Hello everyone I hope you’re all well and as the reality of what we’ve just achieved is setting in, enjoying the madness that waits for us in the next few months. It’s lovely and heartwarming to see that a bunch of friendless, internet dwelling, cellar renting dweebs are already deciding they know all about our chances next season. Let’s hope, just like their dress sense and haircuts, that they’ve got it all wrong and it’s going to make them look silly. Either way, first world problems are ahead, so just have that cold beer, enjoy this and we’ll see what happens.
Every year for the last four or five I’ve done grades. It usually gets a bit of discussion going. Definitely some “AcTuAlLy” merchants won’t be able to help themselves, but please remember, it’s just my opinion. You’re more than welcome to yours too, and let’s be honest, everyone associated with the mind bogglingly brilliant and impossible journey we went on at the end, probably got their grade higher for it, so sorry. I’m not sorry.
I’ve tried to cover most players who played significant time this season, where it was a crazily small sample size, I’ve erred on the side of caution and left them off (Ndala, Koumas, Dowell, Palmer, Sonic Akintola etc) Anywho… here we go…
Ivo Pandur B
He wasn’t quite as good as last year in reality, but then thank god he didn’t have to be in most games. I felt some of his criticism was a bit harsh, he’s not a natural from his feet and his confidence dipped a little mid-season. Here’s the thing though, he responded. His best games were his last games and even though the Boro lad was offside eventually, his save in the final could have won us the game. He’s one I go with again next season. He’s only going to get better.
Lewie Coyle B
Let’s get two out the way for the fanboys early. Again it was up and down at times for Lewie this season. He’s not always comfortable on the ball, although his outswinging cross is underrated. Again he saved his best for last, and it’s sometimes more than just being a player in a team. He’s a leader, he’s the ultimate trier and he will lay his body on the line time and again. He wasn’t going to lose last Saturday, and I think that mindset was bottled and drank collectively by the rest of the team. I’ve no idea about next season. But for now, start to build the statue of him.
Ryan Giles A
In a normal season he’s player of the year. His distribution is Premier League. He’s a perfect modern full back. Yes he’s better on his front foot than he is on his back foot but so what? This is football in 2026. His evolution under Sergej was stunning. He became everything we hoped he’d be and maybe more. Keep. Keep. Keep.
John Egan A
The only thing that upsets me is that he’s 32. I’m upset we don’t have a time machine so we could sign him ten years ago. He’s a mountain of a man and over and over again he was immaculate. Another huge character in this squad, he galvanised everybody around him. I don’t think I saw less than 7/10 from him all season. If this is it for him with City, it is some way to go out. Again, build the statue. The man is a legend.
Charlie Hughes B
A little like Pandur, he didn’t quite recreate the highs of the season before, a bit like Pandur, he didn’t always have to and finally a little like Pandur he saved the best for last. Despite the double hernia, when he returned, we looked a different team at the back. It was 2024 Charlie Hughes on display again. He’s another one who has a higher ceiling. He’s another one who stepped up when we needed him most.
Semi Ajayi B
Could be great one week and stuggle another, and was in and out with injury niggles. I think he suits a back three the most and the Sergej move to put him in for the second leg at Millwall was a master stroke. He ate the direct Millwall play up and dominated Middlesborough in the final. The right experience for the job and a steady shift from a canny player.
Cody Drameh B-
I feel harsh giving him lower than the others, but again he struggled with injuries and opportunities. I think to be fair, he showed the most I’ve seen from him this year and when he did get chances later in the year he flashed some real talent. Better again on the front foot, he’s right to consider himself unlucky this season. We’ll see what comes next.
Akin Famewo B-
Again was an important piece in place in terms of depth and the squad. I thought he was largely very solid when he came in and injuries challenged us. Couldn’t be Giles going forward but gave us what we lacked so much the year before, stability.
Paddy McNair B
Perfect cover for later in the season. Could play CDM or in defence. Didn’t do anything he wasn’t capable of. Solid and exactly what we needed. Another one that was important in and about the club, in the changing room too.
Amir Hadžiahmetović B
Underated. Came in and was so calm on the ball. Kept it better than almost anyone. Enabled us build play patiently and get control over games we’d couldn’t the year before. Christ knows what all the memes meant about him (I’m too old), but he was a real bonus this season
John Lundstrum B-
It didn’t quite work. He’s clearly still a talented lad. He’s great passer but did he clash with out style a little? Maybe? Did it slow us down? He can’t get about the pitch as he once could. Still, scored one of the best goals of the season against Southampton and was definitely a culture changer in the dressing room. Stopped us from being soft without a doubt.
