HDM Sport on Facebook More talk that former Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City defender Vedran Corluka could be heading for Hull City. The Daily Mail says City are actively pursuing the Croatian who now plays for Lokomotiv Moscow but is said to be keen on a return to the Premier League. The Mail claims City face competition from Sam Allaryce at West Ham and say £4m would be enough to secure the 28-year-old, who can play at centre back and full back.Stats have City edging Everton The stats have been crunched ahead of today's Hull City game against Everton at the KC and the results are in. A 1-1 draw according to football site www.kickoff.co.uk. But the second favourite outcome is a much-needed 1-0 win for City, with the goal coming from midfield, and City are slight favourites to take the three points. Time will tell. Everton boss Roberto Martinez says he is facing an uphuill task as his team prepare to face City this afternoon and admits his defence is weak. The Spaniard told the Liverpool Echo: "In terms of results, yes, this is the toughest challenge I have faced as Everton manager. "In my eyes we have become a stronger team in many areas but in other aspects we are more open and exposed in terms of conceding goals. "That's through individual errors and that's through bad luck, but we need to lose that negative momentum."Cheers and jeers for Assem Allam and Hull City TIGERS owner Assem Allam is not exactly Mr Popular with the national media following his attempts to re-brand Hull City as Hull Tigers. Although he has already failed with one attempt to do so with the FA, an appeal hearing is scheduled for after the January transfer window. And his stance that he will sell up if he does not get his way has not been well met nationally. In the Daily Mirror, football writer David Anderson has urged Allam to 'abandon his campaign to change the club's name which is such an unwanted distraction' in his review of 2014 for the Tigers. Giving Steve Bruce's side an overall B+ grade for the calendar year, he admits the last few months have been 'disappointing' but says '2014 will go down as the best year in Hull's 110-year history'. He added: "A highest-ever league placing of 16th, plus a first FA Cup Final appearance made it a year no Tigers fan will ever forget. "This season has been more difficult and a premature exit from Europe has set the tone for a testing Premier League campaign, despite the influx of quality signings in the summer." He reckons City need a goal scorer in the transfer window and suggest that Tom Huddlestone and Jake Livermore are given 'a kick up the backside'. Similarly, Allam was named 'Villain of the Year' in The Independent for his continued efforts to become Hull Tigers. Writer Ian Herbert described him as "everything that is worst in Premier League club annexation, masquerading as ownership" when summing up his 2014. Whilst some City fans will agree, not everyone will echo those sentiments towards an owner who has delivered the most successful period ever in the club's history.Steve Bruce remains a big fan of the chairman One person who has only good things to say about Mr Allam is City manager Steve Bruce Speaking about his decision not to throw his hat into the ring for the Newcastle United job, Bruce said: "He's a terrific old man. There's not many who would have done what he's done for this club. "I've got a huge amount of respect for what he's done and how he's treated me, how he's let me manage. I'm very fortunate. "That's why I've been loyal to him over the last two-and-a-half years."Diving panel not needed to deliver justice THE scourge of diving which is currently sweeping the top flight has not been welcomed by supporters, managers of players (most of them anyway). And Tigers boss Steve Bruce certainly falls into that category, judging by his comments on the issue. His side have been on the end of some harsh decisions, especially in the recent defeat by Chelsea, where he described some of the antics as being like a scene from Swan Lake. But when asked if a panel should be set up to deal with the problem after matches, he was not overly keen. "It's very difficult for referees when you have people like Eden Hazard and Willian, who are genuinely quick and take you on with a low centre of gravity - the slightest tap can take them over," he said in the Daily Mail. "But when you see a blatant dive, I think you have to take action. The reason why the Barclays Premier League is the league that it is, is for its honesty, its integrity and ferocity. "You must remember that people enjoy the honesty of the Premier League all over the world. We can't make it like every other league - it's a different culture. "I'm not so sure about a panel, but we have to start taking action against it."
