‘It was a difficult time to change manager, but we’re starting to play how Shota wants’: Greg Docherty

‘SOMETIMES YOU NEED CHANGE TO LEARN AND GROW’: Greg Docherty. Pictures by Hull City

Hull City midfielder Greg Docherty has described the timing of the club’s decision to change manager as “difficult”, although he is confident the players will adjust well to life under new head coach Shota Arveladze.

Former boss Grant McCann was dispensed with in January just days after the arrival of new owner Acun Ilıcalı, who swiftly replaced him with former Rangers striking legend Arveladze.

McCann had delivered the perfect start to the Ilıcalı era with a 2-0 home win over third-placed Blackburn on January 19, just hours after the Turkish media mogul’s takeover of the club was confirmed.

After a tough start to the season, the Tigers had picked up form and results under McCann, and rediscovered the goal-scoring touch that drove them to promotion to English football’s second tier as League One champions last season.

Arveladze hit the ground running, with City beating Swansea 2-0 at the MKM Stadium in his first game in charge on January 29. Since then, however, the Tigers have struggled, failing to win any of the next six games until the 3-0 demolition of Peterborough on February 29.

That good work was undone with a disappointing 2-0 home defeat to West Brom last Saturday.

Speaking at an online press conference today, Arveladze said of the West Brom game: “I think even though we had a bad result we had a lot of positive things in the game.”

He went on to say: “We have to react well. The boys who really, good positive in the field, come back with their chin up, to go again and show the character, show the will they want to improve, work hard, and they give us a space for work; they do absolutely well, and we want to deliver this again to the game field, to the games, and get the points out of that.”

With just ten games to go, City now lie 20th in the table with 37 points from 36 matches. They are 13 points off the relegation zone and 20 from the play-off places.

The Tigers could climb above Saturday’s opponents Birmingham City by winning at St Andrew’s, with the Blues three points ahead of them in 18th but with a worse goal difference.

‘WE HAVE TO REACT WELL AND GO AGAIN’: Shota Arveladze

Lifelong Rangers fan and former player Docherty, who joined the Tigers from the Glasgow giants in 2020, revealed Arveladze had been a hero of his and his father’s at Ibrox.

Asked if he had grown up watching his new manager scoring goals, Docherty said: “Yeah, I did. Me and my dad when we had our season tickets. My dad loves him. He was a striker, so when you’re younger you want to see goals. He was one of the guys that provided the goals.

“He was part of a really successful Rangers team. Some of the staff are still there now, and they got in touch with me when he got the job and only had good things to say about him, and they’ve been true.

“Putting that aside, he’s my manager now. I’ve worked under some big managers before so I’ve put that part aside and now I’m learning from Shota Arveladze the Hull manger.”

Asked how he had found the new manager, the change of approach, and with the switch coming at a “difficult” time in the season, Docherty said: “Yeah, you touched on it. I think obviously the timing is difficult, you know.

“But it’s been really good. I think we’re learning every day, everything probably for a lot of us it’s new, it’s the first time for me not working under a British manager. These are the things you take into account as well.

“But I’m really enjoying it. Every day is different. It’s only going to be good, I feel, for us as players, learning under different people, different styles, to broaden your horizon.

“Sometimes you can maybe have your goggles on looking forward, but sometimes you need a bit of change to learn, to grow, and it’s something that we as players we’re embracing.”

He added: “It’s a cliche but it will take time, it’s gonna take time, but I think weeks like now, with having no mid-week game, are going to be crucial for us.

“We had a really strong week there, we got a lot of messages across, and we’re starting to really see the rewards; you can see in training we’re starting to play the way that he wants to play, but it was always going to take a bit of time and I’m sure it still will.”