Dean Holden says he’s confident about the path Hull City are on when it comes to their recruitment preparations for the Premier League.
City have so far brought in Jack Butland, Oscar Zambrano and Matt Targett, with a host of other players being lined up, including Japan international Hidemasa Morita, as well as Olympiacos goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis.
Naturally, some supporters have expressed concern about the level of transfer activity at the MKM Stadium, with the need for City to make wholesale changes to ensure they’re ready for the challenge of Premier League football.
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Given the sheer number of rumours circulating from around the world, City are constantly being linked with players of all abilities, many of whom are without any foundation.
Heavily involved in the transfer process at City, Holden has reassured those supporters who are concerned that the work going on behind the scenes, away from the media glare, will yield positive results and ultimately, a squad capable of competing at the top level.
“We’re calm because we know what’s going on behind the scenes, we know the phone calls, we know the players we’re speaking to, we know the deals that are being lined up,” Holden tells Hull Live inside the Tigers’ hotel in Maribor.
“It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work out how difficult the deals are to get done because you think you’re over the line, and all of a sudden, there could be a glitch.
“Especially at this level, other clubs get wind of deals, and there might be issues with the medical, etc. We’re calm because we know there are good phone calls being made, and there are players on the list who are being spoken to, and the deals we’re trying to get done.
“The longer that goes on, the more frustrating it’ll become cos as I said there, we wanna be able to work with these players and that’s why trips like this, you want a batch of players to work with but it’s not always the case, so the quicker we can get them in, the better of course, but we want the right ones in.”
City have been offered legions of players since winning promotion, and that will continue as the weeks progress, but key to their business is bringing in the right players, the right characters that want to come to Hull City for the right reasons, and Holden says the type of mentality trumps everything else.
“There’s a financial aspect to that, and also, there’s a batch of players (in the dressing room) that have got this team, this club, to where we are.
“I’ve seen it before, the clubs can go and bring a whole new bunch of players in on huge contracts, and all of a sudden they’re not quite performing and it can filter through the dressing room, and it could become a real problem, it really can,” he continued.
“The character side of it, we talk about a lot, Sergej, he says it in nearly every interview about character, and that’s what he strives for the most in a player.
“We’ve got to get the right ones. It’s hard at this level, isn’t it, to recruit because you’re trying to get everything in a player, and he’s got to work financially for the club as well.
“It’s like business, isn’t it? We found a way last year. Obviously, Jared’s (Dublin) left, as everybody knows, but we found a way last year to recruit players for the job we needed, and that’s what we need to do again.”
Holden is adamant that the players the club is trying to sign, to give them a realistic chance in the top flight, make him excited, enthuse him and the rest of the coaching staff.
“We have to be (excited),” City’s joint-assistant boss explained. “You’re always optimistic, and some of the names that have been spoken about (excite him), but until you get them over the line, you can never get too confident.
“You have to be optimistic, you’re in the Premier League, and some of the level of talent we’re going to be working with is, as a coach, fantastic, and it needs to be because of the level you’re going up against.”
Hull Live will be the only English media with City during every step of their pre-season tour, and you can follow all our updates in print and online.
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