Why losing Marco Silva could dent Hull City’s chances of returning to the Premier League

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As Hull re-entered the Premier League again last summer, it was hard for the fans to have any sort of real optimism for the season ahead. Steve Bruce had just resigned citing a lack of support from the board and, as a result, a very limited playing squad available – it looked as if relegation had being already being confirmed before a ball was kicked.

After a valiant effort from Mike Phelan, first as caretaker and then as permanent boss, to steady what was a sinking ship, with a squad that barely had enough senior players to field a team, Marco Silva was announced as the new Hull manager in January following the perhaps unfair dismissal of his predecessor earlier in the month.

The former Olympiakos man was the latest foreign manager to arrive in the Premier League and immediately capture the hearts of fans. Upon arriving at the KCOM stadium, in January, the Portuguese has inspired some real fight and belief among a team that at times, early in the season, looked like they were already relegated and were written off by pundits and fans, alike.

The 39-year-old arrived as an unknown in the English game, perhaps best known for leading his Olympiakos side to a 3-2 victory over Arsenal in the 2015/16 Champions League group stage. Nonetheless, despite his reputation, or lack thereof, he has collected trophies at all the clubs he has managed besides Hull, including a record-breaking season in Greece, resulting in a league title in 2016.

If Marco Silva was to stay at Hull as they enter the Championship next season, then it seems that the fans could be sure of two things – strong home form and a sense of belief around the club. The fact that Hull were still competing for survival so late in the season pays testament to this. If he leaves, then it is another chapter in what has been a period of real uncertainty at the club. The opportunity to spend a summer molding the squad to fit his vision for the club, by bringing in his own players, would provide a real insight into what the former Sporting Lisbon manager can do.

However, unfortunately for Hull fans – it is likely that Hull’s performances in the Premier League would not have gone unnoticed. Despite losing several key players and having a severely depleted squad throughout the season Marco Silva’s Hull fought bravely against relegation. Indeed, the Portuguese looked to have Hull in prime position for the most unlikely of survivals but a collapse in the final three games of the season – including an uncharacteristic home defeat to already-relegated Sunderland – brought an abrupt end to that fairy tale.

The entry of a new manager would only make the already tricky situation of getting relegated worse. The task at Hull already seems like a huge undertaking – major additions are already needed in terms of playing staff and if the Portuguese was to depart, the club would also be looking for a new team of coaching staff. Under Marco Silva, Hull seemed to have a clear style and philosophy.

A new manager would have to learn about the new squad in a short period of time and would likely try to implement their own stamp on the team. What is needed at the KCOM Stadium is consistency and stability and managing to keep hold of Marco Silva, despite all of the speculation around his future, would be massive step in the right direction for Hull.

The owners and fans at Hull have already made it clear that they want their current manager to stay at the KCOM for next season, but it may be out of their hands. There are many clubs in the Premier League that are looking for a change in direction and feel that Marco Silva could offer a fresh approach for their sides. The Portuguese has offered no clues as to where he could be working next season, but the likes of Southampton and Watford could well be monitoring the situation closely.

One thing is for sure, if Silva was to leave the prospect of working at Hull City under their current owners would not be appealing to many potential managers. The Championship is a very tough league and the owners will have to pull out all the stops to bring in a new, capable manager if they are too avoid getting stuck in the second tier for longer than their previous visits.

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