QPR v Hull City team news | Pundits' 2014-15 predictionsHull City to bid £10m for Steven Fletcher? Sunderland boss Gus Poyet is facing a fight to keep hold of Steven Fletcher as speculation grows Hull City will swoop for the 27-year-old hitman. "Fletcher is now the leading candidate to replace Shane Long," The Sun says and suggests a £10m bid would be enough to prise the striker out of the Stadium of Light. Poyet, however, is determined to keep hold of Fletcher and other jewels, including Connor Wickham, but admits bids are likely to come. Quoted in the Daily Mail, Poyet said: "I think they (bids) are going to come for someone. I hope not. "That last day of the transfer window is terrible. You don't want to answer the phone or check your emails. You don't want anything unexpected." Fletcher will start upfront when the Black Cats travel to West Brom today and Poyet believes it will "be his year". "I think it is probably the best he has been physically in the last three or four years," he said. "It's perfect for him to go and perform."'Something a little bit different' For his part, Steve Bruce says he is looking to reinvest the Long cash in "two or three" more players. And while he has "irons in the fire", he insists the Tigers are not on the verge of signing a new striker. Having rubbished rumours linking him with Danny Welbeck and Troy Deeney (not to mention Rafael Van der Vaart), Bruce said: "I'd like to bring in a bit of experience and a bit of know-how. "We're looking for a replacement and I've got one or two irons in the fire. It might materialise very quickly, it might not. "Something a little bit different, that's what we're looking for. The fee we've got will allow us to do that. "As a manager, you always have to have something up your sleeve."Shane Long v Danny Welbeck Bruce's dismissal of the Danny Welbeck link hasn't stopped the odd media outlet continuing to talk up the rumours. One of the most interesting aspects of the episode was how talk of a move for Welbeck divided fans. The England international has often impressed with his work-rate and endeavour, but question marks remain over his goalscoring ability. According to the Bleacher Report, however, Welbeck would be a superior option to Shane Long. It points out his passing accuracy is 87.4 per cent, compared to 64.9 per cent for Long. He made twice the amount of successful dribbles on average per game and lost the ball less. He has scored nine goals in 25 games, better than Long's seven in 30 (for West Brom and City). "Furthermore, and perhaps most importantly, unlike Long, Welbeck has considerable experience in European competitions." All of which begs the question, was Long really worth £12.5m?Hull City's 'Beano' kit Fashion writer Hadley Freeman says Hull City's kit resembles a cross between a character from the Beano and Halloween. Freeman has rated every Premier League kit for FourFourTwo magazine. "This kit is so ugly it actually made me laugh out loud at my computer," she said. "Shapeless top, meh neckline, mofo HIDEOUS orange and black stripes all down the front." Oy! Less of the "orange", Hadley, it's AMBER! To be fair, she admits she actually quite likes the Tigers' unique colours. "It's like a dog that is so ugly that it passes the point of repulsion and becomes actually endearing," she said. "Hull City is the pug of football kits. And look how popular pugs are now! Hull City, this is your year."Philipp Wollscheid from Bayer Leverkusen? Hull City are one of a number of Premier League clubs tracking Bayer Leverkusen central defender Philipp Wollscheid, according to Sky Sports. The 6ft 4in German international, who made 26 appearances last season, would be available on a season-long loan, with an option to make the deal permanent. Wollscheid said: "I believe the club have discussed a permanent transfer but also a loan option for me at present. Outside of Germany, the main interest seems to be coming from the English Premier League."
