Acun might have dropped a clanger
Well, what a shock to hear about the dismissal of Hull City manager, Liam Rosenior.
Acun Ilicali might have dropped his first clanger since buying the club … oh, other than appointing Shota prior to Rosenior.
The weird thing is that there was no pressure from the fans for him to go - disappointment, yes, at not making the play-offs, disappointment at some poor results and performances in the final quarter of the season, especially some home games.
Despite this, most fans still seemed to have faith in the man, to build on his first full season in charge, and to continue the good work.
Surprisingly, though, about a third of the many text messages I received after the news broke, showed a clear understanding of why this situation had come about.
Large amounts of money had been spent in bringing in new players, either on permanent or loan deals; tactics were sometimes questioned; the owner’s expectations were high. These are all reasonable comments to make, but, personally, I felt Rozzer’s positive contribution to the overall progress during last season far outweighed any perceived shortcomings.
The owner has carried out many acts of generosity since he arrived. Fans’ trips to Turkey; funding away travel; paying about £10k for refreshment vouchers to fans who travelled to Plymouth for the final game of the season - boy, was that well-earned?!
I have also heard several stories of spontaneous acts of generosity when Acun has been amongst supporters.
Of course, he has the money to display a bit of largesse, and it all feeds into the perception that the club was being rebuilt on solid foundations.
Rozzer was a key part of those foundations. Just look at the average attendances last season, with several sell-outs, even after the team had under-performed. Most fans had begun to believe that we really were ‘all in it together.’ Can a new manager ensure that feeling is replicated?
However, it’s the owner’s money, and the decision has been taken. Fans can be fickle, and if a new manager gets off to a flying start, then, regrettably, the Rosenior era will be consigned to history. However, if the new manager stumbles in the early days, then you don’t need a crystal ball to predict the reaction.
So, it will be an exciting close season of much activity, not least when Rozzer might well end up back at the MKM Stadium, leading an opposing team from the Championship.
I am sure he will receive a warm welcome from the Tigers’ fans, then it will be back to business. I just hope Hull City’s fortunes are not on the same pathway as Birmingham City who sacked their manager (John Eustace) in October last year, when 6th in the table, and finished the season in 20th place and were ...... RELEGATED!!
High stakes next season, Tigers fans! UTT. Rob Milner, Hedon.