Rarely has the Championship manager field been quite so competitive with a host of clubs on the hunt for a new manager, and for Hull City, it means they must work smartly and swiftly.
Candidates have been sounded out following the sacking of Ruben Selles last Thursday and there have been approaches made by managers keen on joining City, both in work and out of work.
That may well come as something of a surprise to some, given the fact that the club only survived on goal difference on the final day of the Championship season after a campaign to forget.
Another factor that could feasibly put some managers off is City‘s record over the past year. Owner Acun Ilicali has now sacked three managers since the final day of last season, with Liam Rosenior, Tim Walter and Selles all falling on their swords as the Turkish businessman tries to find the one he thinks is capable of taking the club back to the Premier League.
Interviews have already taken place, and more are scheduled for the early part of this week. While nothing is guaranteed, the club would like an appointment to be made by the end of this week. That’s a tough timescale, admittedly, but if the interviews go well and Acun Ilicali’s self-titled brain team are in agreement, there’s no reason why that can’t happen.
City have as many as five candidates but that shortlist, which has fluctuated in number over the past few days, could be reduced dramatically in the next few hours.
Some of their candidates are in work and there’s one who is recently out of work, so naturally, if the latter was the preferred candidate then tying up that deal quickly would be less of an issue.
QPR, Norwich City and West Brom are looking for new managers, as are newly-relegated Southampton, and there’s an expectation that Ruud van Nistelrooy will leave Leicester City once the Premier League season comes to an end. There could yet be a vacancy at Sheffield Wednesday if, as expected, Danny Rohl moves on and there’s some remaining doubt about Michael Carrick’s future at Middlesbrough after their play-off failure.
Throw in the caveat of the Championship being something like the Wild Wild West, and you wouldn’t rule out a sudden departure somewhere else in the not-too-distant future.
Southampton’s job could be filled sooner rather than later with Will Still the favourite after leaving Lens, and former Norwich City boss Johannes Hoff Thorup has been heavily linked with QPR, after they put Marti Cifuentes on gardening leave before the final game of the season.
In a competitive market with clubs looking for a similar profile of manager, it’s imperative City move quickly and get their man appointed sooner rather than later because they cannot afford to find themselves behind the eight ball as they did to their detriment last season.
The lengthy process of appointing Walter took too long, and then the club’s recruitment was slow, playing a huge role in ensuring City were destined for a season of struggle. If they want to avoid that and get off to a fast start, bringing in the right candidate needs to happen fast.