Hull City cannot be blown off course as Shota Arveladze starts with 2-0 win over Swansea City

The visitors hit the woodwork twice when they got their act together in the second half - though the first was a lot to do with Hull goalkeeper Nathan Baxter - but it was fairly clear from pretty early on that whatever else went wrong, the scoreline was not going to.

When exactly did the new era begin?

Blackburn Rovers were beaten in the first game after Ilicali bought the club but with his takeover only signed off an hour and a half earlier, it was all a bit rushed. On Saturday Hull returned home with a new manager at the helm and despite the blustery weather which had mercifully eased by kick-off, there were blue skies overhead and a sense of optimism in the air.

For Shota Arveladze, this was certainly the start and he marked it with a 2-0 win.

The Tigers were quick to ride the wave.

The game was only five minutes old when Brandon Fleming, making his first Championship start since 2019 in the only - and injury-enforced - change to the yeam put in a wonderful low cross from the left which cult favourite Tom Eaves poked into the net.

It was the precursor to an excellent performance by the home-grown left wing-back.

Fleming apart, Hull were following the Grant McCann blueprint that had served the club well in wins over not only Blackburn but Bournemouth the previous week, with three central defenders and George Honeyman and Keane Lewis-Potter playing off frontman Eaves.

The returning Regan Slater, Hull's only signing of the transfer window to date but almost certainly not their last, was on the bench.

Those on the field played with the energy Arveladze spoke admiringly of in his first press conference as coach, powered by the "fuel" Ilicali had asked for from the stands.

He was always likely to get it.

For years now, Hull fans disillusioned by the Allam family's divisive regime have just wanted a football club they could get behind and Ilicali, with his promises of cheap tickets, entertaining football and promotion pushes, has provided it.

"We've got Arveladze" was quickly ringing around a ground which has become unloved but the most telling chant was "We're Hull City, we've got our club back."

Forward Allahyar Sayyadmanesh was in the stands at kick-off ahead of confirmation of his signing from Fenerbahce, even if Ilicali was not, arriving too late to see the goals.

A couple of times in the opening quarter of an hour Lewis-Potter had lost the ball trying to take his man on but he is the jewel in the crown Ilicali has bought so it was fitting he was soon on the scoresheet.

Di'Shon Bernard surged out of the back three and played a simple ball inside to Honeyman, whose cross picked out Lewis-Potter in lots of space at the back post to finish.

Already, 17 minutes in, it was clear Hull were heading for a third straight win. The away fans began to celebrate their rare shots on goal and even having the ball.

With two substitutes at half-time and their last 17 minutes into the second period, Swansea tested Hull more after the break.

Just before the hour Ryan Manning saw a shot deflected and the ball fell for replacement Michael Obafemi, whose effort was turned onto the frame of the goal by Baxter.

If they had not already, Swansea probably should have worked out in the 74th minute this was not going to be their day when another substitute, Liam Walsh, curled his free-kick against the post and served up a sitter for Joel Piroe, who missed the target.

Five minutes later Baxter got down low to deny Ben Cabango.

By then, Hull could have been 3-0 up, Greg Docherty bursting through the middle and feeding Eaves for a cross former Huddersfield Town goalkeepoer Ben Hamer got a touch to. It still needed Kyle Naughton to clear things up and in doing so, the Sheffielder forcing himself to have to clear off the line.

Docherty had also blasted wide when Hamer's attempt to cut out Eaves's cross teed him up but the blood rushed to his head.

In the dying minutes Ntcham saw a shot deflect wide to Baxter's reliuef and Piroe had a goal disallowed for offside but there was no way Hull's day was going to be spoilt.

Hull City: Baxter; Bernard, McLoughlin, Greaves; Longman, Smallwood, Docherty, Fleming (Slater 81); Honeyman, Lewis-Potter; Eaves.

Unused substitutes: Ingram, Moncur, T Smith, Huddlestone, Arthur, C Jones.

Swansea City: Hamer; Cabango, Naughton, Manning; Fulton (Obafemi 46); Christie, Smith (Walsh 62), Grimes, Wolf (Ntcham 46), Latibeaudiere; Piroe.

Unused substitutes: Bennett, Joseph, Fisher, Abdulai.

Referee: L Doughty (Lancashire).