Signing pace and power will be crucial

CITY CAN'T HAVE REPEAT OF LAST SUMMER

- By BARRY COOPER

The next few months are absolutely crucial to Hull City's chances of enjoying a better season in the Championship next term after a dismal campaign saw them escape relegation on the final day of the season.

Recruitment is always nine tenths of any club's success, and at City more than 60 players have been signed in the past few seasons with mixed results.

Martin Hodge's appointment as head of recruitment, working alongside sporting director Jared Dublin and the club's existing scouting network, will be paramount in bringing in players who can make a difference.

City's squad does not need huge remedial work, certainly compared to last summer when the likes of Liam Delap, Fabio Carvalho, Jacob Greaves, Jaden Philogene, Tyler Morton, Ozan Tufan and Jean Michael Seri all left. That exodus, along with the likes of Greg Docherty and Cyrus Christie, who left after their contracts expired, ensured the squad that began pre-season was largely made up of academy players. It was nowhere near the level needed to compete at Championship level.

Whatever your thoughts on Tim Walter, you can completely understand his anger at not being given a squad good enough to start the season. His post-match interview after the final friendly of pre-season at Reading summed it up. In fact, Walter's interview with the club's in-house media never saw the light of day because of the number of expletives, such was his frustration. The warning signs were there and were not heeded.