It would be fair to say that Hull have experienced a nightmare pre-season in the build-up to their return to the Premier League after just a one year absence. Steve Bruce left the club surrounded by claims that he has grown frustrated with the lack of transfer activity as he looked to strengthen his squad.
The East Yorkshire outfit gained promotion to the Premier League after just one season back in the Championship through the playoffs, but the euphoria of a first time return did not last long for Hull. There was almost a sense of impending doom as they approached the opening day with no permanent manager, a heavily diminished squad following departures and injuries, very little by the way of new additions and an owner unwillingly to spend money as he looks for a way out of the club. It all pointed towards a recipe for disaster and it may still prove to be one, but the season hasn’t exactly started as many expected it to for Hull.
Hull were led into the season by Mike Phelan, who only had an incredibly threadbare squad available to him. However, Phelan has taken Hull to a 100% record after their first two games of the season – including a victory over the current champions, Leicester City. In these first two games, Hull have only made one substitution and that was bringing on Shaun Maloney who ended up making the difference against Swansea by finding the net.
Mike Phelan himself is no stranger to winning football matches, which can be showcased by his time at Manchester United. He spent 5 years there as a player before returning to the club in 1999 where he worked under Sir Alex Ferguson and was seen as his right-hand man during a spell of great success at the club. There is no doubt that Phelan would have learnt a great deal from his time at United, and it was quite fitting that Abel Hernandez fired in in added time – something that Phelan will no doubt be familiar with from his time at Old Trafford.
It has been an incredibly turbulent time at Hull and until they can add to the squad and secure a manager on a permanent basis; then it is likely that nothing is going to change. The start that the East Yorkshire side have made has been perfect but problems off the pitch will draw attention away from any long-term ambitions that the club may have. It is the opinion of many Hull fans that they could do a lot worse than Phelan and he could prove to be a great appointment if the board backs him and allows him to add to the squad before the transfer window ends.
It may be a bit early into the season to appoint Mike Phelan to the position of manager at the KC Stadium full-time, but the early performances for Hull have been very encouraging and with new signings surely making their way through the door before the end of the transfer window – the squad is only going to get stronger.
The former Manchester United man has excellent pedigree and has worked with some of the best players and staff in the business and will have a wealth of experience and knowledge to share with the players at Hull. He no doubt has his work cut out steadying the ship after what has been a disastrous pre-season, but early indicators are showing that Phelan has the potential to work wonders with this Hull side. There were cries of support from the away end as Hull won at Swansea on the weekend and it may be the case that the board at Hull City would be wise to heed those cries.
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