The Tigers’ attention now turns to the start of the new Championship season
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
Hull City ended their pre-season campaign with a battling 0-0 draw against La Liga side Getafe at the MKM Stadium, as attention now turns to the new Championship campaign.
City had chances to beat their Spanish opponents but also came under heavy pressure with the visitors hitting the bar in the first half and Ivor Pandur forced into a couple of smart saves, albeit from chances gifted via errors.
Boss Sergej Jakirovic will be pleased with how the campaign has gone, especially with the situation off the pitch, which will become clearer this week when the club’s appeal against a three-window fee restriction ban is heard.
Here, City reporter Barry Cooper looks back at Saturday’s game and what comes next for the Tigers….
A positive pre-season
Despite all the carry on away from the pitch with the finances and the ongoing battle with the EFL over the transfer situation, Jakirovic has managed to deliver a hugely encouraging pre-season campaign.
The theory is always that results don’t matter, it’s about fitness and all of that, but in City’s case, I actually think they do because of where this club has been. Winning any game has been a real struggle, so to win five of seven with a couple coming against top-flight opposition has instilled a bit of belief.
Arguably, the only concern throughout the campaign has been Lewie Coyle’s hamstring injury, but he’s not too far away, so to have come through without any other issues is another boost.
The challenge now, of course, is to hit the ground running and get off to a good start in the league and get points on the board as early as possible.
Lundstram watch
There was no messing about from Jakirovic, throwing John Lundstram straight into the starting XI and the early signs were promising.
The Liverpudlian started in the number six role and got on the ball early, looking to spray the ball wide and get City moving.
That looks like being his role in this side, and it’s certainly needed because that is not a player they had in their squad, one with the credentials to boss the game from the base of the midfield.
The remaining big worry
It was the biggest concern coming into pre-season and six weeks on, little has changed in that respect. Where are the goals going to come from?
Joao Pedro and Joe Gelhardt have gone, and now with Mason Burstow’s recent exit, only Kyle Joseph remains. There has to be faith in Jakirovic getting goals from elsewhere in his team, something that didn’t happen last season, but even so, the Tigers need more additions in attack.
That may yet be Oli McBurnie; if it’s not, it needs to be somebody capable of giving them threat through the middle, but also from midfield. City feel much more pre-prepared for the Championship than they did 12 months ago, but the worry remains about the side’s ability to create, and score enough goals to hit 55 points, in the first instance.
A big week ahead
Not only do the Tigers launch their 46-game season at 12:30pm on Saturday lunchtime in front of the Sky Sports cameras, they’ll also have their hearing this week.
City hope to at least have their three-window fee restriction ban reduced when an independent panel hears the case in the week, with an expectation they will find out the outcome before kick-off at the CBS Arena.
What happens in that hearing may well set the tone for what is to come in the transfer market in the remaining days of the window for the rest of the month.
And that’s it
Pre-season is done and dusted for another year. Jakirovic has just one week to prepare his side for the big Championship opener at Coventry City next Saturday lunchtime.
When the players return to Cottingham on Monday, they’ll immediately begin their pre-match Championship routine before heading to the Midlands on Friday afternoon.
It’s been a positive summer on the field for City, despite all the shenanigans going on behind the scenes, Jakirovic has done a sterling job to have his squad ready for that opening game and now we’ll see quite how it all looks.
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