As I begin this post, Hull is beginning the second half of a crucial EPL fixture with Sunderland, and doing so without Jozy Altidore. The young American striker was sent off for violent conduct late in the first half, when he lashed out after Sunderland's Allan Hutton tossed the ball at Altidore's head while the latter was on the ground. It was an ugly scene that leads to questions over's Altidore's maturity.


It will also likely be the last thing Jozy ever does in a Hull shirt. The loan that sent the American to England from Villareal, after he struggling to find a game in Spain, comes to an end after the season. Hull has the option to buy Altidore, but that seems unlikely if they are relegated, and that ignominy seems almost a certainty now.


Hull is a poor, poor team. While the excitement, at least for American fans, that followed Jozy's loan to Hull was rightly placed, with a young player who needed time landing at a club that would likely play him in one of the world's best leagues, it was always going to be an up-and-down proposition. Make no mistake: Altidore has played enough for the loan to be termed a success from an experience standpoint, despite a few fits and starts. But if frustration won out, as it seemed to today, then we must wonder if the stint has done more harm than good. Is Jozy Altidore a better player today than when he arrived at Hull in August?


Again, from a purely physical standpoint, it would be difficult to argue that Altidore has regressed; playing is always better than not, and even in a bad team that struggles to consistently mount an attack (meaning Altidore sees the ball rarely), Jozy's skills look to have improved. There have been more than one occasion, despite a lack of goals, where Altidore was Hull's lone bright spot. Winning balls, pressuring the defense, and drawing fouls; it's not flashy, and it's not clear-cut evidence that Jozy is getting better in a way that would make USMNT fans comfortable, but it is something.


But what about his head? Today's transgression isn't Altidore's first issue with maturity. He started his Hull stint on the wrong foot last year, arriving late and being admonished for tweeting about his omission from the match day roster. A manager change, the stress of a relegation battle, and larger problems at the club have only made it more difficult; it might even be fair to call Hull's environment "toxic", a situation ill-suited for a player of Altidore's age and experience.


That's not to give Jozy a free pass. It's up to him to commit himself, perform professionally, and not allow his frustration to carry over into his actions. His sending off today will only have people asking if he will ever grow up, or if his attitude and penchant for stupid behavior will inevitably lead him to a disappointing career.


Everything that Altidore does is subject to close scrutiny in the US because of his status as a entrenched USMNT starter (in part due to lack of better options) and his being one of a handful of American regulars in England's top division. If Altidore was a rising American player, but one whose performance at his club was not seen as directly related to US chances in South Africa, would we have so much criticism for him?


Maybe. From certain segments of the American fan base, always. The fortunes of talented young players is the subject of obsessive analysis because there are still too few. Altidore, for better or worse at twenty years of age, is an important player in a World Cup team despite his lack of professional credentials in Europe. Such is the state of Bob Bradley's team.


And so Altidore's Hull experience is probably over. I might be the first to attempt an assessment of his time there, but I certainly won't be the last. More important for Altidore is how he leverages his experience; was it simply a frustrating exercise in futility, both from a team and personal standpoint, that ended sourly and spiraling him downward, or was it something to be learned from, a bit of adversity that will serve him well as he strives to fulfill his potential?


I have a sense that Bob Bradley will play a role in the ultimate fallout. The timing could not be better for Altidore now, to leave Hull after a terrible ending and head directly into US camp for the World Cup. Altidore has been at his best in an American jersey, and if there's any way to mitigate the damage from this debacle, it could be found back in Jozy's home state of New Jersey.


Maybe Jozy is a brat. Maybe his development is stunted by a poor attitude, and much of what happened this season at Hull is direct evidence of that.


He's still very young, and playing on a bad team has detrimental effects on many players. Let's hope the adversity is just rough patch on Jozy's road to ultimate success.

Hull City fired manager Phil Brown today. For USMNT fans, that news would have little impact save for the little issue of our starting striker's fortunes with the club; now that Brown is out, with Hull in the relegation zone but just three points from safety, what does the future hold for Jozy Altidore?


I actually addressed this issue way back in September, when it appeared Brown was already on his last legs. It took an additional five and a half months, but the inevitable finally happened; the question now, because Altidore has established himself in the Tigers squad, is how much this affects his playing time, and whether the club will exercise their option to buy him at the end of the season.


The latter is more an issue of survival than anything else. Hull won't buy Altidore from Villareal if they drop down to the Championship, nor do I believe any of us would be keen on them doing so. Altidore is a first division player at this point, and it would slow his development to play in England's second level (even though it's a strong league and the competition is still fierce). More likely is a recall to Villareal, who would either try to sell him (which might depend on his World Cup performance), or loan him out again before the start of next season. Altidore has certainly made strides at Hull, and though his value is debatable, there's no reason to believe he can't catch on somewhere and become an important contributor.


Back to the present. Hull has named assisstant Steve Parkin caretaker manager for the balance of the season. What this means for Altidore, I'm not entirely sure. Hull's sole and most important task is to avoid relegation; does that mean the young American is marginalized because of his lack of experience and paltry goal scoring record? Perhaps. But from most accounts, Altidore has been more consistent and troublesome for defenses than Hull's other forward options; that should mean he'll keep his spot in the rotation.


The only thing we can be sure of right now is that things are uncertain for the young American. From a distance, it appears Hull has been good for him, both on the field and in terms of maturation. Hopefully that leads to Jozy Altidore playing an important role in Hull's bid for survival the rest of the way. Our first indication will come on Saturday when Hull takes on relegation zone-mates Portsmouth at Fratton Park.


