Hull City: Tim Walter must use Portsmouth FC as Cardiff City 2.0 | OneFootball

A similar performance and result to last month's encounter with the Bluebirds should be targeted by the German

October yielded a run of inconsistent results for Hull City, but across the month, improvements have been made in terms of overall performance levels.

Tim Walter's side may only have one victory to their name in that timeframe - a 3-1 away success at Queens Park Rangers four weeks ago - but, in a period of encounters that have seen the Tigers face off against Norwich City, Sunderland, Burnley and Derby County, there have been signs as to how the German's methods will eventually click, particularly after the international break.

And, with the visit of struggling Portsmouth on the horizon, the 48-year-old will be hoping for a repeat performance and result from when then-bottom Cardiff City made the long trip to East Yorkshire on September 28th to help them find some consistency.

Of course, in a similar vein to a high proportion of matches in Walter's short tenure so far, City were far from the finished article against the Bluebirds, which was proven by Callum Robinson's early strike.

However, a Mohamed Belloumi-inspired turnaround was eventually the catalyst for a first and only victory in HU3 so far this season, with Oscar Zambrano and a Chris Bedia penalty nicely rounding off proceedings.

Unsurprisingly, this encounter was Hull's most clinical performance of the season to date, with nine of the 18 efforts at Jak Alnwick's net on target, as well as recording a season-high total of 2.35 when it comes to xG.

Given their struggles across the first 12 games of the Championship season, Hull will look to build on the 31 chances they have created across their last three outings and return to some form of prolificacy, which saw them net 10 goals in three successive games against Stoke City, Cardiff, and QPR.

And, at face value, the upcoming clash with John Mousinho's second-tier newcomers gives them the ideal opportunity to do so, as a number of Pompey's stats in the defensive department make for grim reading.

The South Coast outfit are the only side in the division to have posted a tally higher than 2 - 2.08 - when it comes to goals conceded per 90 minutes - as well as holding the worst defensive record in the league, with 25 concessions so far.

Only Plymouth Argyle have faced more shots on target across the course of the campaign too, with Mousinho's defence coming under the cosh 71 times in that regard.

This presents the likes of Belloumi, former Pompey loanee Abu Kamara, and either one of Bedia, Joao Pedro, or Mason Burstow to drastically improve City's own record of 0.07 goals per shot - the joint-third lowest tally in the Championship.

As much as the last three encounters have seen Hull become much more structured - partly down to the introductions of Charlie Hughes in defence and Gustavo Puerta in the base of midfield - the Tigers cannot afford for any complacency to creep in against the league's bottom side.

Not many newly-promoted sides could have asked for a tougher return to second-tier life, but Mousinho's side more than matched the likes of Leeds United, Luton Town, and Sheffield United earlier on in the campaign, before coming unstuck and shipping 12 goals in their last five games whilst recording a solitary success against QPR on October 19th.

But, when it comes to the other end of the park, Callum Lang has been the club's creator-in-chief with a respectable tally of four goals and one assist in nine appearances, averaging a conversion rate of 16% from 25 shots in total.

Creating a total of 1.4 big chances per game shows they are on a par with the Tigers in some elements, highlighting that this encounter is anything but a foregone conclusion.

Some Hull supporters have viewed this clash and next Tuesday's trip to Oxford United, who have started the campaign in relatively strong form, as two encounters in which we will see what metal Walter's men are truly made of.

Therefore, another clinical performance to cast any doubts aside would be welcomed.

After an inconsistent run, a repeat of their impressive victory against Cardiff in September would really show that Walter's side are moving in the right direction.