3 players with a point to prove after Tim Walter's Hull City appointment | OneFootball

Hull City's new boss, Tim Walter, is just weeks away from his first taste of English football.

The 48-year-old German's appointment had been in the pipeline for almost an entire month following the surprise exit of Liam Rosenior at the MKM Stadium, but when the dust somewhat settles for all concerned, the former Hamburg SV boss has a number of big decisions coming his way.

Unquestionably, Walter is stepping into an environment that features several high-quality individuals that, when on their a-game, can turn a result in the Tigers' favour. However, last season, this facet wasn't showcased enough, with runs of inconsistent performances ultimately proving City's undoing in their quest to reach the Championship play-offs.

It's not just a big pre-season for Walter, but it will also be a crucial one for several players, and FLW has identified a trio of those who have a point to prove to the new boss between now and August.

Dogukan Sinik

Turkish winger Dogukan Sinik's time in East Yorkshire has been extremely underwhelming.

Sinik was one of multiple high-profile transfers made by the club back in the summer of 2022 under Shota Arveladze for a reported £4m fee on a three-year contract. However, the winger is quickly running out of time to impress at the MKM Stadium.

Understandably, he was on the back foot after his initial move from Antalyaspor after suffering a knee injury in pre-season but the winger still failed to set the world alight – registering just one assist in 12 appearances in 2022/23, only two of which were starts – before again failing to find consistency in goal contributions and fitness when returning to his former club on loan.

Rosenior and Acun Ilicali hoped that Sinik would feel like a new signing last term but he only played 22 minutes of football for the Tigers, before accumulating one goal and two assists in just nine appearances in a second loan spell back to his home country - this time with Hatayspor.

Maybe a new face in the dugout will give Sinik a lift in his performance for Hull, but it really is now or never for the 25-year-old, or you feel the club may have to accept a massive loss on the aforementioned fee.

Ivor Pandur

24-year-old Croatian goalkeeper Ivor Pandur signed for a reported £1.5m fee from Dutch outfit Fortuna Sittard at the beginning of the January transfer window, having made 49 appearances for the club prior to his move - keeping 13 clean sheets in the process.

There has been a severe conundrum concerning the Goalkeepers Union for the Tigers, with Ryan Allsop featuring as the number one under Rosenior for the majority of the 23/24 campaign.

It was obvious that Allsop's ability to play out from the back was a key aspect behind the 39-year-old's thought process. However, he also finished with a torrid goals prevented figure of -10.10 (FotMob) – meaning he conceded more than 10 goals more than expected from the shots he faced.

Many supporters were also clamouring for Pandur to feature towards the back end of the season, with his only opportunity to showcase his talent being in a mid-season friendly against the Curaçao national team in March.

Recent comments by Ilicali also hinted that Pandur may be the number one going into next season after a full pre-season under his belt and it will be hard to disagree should he impress his new boss with a string of consistent performances.

Jason Lokilo

Jason Lokilo was one of 11 signings last summer, having made the switch from Dutch club Sparta Rotterdam.

However, his brief spell at the club so far has also left many supporters frustrated with his overall performances, despite making 21 appearances for the club in the first half of last season.

The frustration ultimately stemmed from Lokilo's lack of output at the top end of the pitch. So far, his only goal for the club came in the FA Cup Third Round Replay defeat to Birmingham City on January 16th.

The 25-year-old, who has just one year left on his contract with the club, was then made available for loan by Rosenior, subsequently joining Liga Portugal's bottom side FC Vizela and also struggling for consistency, accumulating just one goal and one assist in 11 appearances.

It wouldn't be a surprise to see the Brussels-born winger moved on permanently, but at least for now, Lokilo has the chance to impress his new boss in pre-season.