Iain Dowie knows a lack of goals could be what condemns Hull to Championship football next season but he insists a more attacking approach is not necessarily the answer. Hull have scored only 32 goals in 34 matches this season, the third lowest in the division, but Dowie insisted he got it right at Birmingham.

He said: "We've probably had more shots on target that we've had all year. We had come off a bad defeat (4-1 at home to Burnley) and our away form has been a concern to us so we changed it for that.

"Playing two up front is fine if the pair are scoring but we've got nine goals from strikers all year. We chucked Jozy on late in the game and maybe you go with two, but maybe you go with two and instead of getting a point you're sitting here with nothing. It's a small step but one that might be very important.

"You've got to be pragmatic. It's not as if I've come in here and been able to change personnel so you've got to deal with the hand you've been given.

"I understand where people are coming from with 4-4-2 but Spain will play 4-2-3-1 at the World Cup.

"People have this thing in this country that you have to play 4-4-2. If England go to the World Cup and play 4-4-2 against Spain, you'll never see the ball. Systems are only as good as the people you have in them.

"I understand people may have thought I should have kept two forwards on but I didn't think it was the right time.

"We had two great opportunities in the last 10 minutes of the game, we didn't take them and people are right to criticise me.

"I'm happy for people to criticise me as long as they stay behind the players."