‘Young’ decisions ensure Hull fail to take advantage

HULL CITY head coach Liam Rosenior cast aside his pain to take pride in the fact that the East Yorkshire club are 'back on the map', despite agonisingly finishing one place outside of the play-offs.

The Tigers' race in 2023-24 is run after Saturday's 1-0 loss at Plymouth, although the result at The Hawthorns ensured that Hull would not have made the top six even if they had won, with the day belonging to Argyle .

Rosenior said: "What we have to do is take stock, analyse and go forward and make sure we come back stronger next year.

"This club is back on the map. "I know it's disappointing and we didn't quite make the top six. But this club is now a respected force in the Championship.

"And that's not me trying to big myself up, or the staff or Acun (Ilicali) and Tan (Kesler), it's the truth from where we were 18 months ago.

"The building blocks are now in place for us to be successful in the longer term and that's something that can't be forgotten in this process."

The hurt of events at Home Park, with Rosenior revealing that several players were in tears in the away dressing room after the final whistle, will also drive the club forward next season, the 39-year-old believes.

Some could also depart over the summer with Fabio Carvalho returning to parent club Liverpool, among others, while there is bound to be renewed speculation over the future of key defender and vice-captain Jacob Greaves.

On City becoming stronger from events on the final-day in Devon, Rosenior, speaking after the game, continued: "To be honest, there's part of me that did – not expect this – but did also know it would be a team that would have to learn on the job.

"I've said it all along, we are so young and sometimes when you watch us play we make so many ‘young’ decisions as we are so fearless in the way we play. It's our biggest strength, but sometimes our biggest weakness.

"With the energy and intensity they put into the game, Plymouth deserved their win overall.

"It was a tough one to take as we wanted to extend the season as long as possible.

"It is a very emotional dressing room, in there. There were lads crying. But they gave me everything this season.

"It wasn’t today (Saturday) that was the reason we didn’t make the play-offs. We didn’t quite take advantage of the many moments and advantages we had through the season."