I’ve thought long and hard about this post. Yes, it’s before Ruben Selles is officially sent to the bin and about a million players are googled and you tubed by the fans as the speculation and rumours replace any actual action, but I still think this is the appropriate time to reflect on what went wrong and more importantly what needs to improve if we’re going to be at the right end of the table next year.
I’m not a hardline fan opinion, therefore when I finally had my last bit of patience run out with the Allam regime in 2020 I had been pushed and pushed into having enough. James Scott replacing Jarod Bowen was enough to make the Pope himself egg Ehab’s Maserati. The same is true now, I’m not on the “Acun” train, which makes me apparently unpopular with his more fervent supporters, but I’m also not a person who doesn’t see some of the good things he’s done. I neither want the owners to be pelted with horse manure but I also don’t want them to pop over for sausage and chips like I’m 9. I think that’s generally a fairly even point to stand at.
Credit where it’s due there’s several things we need to take into account that’s changed and improved… our club output in terms of merch and kits has never been better, the food, bar and hospitality are much improved, the prices of attending are both fairer and clearer and there’s been a concerted effort to push the club onto a more aspirational mindset, the social media is better and well ran… You could disagree with some of that if you want to, but I think more people would agree than wouldn’t.
However the same people would largely point towards the same factors that haven’t been so positive and that’s what I’m going to focus the main body of my piece on. What needs to change next season to help us avoid repeating the same mistakes we’ve made over the past three seasons. In the end if we don’t learn, we’re going to run out of chances in this league because the financial choices made will eventually have more serious consequences. Anyway…. have a read, have a debate, block me and call me Shirley… it’s totally up to you. You’re in some auspicious company if you do block me though… one has an MBE and the other is stuck in fascist wormhole that means he is permanently stuck online… a bit like the movie Tron. Happy days!
Here’s five changes I think can change our fortunes next season..
- Stop interfering with the transfers in and out, and let the coach/scouts/recruitment people make their decisions based on data, facts, what they’ve seen and learned.
We have on the whole signed some talented lads in the last few years, but it’s often been uneven and not necessarily been done in a pragmatic or ordered way. Thus we finished the season with a centre back at left back and had about 23 midfielders. It needs overhauling and bringing back to earth. As flashy as some of the transfers have been from Turkey, only really two have actually worked out (Ozan and Seri) whilst arguably a couple of others have been ok (Unc?) but lots more have left a lot to be desired (Lincoln, Sinik, Pelkas). A cynic (not a Sinik) might even say that the likes of Shota and Timmy Waltz were put in because they would accept more of this jiggery pokery. No more please, put in the right people, let them work with the coach, find the right players and the right fits, the interference hasn’t helped at all.
2. Communicate to the fans in an ordered and regulated manner.
A good 25,000 people plus support Hull City, another 20,000 are floating around somewhere between liking them and supporting them. Have an article in the programme once a month, or on the website, do an interview at the start, middle and end of the season, or do a talk at a set point. But don’t disappear like Homer through the bush when things aren’t going well, face up to the issues and be present. All fans deserve this and it will make you more respected in the long term. The silence post Christmas has been rather clear, and then when people say you’re not as invested or interested, it’s hard to deny. Be consistent.
3. Show some patience and listen.
I’d say 80% plus want to keep Selles. (and before you tell me they don’t that’s directly from a survey I saw online) That for a modern football manager that just about scraped us up is decent. He might go after I write this, he might not. I’d say the % that wanted Rosenior to stay was even higher. Now I’ve said the “R” word and I know certain people are going to be triggered. But if Selles gets the Rosey treatment the message that the owners are neither listening or learning are clear. Even the cleaners at the MKM wanted Walter gone and that was the first time the fanbase was listened to. If they aren’t listened to for the second consecutive summer, we better have a plan better than Shota Arveladze’s Mum’s Uncle’s personal trainer up our sleeve or it won’t end well.
4. Encourage fans at home to build a better atmosphere.
Now this one isn’t really so much on the owners. The atmosphere at the KCom is about as rabid as a Barry Manilow concert in Brid and it’s getting worse. I think the whole club and fanbase need to reflect on this, it’s not the only reason we were Dolan-eque at home, but it’s one of them. Whether is a new area for “singing” fans, move the away fans out of the north, or surrounding the ground with a fan zone pre game (something fans enjoyed pre-Pompey) , we ALL need to figure this out, including the owners. Is this an area where we’ve fallen short? Maybe… but they really haven’t been given much to sing about either…
5. Find more John Egans…
The best team we’ve ever had was also one of the most characterful. The cup final, premier league surviving team of 2014 had some class in Huddz, and Jelavic and Long. But it also had a core of Irish and British lads who struck together. Robbie Brady, Paul McShane, Liam Rosenior, Curtis Davies, James Chester, Allan McGregor, David Meyler, Jake Livermore and Stephen Quinn. This wasn’t a coincidence, Curtis recently was on “Undr the Cosh” and said as much, this bunch played golf together, went for meals together, their families were mates, therefore we saw that on the pitch, they were a proper group that had each others backs. Steve Bruce wasn’t perfect, but he knew this and we could learn from it now. The best winter buy was John Egan, easily, and he cost 250k. Find 3-4 more lads like this, who get the level and run the dressing room and get the fans… and we’ll be pushing up the league and connecting to the fanbase again. We need that British/Irish core (or players immersed in this level of football and are used to it, with some charisma) and we need some strong leaders to boot. This would be a quick and effective fix.
Thanks for reading… Have a nice summer. I’ll post something after the dust settles, or there’s a new kit, or Lee Walker needs me to write some City content before he gets cold turkey.. UTT. Keep the faith.