Hull City: West Brom evidence should urge Acun Ilicali to definitely swerve managerial mishap | OneFootball

City supporters are in the dark over the club's managerial position right now

Hull City supporters have become accustomed to chaos in recent times, and the fall-out from the 2024/25 season is proving no exception to such a rule, with managerial uncertainty clouding over the MKM Stadium.

Ruben Selles was appointed in early December with the clear remit of maintaining City's status as a Championship club after a disastrous three-month period under his predecessor, Tim Walter, which left the Tigers rooted to the bottom of the table.

And, whilst the Spaniard, admittedly, hasn't been faultless in the past six months, the former Reading boss has earned enough trust from a mass proportion of those in East Yorkshire to be the man that, unlike many of those in the dugout during Acun Ilicali's tenure as owner, would be at the club for the long haul, with the Turkish businessman and supporters hoping that a return to the Premier League isn't too far away.

But, the hallmarks of a club close to ending such a hiatus are often stability, backing and trust - just days after completing his short-term survival mission on goal difference at the expense of Luton Town, Selles' future in HU3 has been plunged into doubt, although only one name has clearly emerged as a 'replacement' as such, in the form of ex-West Brom boss, Tony Mowbray.

Although reports have been contrasting at this early stage regarding whether the 61-year-old would be the man to take over as the sixth permanent boss of the 'new era', Mowbray's recent stint at The Hawthorns should be enough for Ilicali to realise that it perhaps wouldn't be the smartest move.

Whilst it was fantastic for supporters of any club in the country to see the Middlesbrough native handed another opportunity in the dugout following his recovery from bowel cancer which cut short a brief stint at Birmingham City last year, any sentiment would swiftly disappear as Albion's inconsistent season continued under his guidance.

Carlos Corberan had initially worked 'miracles' under a dark cloud to have the Baggies competing for a play-off place before the West Midlands side had firmly established themselves among the front-runners. And, despite a draw-heavy period and the departure of Selles' compatriot to Valencia on Christmas Eve, many expected the previous Championship title-winner to steer an experienced squad into the top six.

Those expectations were only heightened when the loan signing of last season's second-tier top scorer, Adam Armstrong, was secured alongside the additions of Tammer Bany and the impressive Isaac Price.

However, despite Armstrong marking his debut against Sheffield Wednesday with a goal, frustrations among those in B71 started when the Southampton loanee was constantly utilised on the wing, and despite ranking as the side with the seventh-highest possession tally on average, Albion were so often wasteful, as demonstrated against the Tigers, where Mowbray bemoaned an afternoon of just three efforts on target from 16 games.

At the time of his appointment, West Brom were one point behind Middlesbrough in sixth. But, a dismal record of just five wins in 17 games, including no victories away from home, which included clashes against Millwall, Bristol City, Norwich City and Coventry, meant his time was up after a 3-1 defeat to Derby on Easter Monday, leaving him with a 29% win percentage, 1.1 points-per-game and the joint eighth-worst record in said timeframe.

For further context, Selles had accumulated a greater points tally in his first 14 league games in charge, a record that also included seven points from a possible 12 against Leeds United, Burnley, Sheffield United and Sunderland.

Whilst contrasting reports from Alex Crook of talkSPORT and Mike White of BBC Radio Humberside regarding the potential appointment of Mowbray has split opinions, what won't have done so is a revelation from the Telegraph's Mike McGrath that several Championship sides are monitoring the managerial saga in Hull closely, with Selles of strong interest to them.

Ironically, it wouldn't be a surprise to see West Brom target the 41-year-old, who has earned a reputation as a head coach with fresh ideas and a knack for developing young talent at Reading amid testing circumstances, with the likes of his former colleague, Tyler Bindon, set for Nottingham Forest now the Royals' season is officially over.

Selles' current record of 1.26 points-per-game would see a side reach the top half in this season's second-tier when calculated over 46 games, and a season of stability, after experiencing two completely different extremes, is exactly what most at the MKM are crying out for at present, as well as a solid recruitment drive, with the incoming count in the past three-and-a-half years currently at 60.

And, whilst Mowbray has brought solidity to many clubs in the past, his record at The Hawthorns means Ilicali would surely be eyeing up other candidates if Selles were to leave, especially when considering previous comments relating to Liam Rosenior's style of football.