Huge Hull City transfer compliment from Sky Sports analyst as Tigers aim for play-offs
The Tigers won at Stoke City on Sunday to extend their Championship winning streak to seven games.
Keith Andrews, the assistant manager of the Republic of Ireland, has praised Liam Rosenior, the manager of Hull City, for his work with summer acquisitions Liam Delap and Aaron Connolly.
Connolly scored one goal and assisted on another in Sunday’s convincing 3-1 victory at Stoke City, which lifted City to fourth place in the Championship. City signed the attacking duo in the summer, and both have had an immediate impact in the early stages of the season.
Connolly, who Rosenior plucked from Italy’s second division in January, had a promising start to life before suffering an injury, but he has continued where he left off, while Delap, who struggled last season when on loan at Preston and Stoke, has been a great force this season. Both players have been so impressive for City that they have been called up to the Republic of Ireland and England Under-21 sides, respectively.
,”The types of players he’s brought in – we spoke off-camera about Liam Delap, Aaron onnoll” Andrews told Sky Sports. “I don’t know how many clubs were really kicking the door down to get them from their respective clubs, so he deserves credit on that front for the way he’s integrated them into the dressing room, the style of play, the players coming on – and off the pitch and not throwing their toys out of the pram. Easier said than done when you’re winning, but I feel just the way he’s set up the team has been impressive.”
From the moment Rosenior’s side scored two in two minutes around the half-hour mark, they assumed complete control of the contest keeping the home side at arm’s length, with Regan Slater adding the third before Andre Vidigal notched a consolation, and it was a showing that impressed the Irishman
“What they did that Stoke didn’t do, there was an organisation without the ball, a plan, an identity which he touched on during the week against Leeds because they are a younger squad, they are growing as a group, how you do that game to game because the games in the Championship come thick and fast, they have done that and shown that experience and moments of nous which Stoke didn’t do,” he added.
Fellow pundit Chris Iwelumo praised the way City are growing into the season. He said: “It’s always improving. You look at this Hull side, they’ve dropped five points from winning positions but there was no chance of that (on Sunday). They managed the game so well, they never allowed Stoke to get any foothold in the game whatsoever.”
Despite going fourth after their fourth win of the season and making it seven games unbeaten following their opening day defeat at Norwich City, Andrews says Rosenior is right to keep feet firmly on the floor with only eight games gone.
“He’s right not to (get carried away),” Andrews explained. “There’s 38 games left of the season but he has to be happy with a lot of what he’s produced over the opening weeks of the season.”
