Football League World
·20 dicembre 2024
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·20 dicembre 2024
New Hull City head coach Ruben Selles has opened up on his plans for the January transfer window.
Hull City head coach Ruben Selles has dismissed suggestions that there will be an overhaul of the squad in the January transfer window, insisting he is happy with the players at his disposal.
Selles made the move to Hull from Reading earlier this month to replace Tim Walter, who was sacked after winning just three of his 18 games in charge following his appointment in the summer.
After drawing 1-1 at home to Watford in his first game last week, Selles watched his side suffer a 2-1 defeat at Coventry City on Saturday, with goals from Ephron Mason-Clark and Jack Rudoni turning the game around for the Sky Blues after Joao Pedro had given the Tigers the lead.
Hull, who are now without a win in their last 13 games, remain bottom of the Championship table, and they are two points from safety ahead of the clash against Swansea City at the MKM Stadium on Saturday.
The Tigers were incredibly active in the January transfer window last season, bringing in Ivon Pandur, Ryan Giles, Abdulkadir Omur, Fabio Carvalho, Anass Zaroury, Noah Ohio and Billy Sharp as they looked to secure a play-off place, and some had speculated that they could do something similar next month in an attempt to climb away from the relegation zone.
Selles revealed that he has held meetings with sporting director Jared Dublin and the recruitment team ahead of the January transfer window, but he insists he is only looking to bring in a few quality players who can make a difference to his squad.
"Obviously we have the opportunity to strengthen the team in January if we think we can strengthen it but when we talk about what we have in the team, our attitude is that the players we have are the best players in the world," Selles told The i Paper.
"Our focus is that we’re in contact with Jared and the recruitment department to try and strengthen the team and see what key positions we have.
"But in our experience those players need to be a very, very specific profile.
"We can’t start taking a few players or making a few changes because realistically I think we have enough here.
"It should be two or three who really help us to make an impact in the team."
Owner Acun Ilicali has come in for strong criticism from supporters this season for his decision to replace popular former head coach Liam Rosenior with Walter in the summer, but Selles insists he has a positive relationship with the Hull chief.
"We got on well, we sat and talked and agreed on lots of things," Selles said.
"I have a really positive feeling about the relationship moving forward and for the future of Hull we are aligned, we want to create something powerful.
"If we can build the proper foundation, build a good platform, then the ambitions for the club are there. But now it’s a bit beside the point to talk about anything that isn’t just avoiding relegation. Everything is focused on getting out of the relegation zone."
The desire of some Hull supporters to see a busy January is understandable given their current predicament, but Selles' comments suggests the club have learned from their disastrous summer transfer window.
The Tigers brought in 17 new signings in the summer, with many arriving towards the end of August after the season had started, and in truth, it is difficult to class too many of those additions as a success so far.
Given the turbulent summer the club experienced, it is little surprise to see Hull struggling towards the bottom of the table, but with Selles now in charge and a more sensible approach in the boardroom, there is reason for optimism that better times could be ahead at the MKM Stadium.