Hull City need to repeat Fabio Carvalho transfer tactic in pivotal summer window..
It is a crucial summer for the Tigers as they prepare for the new campaign..
Hull City finally have their manager, and now they must move quickly to start adding to their squad if they’re to avoid a repeat of last season’s sleepy summer, with Sergej Jakirovic the man charged with inserting some upward momentum into the club.
While Tim Walter’s appointment proved to be a disaster, the German was operating with two hands and legs tied behind his back, and probably didn’t stand a chance.
City were caught sleepwalking throughout the summer period, and it ensured they were not in any fit shape to start the most competitive league in the world.
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Was it naivety, arrogance or a lack of understanding about just how competitive and difficult the Championship is? Perhaps it was a combination of those, perhaps it was none of those, but the fact that 14 of their signings came after the final pre-season friendly of the summer was anything but ideal and left them so far behind the eight ball, they struggled to catch up.
It took Walter until his seventh league match to win a game. By that point, hapless City had failed to win a single friendly (including a 4-0 thrashing at Doncaster Rovers) and then been booted out of the Carabao Cup at the first attempt by Sheffield Wednesday’s reserves.
Alarm bells were well and truly ringing from early on. If we’re all brutally honest with each other, the season panned out as most probably expected, given the shoddy preparations. Anybody with any experience in football knows how crucial pre-season is and how it sets the tone for the campaign ahead.
That cannot be allowed to happen again. While last summer, there was a distinct lack of urgency from the decision makers, this summer, they must be proactive.
Jakirovic must get to work now. His preparations must be underway. Training plans for pre-season have to be etched to ensure the existing players return focused on the job in hand and completely clear on what is expected of them. There can be no blurred lines. Complete clarity is required across the board. Leadership is crucial.
Signings must also follow. There can be no excuses about a major tournament getting in the way. City must go after their targets and try to get as many done as quickly as possible. Of course, given where the Tigers are in the food chain, that will not be easy, but professional football at this level is not an arena where excuses carry much weight. Actions speak far louder than any words.
Fans want that action, they want results and they don’t want to be fobbed off with reasons as to why players decided to go elsewhere. It’s the job of Acun Ilicali, his new manager and his recruitment team to ensure players want to come to the MKM Stadium, and not just because the club pays good wages.
Signings must be sensible, financially sensible, but bring something to the squad. After finishing as the lowest scorers in the league, adding creativity and goals is the most important. Marvin Mehlem finished as the joint-top assist maker and he left the club in January. Chris Bedia finished the season with three goals, only three behind leading scorer Joao Pedro, and like Mehlem, was moved on in the winter.
Liam Rosenior drove from Hull to London on a Friday night before an FA Cup game (against Birmingham City) the following day to spend three hours with Fabio Carvalho, to convince him to join City and not Southampton, Leicester City or Leeds United (amongst others).
So impressed by Rosenior’s vision for the club, Carvalho decided there and then that he wanted to come to the MKM Stadium. It’s that type of commitment that makes a difference to a player, and it’s that type of personal touch that can elevate City above bigger clubs with shinier training grounds, and more money.
They must get back to operating with that vision and Jakirovic must play his part. He cannot be a manager who is distant from his players. He must get them on side quickly, overcome those members of the dressing room who have become tired of City’s constant churn, both in the manager’s office and dressing room.
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