adminHull City captain Lewie Coyle has launched a scathing response to Gary O’Neil after the Ipswich Town manager’s explosive post-match outburst, labelling the Blues boss a “crybaby” and accusing him of disrespecting the Tigers’ dressing room in a rant that has ignited a bitter new feud between the two clubs.
The flashpoint came after Ipswich’s 2-2 draw at the MKM Stadium on Saturday, a match in which the visitors surrendered a two-goal lead and saw Julio Enciso’s late strike rescue a point . O’Neil, visibly furious, used his post-match press conference to tear into Hull’s style of play, questioning their “ambition” and suggesting the Tigers “celebrated a draw like a cup final.”
Coyle, speaking exclusively in the mixed zone, did not hold back.
“Crybaby Gary Strikes Again”
“I’ve heard some disrespectful things in football, but that was a new low,” Coyle said, still in his kit. “He called us limited. He said we played ‘anti-football.’ Coming from a manager whose team spent seventy per cent of the game time-wasting and then bottled a two-goal lead? It’s laughable. Gary O’Neil is a crybaby. He always has been. When things go against him, he points fingers. He never looks at himself.”
The Hull right-back, who was substituted in the 77th minute after a typically combative display , suggested O’Neil’s comments were designed to deflect from Ipswich’s own shortcomings.
“He’s got a squad full of Premier League wages and he’s drawing at Hull City, a team that was in the Championship two years ago. Maybe instead of crying about how we play, he should ask why his players stopped playing after sixty minutes. That’s on him. That’s his job. Don’t come into our house and insult our character because you couldn’t finish the job.”
The “Old Firm” Spark
The bad blood between the sides has been simmering since Ipswich’s 1-0 victory at Portman Road in March, a match decided by a contentious Florentino goal . But Coyle insisted Saturday’s draw—and O’Neil’s reaction to it—has crossed a line.
“He called us a ‘long-ball team’ and said we ‘don’t want to play football.’ That’s disrespectful to our manager, to our fans, and to every lad in that dressing room who ran themselves into the ground today. We’re not here to be his punchbag because his team threw away two points. If he wants a war of words, he can have one. But he should be careful. He’s not as clever as he thinks he is.”
“We’ll Remember This”
Coyle confirmed that O’Neil’s comments had been circulated around the Hull dressing room within minutes of the final whistle, and that the squad is already looking toward the reverse fixture.
“The lads have seen it. And I’ll tell you this—no one in this building will forget what he said. He’s lit a fire. When we go to Portman Road, we’ll remember. And I hope he’s man enough to stand by what he said, because he embarrassed himself today. Not us.”
The draw leaves Hull and Ipswich level on points in the Premier League table, adding further spice to a rivalry that has suddenly become personal . For Coyle, though, the issue is simpler than tactics or table position.
“Respect. That’s it. You don’t come into another manager’s stadium and disrespect him like that. Gary O’Neil thinks he’s above it. He’s not. And if he wants to call me a crybaby for saying it, fine. At least I’m honest. He can’t say the same.”
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