Grant McCann - time to go?

Hull City boss Grant McCann (Photo Hull Live)

The rollercoaster that is Hull City football club has hit a new low as we head into the back end of 2021. The club currently sit 22nd in the Sky Bet Championship sitting only above fellow struggling white rose team Barnsley and a Derby County team that will be above the Tigers if their 12-point deduction appeal is successful which would see Wayne Rooney's men leapfrog McCann's Hull. 

A trio of losses has seen the Belfast born boss come under extreme scrutiny again from the clubs supporters with the relationship between the team and the fans dwindling week by week. The past 7 days has seen McCann lose midweek at home by his previous employers Peterborough and a Saturday trip to Kenilworth Road saw the Tigers beaten in Bedfordshire 1-0. 

McCann's record in the Championship speaks for itself, in his last 34 matches in the second tier of English football, he has picked up a woeful 15 points out of a possible 102. The ownership of the Allams is making the atmosphere of the club sink even lower than people thought it could. Every aspect of the team both on and off the field stinks and with the recent news that much loved BBC Radio Humberside pundit David "Burnsy" Burns has been told McCann and the players have declined to be interviewed by the voice of Hull City due to some home truths been fired at the boss and players, shows what a sorry state the former Premier League team have become. 

Grant and his second in command Cliff Bryne, a former teammate of McCann's seem adamant of keeping the "433 formula" which they claim will work in time, but the proof is in the pudding, this Hull side lose any attacking momentum the minute the ball is worked into the midfield and are losing the battle for possession in the middle of the park which ultimately leads to stats that saw Hull have 1 shot on target against Luton and throw away golden opportunity's which at one point saw 5 Hull players in the box against 3 Hatters defenders, only to cough up possession and see their best chance of the game disappear. Star-men from last seasons promotion George Honeyman and Greg Docherty have struggled to carry on their form and new signings Andy Cannon, George Moncur and Tom Huddlestone also haven't had the brightest starts to their black and amber career with suspensions and injury's cutting their game time short, adding to McCann's worries. The one time the coaching staff changed the formation, you guessed it, a 2-0 victory over a Middlesbrough which saw the Tigers name a 3-4-1-2 which created more speed and space for wingers Josh Emmanuel and local talent Keane Lewis-Potter to feed the two front men, leading to Hulls second win of the season after the away drubbing of Preston on the opening day of the campaign. 

We've seen this situation before, all credit to McCann for getting Hull back into the Championship but ultimately this manager and his staff are not cut out for this level. The majority of Hull fans will never forgive McCann for the relegation in early 2020 and unfortunately has seen some of his family targeted on social media which has caused uproar in the fanbase knowing some "fans" have crossed the line. For the sake of McCann's reputation in the game and the future of Hull City football club, the owners must act quick as the time has come for change at the club, some optimistic and hopeful fans have called for Hull legend and recently sacked Steve Bruce to head back over to East Yorkshire, but with the current owners in charge who are desperate to sell the club, and a manager who seems to have run his course, the future of Hull City is certainly up in air with the busy festive period almost among us which could see the club slip further down the table if the performances on the pitch stay the same.

Joe Appleyard