Huge task ahead for new boss
MASSIVE SQUAD REBUILD NEEDED
Aquick glance at Hull City’s retained list which landed late on Saturday gave a glimpse into the scale of the task facing the incoming new manager, but also presents a big opportunity. Talks with Tim Walter remain ongoing with owner Acun Ilicali hopeful of making an appointment in the coming days. But whether it’s the German boss or somebody else, there’s serious work to be done on adding to the squad to make it competitive and ultimately capable of challenging for promotion as they aim to improve on the seventh-placed finish Liam Rosenior achieved this term.
The departure of players such as Adama Traore, Cyrus Christie, Greg Docherty, Billy Sharp and Aaron Connolly coupled with the loan exits leaves City’s squad worryingly thin, and without any strikers.
Liam Delap, Noah Ohio, Anass Zaroury, Tyler Morton, Fabio Carvalho and Ryan Giles’ exits to their parent clubs have further weakened the squad and while recruitment will naturally take place, the gaps are there for all to see, and give a glimpse into the remedial work the new incumbent will need to take on, and the importance of getting that appointment done sooner rather than later.
City want to strike deals for Delap and Ohio while an obligation to buy Giles will kick in this summer, though, ultimately, that decision will lie with the player himself.
Strikers are high on the agenda and bringing in at least two out-and-out frontmen is paramount with another wide player needed to supplement Jaden Philogene.
Work has been ongoing for a period of time, recruitment meetings have been held at regular intervals in the past few months and while the change in manager may well have an impact, those targets are likely to stay largely the same. Oscar Estupinan could return to the fold, though that will be a decision left to the new boss.
Dogukan Sinik is expected to feature in preseason but will need to prove himself having struggled with fitness since arriving at the MKM, but City will also need quality in depth to sustain a promotion challenge.
In total, 10 first-team players have left including the loanees and that number alone will need to arrive, but City must guard against bringing in players for the sake of it.
Jason Lokilo was a prime example of that 12 months ago, a player not up to the standard of a promotion-chasing squad.
While the task of bringing in 10 new players and knitting them into the squad is sizeable, it’s also a big opportunity for the new boss to stamp his authority on the squad.
City do, however, need to be cautious with their recruitment, tactical with it and of course, work within the strict perimeters set by FFP. Around £4m of the transfer budget will go on signing Giles, and while there will be finance made available by Ilicali to fund other areas, especially up front, the club have to be sensible.
The loan market is one that will be used to good effect, and City showed this season with the calibre of players signed on temporary deals that they’re more than capable of doing that. While Carvalho will grab the headlines and would have hit 20 goals had he been here for the duration, Delap and Morton were two very good arrivals.
Zaroury didn’t work out and Ohio showed significant potential, and like with any transfer, there’s a certain amount of uncertainty about how it’s going to go, every deal is a risk.
While the size of the rebuild is not as big as at other clubs in the Championship who have haemorrhaged more players, this is still a big task for the club and its new manager, and one they must get right.