Will City sail to safety this season?

JAKIROVIC'S SIDE ARE UNKNOWN QUAN

- By BARRY COOPER

Hull City are one of the Championship great unknowns as we head into another nine months of unpredictability in what is one of the world’s most competitive leagues.

Many outsiders will predict City to finish in the bottom three, given the situation with the club’s transfer restrictions, which have plagued their summer, and the fact they only survived on goal difference on the final day of last season.

Add to that, there’s a new manager managing for the first time in England, coming after a turbulent year of managerial changes and player arrivals and departures; you can understand why many pundits and observers are backing the Tigers for a season of struggle.

But dig a little deeper and you can see why City fans are daring to emerge from behind the sofa with a little more optimism.

Despite the backdrop their summer has been played out against, Sergej Jakirovic has quietly been building and setting up a competitive squad, and one that looks to be well organised, disciplined and fit.

Those three factors are essential if you're going to be a competitive Championship team.

You might not pull up trees and have the ability to challenge for promotion, but you'll be safely tucked into the middle of the table, and from there, you never know.

The signings of Semi Ajayi, Akin Famewo and John Lundstram are smart, sensible arrivals. Ryan Giles and Cody Drameh have enjoyed fine preseason campaigns, so in may ways, feel like the proverbial new signings.