Hull City: Acun Ilicali stance revealed on Tim Walter replacement amid Mark Robins claim | OneFootball

Hull City seemingly won't be rushing into the appointment of a new boss after sacking Tim Walter this week

Acun Ilicali's stance on Hull City's managerial search has been revealed, with the under-fire chairman determined to take his time running the rule in order to land the best possible replacement for Tim Walter following his dismissal on Wednesday afternoon.

That's according to an important update from HullLive, where it has been reported that Ilicali is in no rush to appoint the fourth manager of his rein at the club.

Hull are on the search for a new manager after the midweek sacking of Walter, who was finally relieved of his duties in the wake of the Tigers' disappointing 2-0 home defeat to Sheffield Wednesday on Tuesday evening. The defeat to the Owls pushed Hull down to 22nd in the division, where they remain ahead of tomorrow's daunting trip to promotion hopefuls Middlesbrough.

Walter, who was booed from large sections of the MKM Stadium during his final game in charge, managed to win just three of his 17 matches at the helm, which all came consecutively against Stoke City, Cardiff and QPR during a brief period where Hull appeared to be kicking on under his tuition.

However, that run of form wasn't sustained and Walter failed to win any of his final nine games, with the last four all resulting in defeats - thus leaving Hull very much in a Championship relegation battle as things stand.

Hull City, Acun Ilicali stance revealed on timeframe for Tim Walter replacement

The aforementioned report from HullLive states that Hull will take their time over appointing Walter's successor, as Ilicali is unwilling to rush the process.

Although Hull are believed to be keen to prevent the search going on for too long, which is understandable given their current inclusion in the second-tier drop zone, Ilicali is seemingly prepared to patiently bide his time in order to land the best candidate for the job.

The report adds that Hull have five or six potential options currently under consideration, a shortlist which includes ex-Fulham and Sheffield United boss Slavisa Jokanovic and Mark Robins, the latter of whom was contentiously sacked by Championship rivals Coventry City at the start of this month and remains out of work for the first time in more than seven years.

It's stated that Hull, who are also considering other undisclosed domestic options, have not yet made a decision about the preferred candidate amid reports of a meeting in London between Jokanovic and Ilicali.

However, what does appear clear at this stage is that Championship experience is vital, with the report describing that factor is currently being viewed as a "key characteristic", and if that is indeed what the Tigers are looking for, then both Jokanovic and Robins would fit the bill.

Mark Robins would be an inspired Tim Walter replacement for Hull City, Acun Ilicali

Of all the available and realistic domestic-based candidates, Mark Robins represents arguably the most appealing option and it's no surprise that many supporters are banging the drum for Ilicali to return the modern-day Sky Blues legend to the world of management following his sacking.

Robins, of course, enjoyed storied and sustained success with Coventry, whom he guided from the depths of League Two to within one spot-kick of an improbable promotion to the Premier League, which they were denied of by Luton Town in the 2023 play-off final before returning to Wembley one year later to face yet more penalty heartbreak as they crashed out to Manchester United at the semi-final stage after clawing back a three-goal deficit.

The repetition of Coventry's success under Robins means it was no fluke, and his shrewd tactical ability coupled with excellent man-management and squad-building skills allowed them to be competitive at whatever level he had them playing at. He managed to earn a reputation as one of the EFL's very finest bosses and represents the stability and progressive long-term project which you feel Hull do need at this stage.