It was no secret that Hull City intended to add another striker in January as they sought to establish their dominance on the team in Liam Rosenior’s first full window, having let Tyler Smith, Benjamin Tetteh, and Oscar Estupinan to leave the club.
The club’s top striker target, Keinan Davis, was still City in the last hours of the transfer window had he stayed in England rather than moving to Serie A rival Udinese.
As it happens, Davis had a calf injury shortly after signing a contract with the Italian team, whose owners, the Pozzo family, also own Watford, the team he played for last season on loan from Aston Villa. Davis has not played yet this season; some would argue that this was a fortunate escape.
The Tigers’ two biggest additions in the striker position were Aaron Connolly and Liam Delap, while wide-area recruiters Scott Twine, Jaden Philogene, and Jason Lokilo were brought in by Rosenior. Rosenior stated he was happy with Delap and Connolly, along with his wide options in addition to Adama Traore and Ozan Tufan, both of whom can operate more forward, when he was questioned at the time about whether he believed his team was light up front.
Connolly’s most recent injury issue indicates that he may not be fully recovered from the toe injury that ended his season at Stoke in February. Given that the problem flared up during Saturday’s first half of City’s 3-1 loss to West Brom, there is reasonable doubt regarding Connolly’s long-term durability.
Up front is where most people are concerned about City’s five offensive threats going into this weekend’s all-Yorkshire match against Huddersfield.
Star player Jaden Philogene was absent from the trip to the Hawthorns, and while City hopes he will return this weekend, they won’t take any chances because of the next international break. Jason Lokilo did not go, Dogukan Sinik did, but was unable to participate due to a reported knee ailment, Traore hobbled out with an apparent groin injury, and they are already without key midfield player Regan Slater.
If there was a post-summer transfer window, it appears that the choice to not bring in an additional forward may have been regretted, even if Liam Delap has been excellent since joining on loan from Manchester City.
Playing one player up front and getting wingers and the number 10 up to help Delap, the lone striker, is the foundation of Rosenior’s system. Connolly is not the right man for that role; instead, he would be better off playing off Delap and taking up the pieces after the mayhem he causes; although, a lot will depend on how serious his toe problem is.
It’s becoming increasingly clear that a frontman need to be at the top of the list as January draws near and focus shifts to potential additions for City ahead of the season’s last stretch. Finding someone who can take over and immediately make an impact is not a simple endeavor, though.
For obvious reasons, January is infamously the hardest month to conduct business, but maybe a seasoned executive may be the solution. A player with a similar profile to the now-retired Glenn Murray, who might step in when necessary and relieve some of the pressure that Delap’s youthful shoulders would eventually bear. Although Ben Brereton-Diaz may be eyeing a move to the Premier League, he is being linked to a loan return to England, and he would be perfect.
Delap is also about to get suspended for one game. Rosenior’s life will become much more difficult as he already has four bookings and would miss a match if he receives a fifth before the end of the home match against Watford on December 2.
The Tigers head coach would really benefit if other players on the club began to contribute goals. After his performance against the Hawthorns, Lewie Coyle became just the seventh different player to score for the season, whereas Ipswich Town has had 14 different players appear on the scoresheet. That would also lessen the workload on Delap and Philogene if he returns to the team.
For many teams, including City, January will be crucial. They want to finish in the top six heading into the four-week winter window and add a goal or two to their cause by strengthening their striking lineup.
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