Sometimes it is one game that defines a player. Sometimes it is just one incident.
George Boateng was left unconscious when he was caught in the face by the boot of Sanli Tuncay, the Stoke player, during Hull's game at Stoke at the start of this month.
"There was blood all over the place," said Boaz Myhill, his teammate, afterwards.
A week later, Boateng was leading the side against fellow strugglers Burnley, His performance was described as "outstanding" by Iain Dowie, his manager, despite a demoralising 4-1 defeat.
Courage and commitment are characteristics the Ghana-born Dutch midfielder, 34, has displayed throughout his career.
According to Myhill, "George is as brave as a lion and that's why he has had the career he has had."
Boateng relishes a challenge too a reason he relinquished Champions League football with Feyenoord to join Coventry, then a struggling Premier League side.
It is that desire to succeed that Hull need now more than ever.
Tonight is their game in hand on their relegation rivals. Never have they needed three points more than against Aston Villa, a club Boateng left in 2002 because he did not feel appreciated. A lack of awards was another factor.
It might be a case of deja vu when you consider the case of Martin O'Neill.
The Villa manager has developed an exciting side that has challenged on three fronts this season.
Despite missing out on the FA and Carling Cup, a top-four finish remains within reach. Three points will be the gap to Tottenham if they can tame the Tigers at the KC Stadium.
But it could be a case of so near and yet so far, as the talk remains strong that O'Neill could depart in the summer because of his frustration at the lack of future funds to add more quality and much-needed depth to his squad.His efforts have brought admiration from managerial rivals, including Dowie.
"Martin's done a terrific job there. The money he's invested [has been for] great players," he said in his pre-match press conference.
"We're well aware of the threat that Villa pose; I think they're the third best team away from home in the league. We know what they bring."
But Dowie will have to find a weakness in the Villa side, aware that victory would take them level with West Ham on 31 points, but still in the drop zone on goal difference.
What is vital is that Hull show the same effort as they did in the goalless draw at Birmingham on Saturday. They owe it to their supporters.
The words "disgraceful" and "dark time" were used to describe the outcome of their last home game, the heavy loss to Burnley.
Dowie added: "We deserved the brickbats for that second half against Burnley, but I guarantee the fans will get a committed display.
"We played very poorly for a half against Burnley, but we go into this [game against Villa] off the back of a performance at Birmingham, where we have covered more ground than we have done all season, passed the ball more than we have done, had more shots on target, more crosses coming in. We have got to build on that.
"We need four more replica performances, but hopefully a bit more of an end product. There's four games to go and we have to make sure that come the last game of the season we have the chance to stay in the Premier League."
O'Neill has set his targets much higher. "We are playing catch up, we know that and have been doing that for a few weeks and the situation is really straightforward," he said yesterday.
"It is that we cannot afford to slip. To give ourselves a chance we have to win every single game.
"We will keep battling and while the chance is there, we are going for it."
akhan@thenational.ae
Hull City v Aston Villa, KO 10.45, Showsports 1
11 cabbie-recommended restaurants and dishes to try in Abu Dhabi
Iqbal Restaurant behind Wendy’s on Hamdan Street for the chicken karahi (Dh14)
Pathemari in Navy Gate for prawn biryani (from Dh12 to Dh35)
Abu Al Nasar near Abu Dhabi Mall, for biryani (from Dh12 to Dh20)
Bonna Annee at Navy Gate for Ethiopian food (the Bonna Annee special costs Dh42 and comes with a mix of six house stews – key wet, minchet abesh, kekel, meser be sega, tibs fir fir and shiro).
Al Habasha in Tanker Mai for Ethiopian food (tibs, a hearty stew with meat, is a popular dish; here it costs Dh36.75 for lamb and beef versions)
Himalayan Restaurant in Mussaffa for Nepalese (the momos and chowmein noodles are best-selling items, and go for between Dh14 and Dh20)
Makalu in Mussaffa for Nepalese (get the chicken curry or chicken fry for Dh11)
Al Shaheen Cafeteria near Guardian Towers for a quick morning bite, especially the egg sandwich in paratha (Dh3.50)
Pinky Food Restaurant in Tanker Mai for tilapia
Tasty Zone for Nepalese-style noodles (Dh15)
Ibrahimi for Pakistani food (a quarter chicken tikka with roti costs Dh16)
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Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
Cultural fiesta
What: The Al Burda Festival
When: November 14 (from 10am)
Where: Warehouse421, Abu Dhabi
The Al Burda Festival is a celebration of Islamic art and culture, featuring talks, performances and exhibitions. Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, this one-day event opens with a session on the future of Islamic art. With this in mind, it is followed by a number of workshops and “masterclass” sessions in everything from calligraphy and typography to geometry and the origins of Islamic design. There will also be discussions on subjects including ‘Who is the Audience for Islamic Art?’ and ‘New Markets for Islamic Design.’ A live performance from Kuwaiti guitarist Yousif Yaseen should be one of the highlights of the day.
Company%20Profile
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Poacher
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Company%20profile
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Saturday's schedule at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
GP3 race, 12:30pm
Formula 1 final practice, 2pm
Formula 1 qualifying, 5pm
Formula 2 race, 6:40pm
Performance: Sam Smith
INDIA V SOUTH AFRICA
First Test: October 2-6, at Visakhapatnam
Second Test: October 10-14, at Maharashtra
Third Test: October 19-23, at Ranchi
MATCH INFO
Europa League final
Who: Marseille v Atletico Madrid
Where: Parc OL, Lyon, France
When: Wednesday, 10.45pm kick off (UAE)
TV: BeIN Sports
ENGLAND SQUAD
Goalkeepers Pickford (Everton), Pope (Burnley), Henderson (Manchester United)
Defenders Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Chilwell (Chelsea), Coady (Wolves), Dier (Tottenham), Gomez (Liverpool), James (Chelsea), Keane (Everton), Maguire (Manchester United), Maitland-Niles (Arsenal), Mings (Aston Villa), Saka (Arsenal), Trippier (Atletico Madrid), Walker (Manchester City)
Midfielders: Foden (Manchester City), Henderson (Liverpool), Grealish (Aston Villa), Mount (Chelsea), Rice (West Ham), Ward-Prowse (Southampton), Winks (Tottenham)
Forwards: Abraham (Chelsea), Calvert-Lewin (Everton), Kane (Tottenham), Rashford (Manchester United), Sancho (Borussia Dortmund), Sterling (Manchester City)
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Results
Stage 4
1. Dylan Groenewegen (NED) Jumbo-Visma 04:16:13
2. Gaviria (COL) UAE Team Emirates
3. Pascal Ackermann (GER) Bora-Hansgrohe
4. Sam Bennett (IRL) Deceuninck-QuickStep
5. Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto Soudal
General Classification:
1. Adam Yates (GBR) Mitchelton-Scott 16:46:15
2. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates 0:01:07
3. Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ) Astana Pro Team 0:01:35
4. David Gaudu (FRA) Groupama-FDJ 0:01:40
5. Rafal Majka (POL) Bora-Hansgrohe
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More on Quran memorisation:
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