Assistant Manager Craig Shakespeare insists the Tigers are keen to avoid becoming another Carling Cup statistic when they face League One side Brentford in round two tonight.
City enter this season's competition with a trip to Griffin Park and having already seen eight Championship sides dumped out by lower league opposition in the first round, Shakespeare doesn't want the name of Hull City adding to that list.
"If you look at the last round, a number of Championship sides went out," said Shakespeare.
"These are always tricky games, but this is one we're looking forward to.
"We're taking it seriously. Brentford had a good season last year, but they've had a stop-start beginning this time around. They picked up a good point at Swindon and it will be tricky.
"We're going there with a positive mindset after Saturday's result and we're looking to win the game. There were more positives than negatives to take from the game against Watford. Yes we would have liked to have been more fluid going forward and to have created more chances, but we didn't concede and we looked quite solid.
"You felt for the likes of Jay Simpson and Robert Koren, who haven't had that much training. But they're good players and they will settle in. When that happens, we will see what good acquisitions they are for Hull City."
Official Hull City Website
NOW is the time for Karleigh Osborne to stop being seen as a promising youngster and nail down a regular first-team place - according to the player himself.
The 22-year-old defender will take a trip down memory lane tonight when Brentford host Hull City in the League Cup second round.
The last time the two teams met was on the last day of the 2004-05 season, when Osborne made his debut in a 2-1 win for the Bees.
Since then he has spent five years as a fringe player - but is now aiming to this season become a permanent fixture in Andy Scott's side after starring in Saturday's draw at Swindon..
He said: "It's been frustrating being in and out of the side, but I know it's much to do with my own consistency.
"Now is the time for me to step up. I've played more than 100 games for the club and can't be seen as a young player for the future any more.
"I feel more at home at centre-back than right-back, but I love Brentford and just want to wear the shirt, wherever I am required."
Osborne remembers little of that game against Hull, in which Martin Allen, with his side already sure of a play-off spot, also handed first-team debuts to fellow youngsters Darius Charles, Charlie Ide, Ryan Watts and George Moleski.
Many of the others have now drifted into the non-league game, or out of football altogether, with Osborne the only one to still be involved at Brentford.
And although that fact makes him proud, with the club setting up their first ever academy, he looks forward to the day when more Brentford youngsters are joining him in the first team.
Osborne said: "I do take some pride as I have worked extremely hard to keep myself in the first team squad, it's not easy, but I'd love to see more young players make it here.
"I still keep in touch with a lot of the old lot - Ryan Peters is godfather to my son, and I was speaking to Darius Charles the other day about playing against him in the Stevenage game. I feel like I'm doing it for them as well."
Although his debut passed by in a blur, Osborne clearly remembers the difficulty of marking a former England international.
He added: "I started at right-back, then was moved into midfield where I had to man-mark Nicky Barmby, which was tough. We all found out a few days before that we'd be playing, and there was a real buzz amongst me and the younger lads.
"I had been on the bench before, but this was something else. We were all nervous as it was in front of a big crowd, and I remember the roar after the second goal and at full-time.
"It was such a typical Martin Allen thing to do, pitching us in at the deep end, but he had faith in us all."
Staines News
ASSISTANT manager Craig Shakespeare insists Hull City are targeting a good run in the Carling Cup.
The Tigers make their bow in this season's competition tonight at Brentford after being handed a bye in the first round.
City are long overdue some success in knockout football with the run to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup in 2009 standing out in an otherwise disappointing string of early exits.
Shakespeare said: "The focus has to be the league but the priority has to be the next game.
"We have to make sure that we are not a casualty. You see clubs going out with a whimper at times but we don't aim to do that.
"Brentford are a big, strong and physical side and we aim to give them a good go.
"We are looking at a good cup run and we have to go down there with the right frame of mind and pick a strong side.
"We have done our homework on them and we know that they will be right up for the game. We don't want to become another casualty."
Last six games: Brentford LDLWLD, Hull City LDDWLD.
Referee: I Williamson (Berkshire).
Last time: Brentford 2 Hull City 1; May 7, 2005; League One.
Yorkshire Post
BRENTFORD striker Nicky Forster insists he's got nothing to prove against his former club tonight.
Forster spent a season at Hull in 2006/07 - making 37 appearances - before cutting short his stay at the KC in order to move back down south with Brighton.
The 36-year-old faces his old employers in the Carling Cup second-round clash at Griffin Park, but says he holds no grudges against the Championship outfit.
He said: "The club were struggling when I went there. I was signed by Phil Parkinson but he left halfway through the season and Phil Brown came in.
"We survived on the last day of the season, but after that Brighton came in for me. The club didn't really want me to go but it was closer to home.
"I don't feel I have a point to prove. I'm keen to play well whoever I play against, and there's certainly no axe to grind."
Hounslow Chronicle
ANDY Scott has backed John Bostock to be a hit with Hull - but only after tonight's Carling Cup clash with the Tigers.
The England U19 international made 10 appearances for Brentford on loan from Tottenham Hotspur last season, scoring two goals.
Spurs boss Harry Redknapp has shipped the wing-wonder out of White Hart Lane again, only this time for the whole season, and he got off to a flyer with a goal in Hull's opening-day victory over Swansea.
And Bees boss Scott is wary of the threat Bostock poses to his defence.
He said: "John did very well for us last season. Since he left us we've spoken to him and tried to help him with his career.
"I'd like to think his time with us helped him out, and we hope he does well for Hull in the Championship - but not on Tuesday."
Hounslow Chronicle
CRAIG Shakespeare has warned Hull City must be on guard against a League Cup upset when they travel to Brentford tonight.
The Tigers take a full-strength squad to the capital as they look to avoid an embarrassing exit at their League One hosts.
The League Cup has often played second fiddle for City in recent years but keen to keep confidence building in the squad, assistant boss Shakespeare says they will travel to Griffin Park eyeing a smooth passage to the third round.
"The focus has to be the league but the priority has to be the next game," Shakespeare told the Mail.
"We have to make sure that we're not a casualty. You see clubs going out with a whimper at times but we don't aim to do that.
"They're a big, strong and physical side and we aim to give them a good go.
"We're looking at a good cup run and we have to go down there with the right frame of mind and pick a strong side.
"We've done our homework on them and we know that they'll be right up for the game. We don't want to become another casualty."
City's intentions have been underlined by the naming of a strong 20-man squad to travel south this morning.
Jamie Devitt and Peter Halmosi join the 18 players who featured against Watford on Saturday and although there will be changes tonight, Shakespeare stressed a strong side will be named.
Teenage striker Mark Cullen could be handed a first start of the season in tandem with new signing Jay Simpson.
Caleb Folan (dead leg) and Craig Fagan (groin) both miss out again while Kamil Zayatte (knee) is a doubt.
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