“Sorely lacking now” – Hull City transfer regret voiced over summer departure
This article is part of Football League World’s ‘Terrace Talk’ series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…
Acun Ilicali’s gamble to sack Liam Rosenior and replace him with Tim Walter at Hull City is a decision that looks worse week by week.
Under Rosenior, they embodied an exciting and forward-thinking team moving in the right direction, but Ilicali’s impatience for immediate success may have set Hull back to square one in their project.
At present, they sit in 22nd place, having picked up just three wins all season. This concern is furthered by the fact they have lost six of their past nine games and are consistently being seen off by mid-table Championship sides.
This puts Walter under mounting pressure, but the blame cannot rest solely on his shoulders, as City lost several key players from their 2023-24 campaign. The departures of Jacob Greaves and Jaden Philogene were major blows, but perhaps the most damaging was Ozan Tufan’s move to Trabzonspor, which has left the Tigers’ midfield bereft of creativity.
With this in mind, we spoke to our resident Hull pundit, Ryan Frankish, to get his take on how much they miss Tufan’s flair.
Having joined from Fenerbahçe in July 2022, Tufan enjoyed a strong two years in the black and amber of Hull City, quickly becoming a fan favourite. During that time, he netted 18 goals in 79 Championship games before departing for his native Turkey in a deal worth €2 million.
Asked whether they miss the 29-year-old, Frankish said: “We unbelievably miss Ozan Tufan. Although he wasn’t always consistent, he was a key figure in the midfield.
“Throughout his career, he was criticised for being unfit and having a bad attitude, but neither of those issues seemed to apply at Hull City. He was level-headed on the pitch, very passionate, and always showed a strong desire for us to win.
“Regarding his fitness, he worked tirelessly and was such a presence in midfield, which we are sorely lacking now.”
Speaking about Hull’s regression, Frankish added: “The backwards momentum City have experienced this season from losing Ozan Tufan is staggering.
“He was the first signing of Acun’s era when everything was positive. Seeing Tufan’s name light up and the excitement we all felt back then feels so long ago now.”
Expanding on Ilicali’s tenure, the Hull pundit noted that Tufan isn’t the only player they miss, pointing to the large turnover in last season’s squad. With much of that side dismantled, Frankish believes the stadium is emptying once again and that the club is in a worrying downward spiral.
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