Tigers fans on tenterhooks: Rosenior talks of ‘exciting news’ that will ‘change the whole mood of this club’
BIG REVEAL: Liam Rosenior had a secret up his sleeve at today’s press conference
By Simon Bristow
Liam Rosenior has issued a rallying call to Hull City fans ahead of the Yorkshire derby against Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday, as he revealed the Tigers are poised to make an “exciting” announcement that will “change the whole energy and the whole mood of this club”.
The head coach may have been forgiven for feeling despondent following an agonising late loss at Norwich in the season opener last week, which was followed by a shock first-round exit from the Carabao Cup at home to Doncaster on Tuesday, who are now managed by former City boss Grant McCann.
The results have stung players and fans, who went into the new campaign with high hopes, momentum and energy following a string of summer signings and an unbeaten run pre-season.
It has been a particularly tough week for Rosenior, who was forced to watch Tuesday night’s defeat from the stands after being sent off at Norwich. The loss to McCann’s men also featured some boos from the crowd who were unhappy at goalkeeper Matt Ingram spending what they thought was too much time on the ball.
But instead of looking under pressure as might have been expected, Rosenior strode into today’s press conference with a beaming smile and with a soon-to-be revealed secret under his sleeve.
He was quickly asked if he was surprised by the fans’ reaction during the Doncaster match, and met the criticism head-on. Rosenior said: “I am surprised. We’ve played two games this season, one away against another team [Norwich] that’s chasing I think the top six and promotion. Every team in the Championship could lose at Norwich. We lost in the last minute with the last kick, beyond injury time.
“Then we play against Doncaster – I make nine changes. Aaron Connolly [forward] has not started one game in pre-season. He needs fitness, he needs minutes. Óscar [forward] had a stagnated pre-season. Brandon Fleming [defender] was the same. I go through that group – they are not going to be at their best. And I’m hearing – I don’t look at social media and I don’t pay attention to it – but I’m hearing whispers of yeah, the style of play’s being questioned.
“Well, it wasn’t being questioned last season when we lost six in twenty-eight [games] from a team that were a point outside of relegation. So for me I’ve got complete faith in this group, I’ve got complete faith in the club, and what I would ask the fans who turn up on Saturday – over 20,000 – brilliant, membership schemes are up, there’s a really positive feel around the club – I am telling you now there’s going to be some exciting news coming in the next few days.
“I can say that, I’ve got certainty now, which is why I’m smiling in this press conference, and it’s going to change the whole energy and the whole mood of this club. So I want the fans to turn up on Saturday, get behind the team, get behind me, and we’ll give everything we can to make it a really positive start to the season.”
The announcement is thought to relate to the arrival of one or more players. City are known to be still actively recruiting as they look to build a squad that will make them serious contenders in a very competitive Championship.
TOUGH VIEWING. Liam Rosenior, back left, watching from the stands as League Two Doncaster, managed by former Tigers boss Grant McCann, knock City out of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night. Picture courtesy of Hull City
Invited to expand on the promised announcement, Rosenior did not give much away but revealed he continued to have the full backing of owner Acun Ilıcalı, who spoke to him after the Doncaster loss and told him to “stick to the plan”.
Rosenior said: “I’m excited. I’m excited for what we’ve done, and I can see it because of the calls I’ve been getting and the talks I’ve been having, the plans are starting to fall into place. And then I think a lot of people will say ‘OK, now it makes sense’, which I’ve been saying all along anyway.
“I was willing to take the pain of possibly losing the first few games, and the great thing for me, not just me, Acun [chairman] and Tan [Kesler, vice-chairman], we’re all on the same page. I spoke to Acun in the morning after the game. I was obviously down after we lost at home to Doncaster and he said ‘I believe in the plan. Stick to the plan. Stick to what we’re doing. It’s going to work’.
“And when you get that from your owner that gives you so much confidence, and then all of a sudden, lo and behold, over the last two days, very good conversations with a lot of very, very good players, and that’s all I can say at the moment.”
He added: “You can tell I’m bursting, I want to say something. You’ll see. And it’s not for me to say.”
As for the issue around the goalkeeper getting stuck on the ball – Doncaster’s pressing limited Ingram’s options to begin play from the back, Rosenior was confident there would not be a repeat. He also gave credit to McCann for deploying a pressing style he said was “something that nobody has ever seen before”.
He said: “I don’t want to watch Matt Ingram stand on the ball for a minute. But I know why he’s doing it because it’s a process – it’s already been solved – and we already understand how we beat that.
“What Doncaster did on Tuesday night was something that nobody has ever seen before. I’ve never seen it in my life, when they literally let the goalkeeper walk with the ball to the halfway line to try and stop him making a pass, and credit to Grant, they did it great.
“It was something I’ve never come up against, something the team had never come up against, and we froze on the day. I would rather freeze on the day of the first League Cup game of the season than halfway through the season if we’re pushing for the play-offs. So it was great learning for me and that’s how we improve, by making mistakes and growing from setbacks.”
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