You know, I've learned - slowly - that if we want something from the men in our lives, we have to be blunt and ask them directly for what we want. Hints they usually don't catch; subtlety passes right under their radar. But if we tell them flat-out, "Honey, here's what I want from you in this situation..." they're usually more than happy to try to give us that. At least, my DH (well, we're not married, but near enough) is like that. If I call him when I'm feeling lonely and insecure (it's a long-distance relationship) and just expect comfort, it usually doesn't work, and I end up getting mad at him for being "unsupportive". However, when I call and tell him, "Love, I'm really lonely and kind of insecure right now. Can you please spend some time with me and remind me that I'm not alone in this?" he will do exactly that, and especially once I've told him what my general need is, he can take it from there.
The moral of the story: Don't be subtle or expect him to know what to say. Smack him upside the head with a clue-by-four, and he'll be much more helpful.
