Hull City have been one of the most active clubs in the transfer market this summer, which is perhaps no surprise given the amount of work needed to improve their squad in preparation for the Premier League
So far, eleven players have arrived, and it’s expected that before the window closes on September 1, around half of those could arrive again as Acun Ilicali invests heavily in Sergej Jakirovic’s options.
The Tigers have spent well over £50m since their promotion to the Premier League, and that figure could well be doubled in the final days of the summer window.
With less than two weeks to go before the biggest window in City’s recent history is shut until January, we’ve been taking a look at the key areas for improvement.
Another goalkeeper
Prior to the trip to Frankfurt, City’s goalkeeping unit looked in rude health, following the arrivals of Jack Butland and Konstantinos Tzolakis, but that all changed on the morning of the flight to Germany. Butland damaged his arm and has since had surgery, which will keep him out until the end of the year.
That’s a nightmare for him, and for City, given how good he looked in pre-season, and it also means the club have now got to find another goalkeeper in the market to come in for a short period of time, one who is happy to provide cover for Tzolakis.
Naturally, that isn’t going to be an easy task, but it’s one they will have to succeed in over the next couple of weeks because they can’t limp through with Tzolakis and Dillon Phillips.
More pace
The overriding feeling throughout pre-season has been the lack of pace in the side, and that’s something Jakirovic knows he must add to his group.
Jakirovic has looked at the Nottingham Forest side under Nuno Espirito Santo, which got into the Europa League with Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi playing off the flanks, and he wants that type of dynamism down the sides.
City will spend long periods of games without the ball, and last season, it worked for them playing on the counter. In the Premier League, they will get fewer chances and be under greater pressure with a bigger threat of conceding against better players, so it’s imperative they have the ability to get up the pitch and can catch teams on the counter with pace. It’s pace which really scares defenders, and that’s something that would be really welcome.
At the moment, City don’t really have anyone, perhaps aside from Liam Millar, who has real pace to get in behind and give them a real threat in that way.
Between now and September 1, the club’s recruitment team must get some speed and dynamism into the attacking areas to help boost the manager’s options and make City a real threat.
Up front
It was striking in the draw with Nice on Saturday when Oli McBurnie was withdrawn, and Tyrell Sellars-Fleming was introduced; the worrying lack of depth in that part of the pitch.
City cut it fine last season at times, with Joe Gelhardt chipping in with vital goals, especially during McBurnie’s enforced absence with injury in the Autumn, but this time around, they cannot go into a season such as this with just McBurnie.
Goals are the most difficult thing for newly-promoted teams to find, so it’s crucial that City spend good money on bringing in players up front that can take the pressure off, but also challenge McBurnie.
The Scotsman has been incredible for City, but his position in the team should not be a foregone conclusion. If he’s not performing, he needs to know there is somebody capable of stepping up. Everybody needs competition, and Jakirovic needs to know he’s got that behind him.
Overall
The depth of the squad is starting to look a little better with the arrivals of Joe Gelhardt, Nobel Mendy, Lucas Gourna-Douath and Lucas Herrington, but more are needed.
Injuries, suspensions and loss of form will bite at some point over the course of the campaign, so Jakirovic must have the ability to turn to his bench and know he can rely on players coming on to make a positive impact on the game.
We saw in the second half of last season how important it was to have the likes of Yu Hirakawa and Lewis Koumas in reserve, and that will need to be the case again.
The injury situation was remarkable last season, and we’ve not even kicked a ball in anger yet this season, and already, the Tigers will go into the new term with a host of players unavailable. Hopefully, that situation eases, and we don’t see the problems of last season because they got away with it. The Premier League might not be quite so forgiving as the Championship was.