Hull City have managed to claw their way up into the Premier League on the first attempt and while it is considered a commendable achievement the mood at KCOM Stadium implies otherwise.
Coming straight away to the point, Hull are not in a good place at this moment. The divisive reign of owner Assem Allam has done exactly what was feared it would. Divide. The Egyptian’s authoritarian decisions since the beginning with an appeal for the change of name to Hull Tigers struck a wrong chord with the supporters. While the appeal was chucked out of the window by the Football Association, fans had grown wary of him. What proved to be the deal breaker was the widespread changes in the membership scheme which was met with unanimous opposition and ridicule. The new schemes which forced long-standing season ticket holders to move from their seats to other parts of the ground has caused an uproar.
Hull City’s biggest match of the season was met by swathes of empty seats which signified all that was wrong with the club. Allam is on the verge of cutting his losses and selling up but fans are accusing him of stalling over the deal and believe two interested parties have been turned down. As if all the ruckus was not enough, Steve Bruce decided to call it quits with weeks left for the season to start, citing boardroom issues as the trigger. With the club in total disarray, players have seemingly gotten disillusioned with the proceedings at the manager-less Hull and supporters will not be blamed for not being chuffed about the upcoming campaign.
With the widespread knowledge of the team needing reinforcements in order to create an impression in the top-flight, the lack of any signing has caused a sense of foreboding amongst the club faithful.
And in order to get things moving somewhat and uplift the players, reports suggest Hull City have approached Manchester City with a loan move for the Ivorian international Wilfried Bony. The former Swansea hitman would certainly help alleviate the doom and gloom to an extent as he brings along proven pedigree. He had an impressive record of 35 goals in 70 games for the Swans. And though he has failed to establish himself in the star-studded City line-up, his image as a fearsome striker has not been tarnished as of yet. A move to the Tigers would thrust him back into the spotlight and Bony would want to prove a point or two to his critics.
But there are various obstacles before Hull supporters can even contemplate watching him in their colours. Manchester City are looking at an outright sale of Bony and are looking to recoup as much as they can from their initial investment in the Ivorian. And the wage demands of the player has hindered his move to clubs such as Swansea and Crystal Palace and there is no reason to believe it might not be the same case for Hull.
