Marco Silva won't allow Hull City to be distracted by transfer talk

HEAD COACH Marco Silva insists recent speculation linking several Hull City players with a summer move away from the club will not deflect from the fight for Premier League survival.
Hull City's head coach Marco Silva (Picture: Barrington Coombs/PA Wire).Hull City's head coach Marco Silva (Picture: Barrington Coombs/PA Wire).
Hull City's head coach Marco Silva (Picture: Barrington Coombs/PA Wire).

The Tigers, who head to Southampton tomorrow, sit two points above the bottom three with four games remaining.

With Swansea City not tackling Manchester United until Sunday, Silva’s men have a big opportunity to pile the pressure on their rivals with a win at St Mary’s.

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Preparations have been made for the long trip south against the background of intense speculation about several Hull players.

Harry Maguire, for instance, continues to be linked with Everton, while Liverpool are understood to be interested in Andrew Robertson.

Eldin Jakupovic has also been touted for a possible move away from the KCOM Stadium amid interest from several top-flight clubs, but Silva is remaining calm over the suggestions.

“Of course, now is the moment to start speculation,” said the Portuguese. “I think this situation is normal. It is the end of the season and clubs start to talk.

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“But it is the obligation of the players here to work hard and keep their focus. It is not the moment to talk about this situation.

“We have four games until the end of the season and after we time to talk.”

Hull head south tomorrow looking to end a wretched run on the road that has seen just a solitary point earned since mid-September.

“We prepare in the same way as we do at home,” added Silva, whose seven home games at the helm have yielded 19 points.

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“We don’t change nothing between games away and at home and, of course, I want our players to play the same way. We play against very good team again, but we need to have confidence.”

With Swansea not in action until Sunday, Hull can open up a five-point gap to pile the pressure on the Swans. Silva added: “This is one conversation we have after the game; for this situation to happen we have to do our work well and take points and only after we will see about pressure on our opponents in this case Swansea.

“What we need to do and for me it is the most important is what we do in our game and our performance and believe in our work after we will see if our result, good or not, puts pressure on Swansea.”