Tripling our commercial income whilst sounds great, still isn't a massive number. When you start at such a low number, it's pretty easy to triple it. I wouldn't be surprised to see a big increase again this summer though. Really looking forward to seeing our first set of accounts under the Acun era. I think it will make for an interesting read
Unfortunately probably still about 12-14 months off. The set of accounts about to be released, while it has 6 months of Acun's ownership, won't see a huge change in the numbers I wouldn't have thought (don't think we had any new sponsors until this season?). It'll be more informative for telling us how much we lost that season and will therefore be included in the rolling three years that will impact our spending for next season.
To say Oscar hasn't been value when he came in on a free and is the leagues joint 5th top scorer... I can't get my head around that, despite his wages. He's had **** service in a lot of games too and still racked up decent numbers. You have him spearhead a side that creates more chances consistently and I'd back him to put away even more. Not sure who else would have done much better under the circumstances that would have cost us less overall and wanted to come here. Agree we need a LB, agree we need a proper DM, agree we need a good striker for competition and I'd also like to see a pacey, proven winger on a permanent. If there are any other opportunities on top of that then a CB that improves us. It'll all depend on who goes, but ideally we'll move on fringe players and add quality to give us a stronger squad overall. Right now I'd like to see Darlow and Connolly be made permanent. Don't mind Pelkas but if we bring in a DM then we've got a lot of central midfielder types already.
100%. Unlike last summer we really need to be focussing on shifting out the fringe and improving the depth with only a couple of key upgrades to the XI.
When you look at the players who've been injured this season, it's mostly Traore, Allahyar, Tetteh, Sinik. All came directly from Turkey. We signed other international players like Oscar and Tufan, who spent last season in Portugal and the PL respectively, and they've stayed fit almost the whole season. It really seems like a theme that players from the Turkish Super Lig struggle to stay fit in this league far more than other players do. You can certainly see the logic in trying to avoid signing so many players from there in the future.
I think that is a fair point, it also has shown that Tufan has taken much longer than other players to really get up to match fitness. He just seems now to be getting up to the rigours of the Championship 3 quarters of the way through the season. Obviously, his time at Watford and hardly playing hasn't helped either.
And one of the big advantages of our owner was having good contacts in Turkish football to hoover up all the good players
More crazy internet stories, Acun wants to sign Hulk!! Translated by Google as : According to the news of Akşam, Hull City president Acun Ilıcalı is preparing to transfer the 36-year-old Brazilian star Hulk during the summer transfer window.
Though he'll be 37 at the start of next season, he did actually score 12 goals in 25 appearances in Serie A last season.
Brazilian Serie A can't be too bad, but he won't be playing 46 league games plus cup matches in the EFL
Aye some can't wait for him to go a couple of games without a scoring. He scores tap ins, headers, volleys, top corner from outside the box...and not to mention he's stepped up when we've needed it. That goal against Hudd's anyone? Doesn't get much better than than finish with the last kick of the game. And when he's had a drought it's not like he's missing sitter after sitter. We just create **** all.
Totally agree. If we didn't have him this season we'd probably be battling relegation. He can't create the chances by himself, for himself every time, but we've seen enough times now that if someone provides the service for him, he's pretty clinical. I think he gets criticised for his play when we're under the cosh trying to go long and he struggles to control it out of the air versus two of their players with no support around him... He's not a target man, more a goal poacher that doesn't mind trying to help out with defensive duties, but I don't hold that shortcoming against him. We should be hoofing it up towards him in that way as infrequently as possible and instead using movement to pass it out. We need the likes of Allahyar, Coyle and Christie, or someone from the middle to make those runs forward, drawing players off Oscar. Same goes for Tetteh... He's the better player at picking up a long ball, but when isolated it doesn't make a difference. The one occasion vs West Brom that Slater got up there with him for the knock down we ended up scoring, massively against the run of play. The only time we've been really effective at playing long and direct is when the ball goes over the top and Connolly has been playing. His first touch and running has so far been excellent and he gives the opposition a lot to worry about when they're pressing. I think with a fully fit squad it's either a 442 with Connolly and Oscar/Tetteh up top, or 451/433 with Oscar/Tetteh up top and some pacey wide players to get us up the pitch and provide the service.
I think we're going to see some moving out that might upset some people, but it's probably needed in order to challenge at the higher end of the table next season. I wouldn't be surprised to see any of these fairly prominent names go if we're looking to strengthen in the areas mentioned previously... Doc Longman Figuereido Elder Ebiowei Pelkas Greaves (if the right offer comes in) Smith Fleming Woods I personally think we need to keep the rest and just build on it with a few key men. Might need two left backs at this rate and I'd certainly like to keep hold of Elder if Greaves goes and vice versa. If we make can Darlow and Connolly permanent that's a small part of the job done. If those names go out I'd like a CB, LB, DM, winger and striker, all as hopeful improvements on what we have already.
He managed 29 in 46 for the season overall and has 7 in 5 this season. His goal scoring record, albeit for some fairly crap to decent teams is incredibly good. The Brazilian top flight is very competitive and he wouldn’t struggle to get a work permit. Plus he’s a pretty high profile name and would boost our popularity abroad. My only issue would be that he’s a bit of a bellend, he once picked up a four month ban for scrapping in the tunnel and thumped two opposition stewards. He also left his wife and married her niece, so morals aren’t exactly high on his priorities list. But he’d take the piss in the Championship even at 37, would definitely get him in if his wages are considerably less than the £320,000 he was paid during his time in China.
