss: We Don’t Fear Chelsea
Hull City manager Nigel Adkins has stated that his cha,pionship side can shock favourites Chelsea in Friday’s fifth round Emirates FA Cup clash at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea will continue their pursuit for glory since winning trophy in 2012 as they host 2014 finalists Hull.
The Premier League champions came back from straight defeats to Bournemouth and Watford with a convincing 3-0 home win against West Brom on Monday.
Hull, who will be without Nigeria defender Ola Aina as he is on loan from Chelsea, recorded an impressive 2-0 away league win against Nottingham Forest to halt their four straight league games without a win.
Previewing the game against the Blues, Adkins, a former manager of Southampton, stated that it is Chelsea and not Hull that is under pressure to win.
“It’s going to be a real challenge at Chelsea – but one that everyone is relishing. We are going there under no illusions, but it’s the FA Cup so anything is possible,” Adkins said in his press conference on Wednesday.
“The FA Cup is something I have always respected and you always want to be involved. It’s going to be a tough game, we know that, but we have to make it as tough as possible for Chelsea as well.
“For us, there is nothing to lose. On paper, everyone expects Chelsea to win – but football isn’t played on paper! We’ve got to go there and represent Hull City with pride and give the fans that go down to support the team something to shout about.”
Adkins however lamented the spate of injuries to some of his key players but expressed confidence that it would not distract his team.
He said: “We play Friday, Tuesday, Friday so it’s relentless and we’ve been stretched with the injuries in the squad. It’s a juggling act and we are trying to getthe most out of each player, but there is a togetherness here. It is challenging, but we are enjoying it.
“We picked up some injuries at the weekend and those players haven’t trained yet this week, so it’s going to be an interesting challenge. We have to go there and believe we can get a positive result. Importantly, we also have to play with no fear!”