Regan Slater A
You just can’t give him less. God loves a trier. He wasn’t supposed to make the squad really, but he did, then he wasn’t meant to play much, but he did, and he definitely wasn’t supposed to be the tone setting heartbeat of the side and he was. In reality he’s the modern Ian Ashbee. There’s no fight he doesn’t want, and he simply rises to every challenge that’s set. He’s Hull City royalty now whatever happens.
Matt Crooks B+
You could argue he deserves and A too, and I did play around with the idea. Does everything he does well. Can hold, can play the pivot, can play box to box, can play higher up and score. Did all of the above a different times. Kept us up last year and now took us up this year. Another culture changer. It’s hard to remember a player that’s so damned likeable. Brilliant.
Darko Gyabi B-
Again unlucky with a couple of injuries and this midfield was hard to get into if you weren’t at it. I really like Darko as a player, he plays off the edge, he’s physical and again I think the management improved him. Scored a priceless goal to beat Middlesborough. Could still be one to feature down the line.
Liam Miller B-
Coming back from long term injury isn’t easy, but largely he did just ok. Flatters to decieve a little and can be frustrating. No lack of effort, but you could tell he was a little frustrated at himself at points. Injuries are funny things, so I hope with a full pre-season and with the knee problems in the rear view we see the player we know he can be.
Mo Belloumi B+
Like LM, he came back in and had to be eased back because of the issues of long term injury. Unlike LM he shook of the shackles quicker and began to look the player we’d seen flashes of last season. He’s direct, he’s confident, he’s a modern day inside forward. He’s score and he’ll run like a lunatic. He along with a handful of others will form the core of next years team you’d expect.
Joe Geldhardt B+
Perhaps Joe did the reverse of some others, in that his strongest part of the season was the middle and perhaps he looked a little tired towards the end. However when he was good, he was very good. Lovely vision, calm in front of goal, top end class. Again like I’ve said with others, in a normal season he’d be a POTS contender. It wasn’t a normal season but that shouldn’t diminish his importance.
Enis Destin B
Came in when he needed a physical presence and OMB was out. Thought he did really well. Good touch, strong boy and some class about him too. Could consider himself to be unlucky to be the odd man out later on and sent out on loan.
Kyle Joseph B+
The boo boys were after him last year and they wound their necks in this season. He reminded me from day one of a young Jon Walter, and this time we had the opportunity to nurture him and bring him in at the right points. Endless running and effort, and increasingly a really good sense of where and when to pop up in the box. His injury against Millwall was incredibly unlucky. He was a huge asset this season.
Yu Hirakawa B+
A really good technical player that enabled us to cover the returning Millar and Belloumi and also keep them fit. Great on the ball, excellent delivery and the provider of the season’s biggest moment. If the gaffer pays the million quid to Bristol, I’m not arguing with him.
Oli Mc Burnie A+
The most transformative forward we’ve seen in over a decade. Both in the sense of how he played and how that enabled us to set up, but also the attitude and mindset he drove forward. He was a troll, and I mean that as a compliment, he fed off every mistake, he arrived in the box at the right time over and over again. He could outmuscle you, he could out think you, and if you gave him a crack of light, he punished you. Which he not only did in the biggest game of our season, but deep down, you knew he would. He was inevitable. And he made us inevitable too.
Sergej Jakirović A+
Not only is the Bosnian Brian Clough the biggest breath of fresh air we’ve seen in this city in twenty years, he’s the architect of one of the most transformatively stunning turnarounds in the history of the Championship. We grumble and mumble about predictions (well I do anyway) but it was probably right to say we wouldn’t challenge, because we probably shouldn’t have. Ok, nailing us for relegation despite some of the clearly clever signings was a bit harsh and snobby, but make no mistake, he’s done something almost unique here. His bringing in of Dean Holden was another stroke of genius. Dean knew this league and knew what it took, he had a caddy to help him navigate an unforgiving league.
I hate to tell you I told you so.. (well I don’t) but I told you so about big Sergej. https://newblogs.thelikesofhull.co.uk/2025/11/20/sergej-jakirovic-for-erm-city/
Keep this up and we’ll struggle to keep him, I hope that doesn’t happen, but let’s be honest if he keeps us up next season, that’s a hell of silver lining on the cloud. Incidently the “In the end we break them” quote should become a t-shirt.
Final word on the big man… I spoke to Boro fans the day before as they told me all about how great Hackney was and when they asked me for our danger I said “Jakirovic” and when they asked why I said “Because he’s had a good look at you, and he’ll have a plan to take that away”. I don’t think they believed me. I don’t think Premier League fans will believe me either. Their loss.
Thanks for reading and thanks for your ongoing support of the blog over the season. I hope you all have a lovely summer, get some sun on you, have a few refreshing drinks and up them Premier League Tigers.