Hull is going to need hungry, energetic players in their push for crucial points down the stretch. I'm admittedly biased, but it would seem to me playing Jozy Altidore, who fits that bill, would give them their best shot of staying a Premier League club in 2010-11.

A friend of mine sent me an email yesterday, consisting of a simple question:


Was the Jozy Altidore signing simply a Phil Brown PR move? He had the crowd cheering USA! USA! in his first game and hardly anything since.


My initial reaction to the question, before I attempted to intelligently respond to his suggestion, was "Huh. I hadn't thought of that."


As disheartening as it may be if true, it's certainly possible; Altidore hasn't exactly burned up the EPL since arriving at Hull. He's been a late game sub and an occasional starter, but his overall impact has been minimal, and there should even be some question as to whether moving to Hull was the right thing for his development. How much of that is on Jozy (attitude, effort, etc.) and how much can be chalked up to Brown knowing from the outset that the young American wouldn't be a major part of his plans is impossible to know.


I don't think I agree with the implication that Brown brought in Jozy just to create a little buzz, though. Brown's job was going to be difficult enough without spending money on an unproven player if he didn't think that Altidore had something to offer the squad. My gut tells me that Jozy's lack of impact has more to do with an adjustment period than anything else, though that leads to the obvious question of his short-term future; will Altidore remain with Hull in January, or return to Villareal where his playing time might will be at an even higher premium?


At the time of Altidore's loan announcement, I was hopeful yet wary. Seeing another American in the Premier League was of course exciting for us, but the potential pitfalls were obvious. If Altidore didn't see playing time, or if he couldn't adjust quickly to the rigors of top-flight English football, the potential for wasting a crucial time in his development was high. We now have a few months of evidence with which to judge Jozy's time in England, and it would be difficult to call it a success. I'm not sure it was the wrong move for the American at the time, but it clearly has not worked out the way so many of us hoped.


Hull is in trouble, their manager is in trouble, and the World Cup is a scant seven months away. As I've suggested in the past, a manager holding on for dear life, whether he was integral in signing a particular youngster or not, isn't likely to rely on unproven players. The addition of Dutchman Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink to Hull's roster only pushes Altidore further down the pecking order, and barring inury, Jozy is dealing with an even tougher fight for first team time.


Phil Brown is an enigmatic guy, suicide counselor or not, so my friend's suggestions is interesting. Putting it past Brown to make a move for an exciting young American, who had just tasted international success at the Confederations Cup. would be naive. Maybe it's the optimist in me that wants to believe that the Hull manager truly did believe that Altidore could help his team. Maybe I overrate Jozy as a player.


I'm curious what you make of the suggestion; is it possible Phil Brown brought in Jozy Altidore just to make a splash, without really intending to use him in any meaningful way?

If you haven't noticed, things aren't going so well for the Hull City Tigers. Assumed to be relegation candidates before the current Premier League season started, the Tigers are living up to that billing in spades.

Their most recent misadventure, a 6-1 thrashing at the hands of Liverpool at Anfield, is not disappointing for Hull in terms of result (a win over a top four opponent away was never going to a likely proposition) but in the nature of that beating that they took. Hull's battle to stay up will be more about getting points out of matches with clubs like Birmingham (to whom they've lost) and Bolton (whom they've beaten) than doing well against the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea.

But the Liverpool defeat on top of some other recent poor results has lit the burner under Phil Brown, and the Hull manager is staring to feel the heat. For most Americans, beyond those who have fully taken to Hull as passionate fans, the question of Phil Brown's potential sacking might now matter if it weren't for one rather large question:

If Brown is fired, what happens to Jozy?

Jozy's not going anywhere, of course, and should be with Hull for the balance of the Premier League season. But if Brown, the man ostensibly behind the acquiring of the young American on loan from Villareal, is no longer manager, where does that leave Altidore's prospects for playing time?

Altidore has yet, and may never, entrench himself as a first team choice for the Tigers. He entered this weekend's match as a late-game substitute for Geovanni, at a point in the action when the outcome was well decided; with several more experienced forwards options available, spot minutes may be the best that we can expect for Jozy. Managers in peril tend to rely more on seasoned players they're familiar with than unknown youngsters for whom consistency is still an issue; it's also unlikely that would change under a new manager, since a new man would probably do the same in an effort to save the club from relegation.

Either way, it's a tough time for American fans tracking Altidore's progress, and it shows not signs of getting better. He can still make his mark at Hull, and the hope and belief is that he can be a starter in the Premier League before too long. Unfortunately, it's difficult to see a path that leads there at the moment, and perhaps we should (and some certainly did) have seen the problems coming. Clubs bound to struggle cannot afford to wait on young talent, no matter how much potential there might be, while their chance of remaining top-flight slip away with every dropped point.

The World Cup is rapidly approaching, and Jozy Altidore is already a prominent part of the US National Team. The more time on field, especially for a player of his age, the better; at twenty years old, Altidore cannot afford to be wasting away on the Hull bench when so much of the American hopes in South Africa will be tied to his performance.

Phil Brown has received the dreaded (I'm required by the sportswriters' code to describe it as "dreaded") vote of confidence from Hull's chairman, which probably means he'll receive his walking papers shortly; even if he doesn't, as a manager under fire from multiple angles, he's not likely to take chances or be experimental. Would a replacement, either a caretaker or a newly installed permanent manager, be more likely to put Jozy on the pitch?

Maybe Jozy's just damned either way.