The Tigers sit seventh in the Championship after 11 games
Barry is the Hull City correspondent, and previously covered Nottingham Forest for the Nottingham Post/Nottinghamshire Live. Barry has reported on Hull City’s League One title success and Championship campaigns
The feeling around Hull City is one of growing positivity and excitement as the Championship season begins to take shape, 11 games in.
At the start of the season, few knew quite what to make of the Tigers, given last season’s struggles, coupled with another summer of apparent chaos behind the scenes.
A couple of months on, as we prepare to head into November, City sit seventh in the table, which is their highest league position since Liam Rosenior was in charge during the 2023/24 campaign, and they’re only outside the top six on goal difference.
Three straight wins, including an impressive victory over Leicester City on Tuesday night, have City fans daring to dream once again, after months of stress, worry and anxiety.
Of course, after 11 games, nothing is won yet. Thirty-five games remain, and nobody knows what will happen over the next few months, but if nothing else, Sergej Jakirovic, his staff, and players have given their supporters reason to believe once again; pride has been restored.
Listen to the latest interview with Sergej Jakirovic and Matt Crooks right here
Charlton Athletic are next up at the MKM Stadium and will arrive in terrific form themselves, on the back of an eye-catching 3-0 win at Ipswich Town on Tuesday night, but the Tigers will be buoyant. Four wins at home so far are a testament to the work Jakirovic has been doing, and with key players sidelined. It would also be the first time since November 2021 if they could notch four on the spin.
The manner of their first half showing against the Foxes was scintillating. The way their second goal was crafted was a joy to behold, and no matter what happens between now and early May, you’ll struggle to see a more front-footed goal from the Tigers.
Many will have raised question marks before the game with no Oli McBurnie, but City purred. Liam Millar was the Foxes’ chief tormentor, though from one to 11, their performances were superb.
Even in the second half when the Foxes, and all their expensively assembled quality arrived, the Tigers battened down the hatches and scrapped it out to hold onto a victory they richly deserved,
It’s hard not to take a moment to reflect on last season, simply because of how bad it was. Jakirovic had nothing to do with it, so therefore, it feels somewhat harsh to keep comparing things to a year ago, but it’s natural, especially when things were so grim.
In many ways, the turnaround in fortunes now feels even more impressive given the lows of last term, and just how low everybody associated with this great football club felt.
The win at Birmingham City, for example, was the first time City had won successive games in more than 12 months. Beating Leicester was the first time the Tigers had won three on the spin since what became an iconic week at the back end of September and beginning of October 2024.
It took until the home win over Swansea City in Ruben Selles’ opening MKM Stadium outing to claim a second victory in front of their own supporters, and that success left them bottom on 19 points, so they’re well and truly consigning last season’s shambles to history.
These are all milestones that have been achieved, showing that things are going in the right direction. In a Championship season where there feels significant opportunity for teams to challenge for the top six, City have shown that they can compete with the best in this league.
Their challenge, of course, is to maintain it. Consistency is key, but it feels like under Jakirovic and his staff, the fighting qualities needed to be more than competitive at this level are there with a sprinkling of stardust throughout the team.
The spirit, determination and desire run throughout the dressing room, and that alone gets you so far. With the obvious quality at their disposal, especially when key players return, City will be a dangerous animal this season as they’ve shown already, slaying Southampton, Sheffield United and the Foxes at home, as well as ending Birmingham’s proud 29-game unbeaten home record.
Quite how it pans out, nobody knows. What we do know so far is that Jakirovic’s new era has lifted the mood, it’s raised optimism levels, and more importantly, City fans are enjoying watching their team play football again, and that’s ultimately what it’s all about.
Here at Hull Live , we are dedicated to bringing you the best Hull City coverage and analysis. Make sure you don’t miss out on the latest City news by joining our free WhatsApp group.
You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe. You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service.