Hull City fans and owners need to heal rift '“ Maloney

Hull City's Shaun Maloney (Picture: Simon Hulme).

The Tigers’ fate was sealed by Sunday’s 4-0 defeat at Crystal Palace, meaning their stay among the elite will end after just one year.

With head coach Marco Silva’s future in doubt and several players expected to leave the KCOM Stadium, this summer is likely to bring huge upheaval.

Maloney’s contract expires next month and his future is one of several that remains unclear.

Whatever happens, however, the Scotland international believes Hull’s hopes of prospering once again would be boosted by the Allam family and the supporters settling their differences.

“I have not been at the club that long, but, after two years of living in the city, you do notice there is a separation between supporters and the owners,” he said.

“I don’t know what has gone on before, but, in an ideal world, those two parties have to come closer together.

“It is a good club. I know from the outside it might seem differently, but it is a good club.

“If it is run well, it can be a pretty successful club. It is a good place to play so, fingers crossed, that can happen.”

Hull’s promotion to the Premier League last May was followed by a trying summer that saw manager Steve Bruce quit and the club’s recruitment plans stall to such an extent that the first signing did not arrive until the final 36 hours of the window.

Maloney added: “The start of the season was definitely one of the reasons (why relegation happened). Our preparations for the start of the season weren’t good enough. That is definitely a reason, but there are numerous.

“It is really difficult to pinpoint now, but, over the next few days and weeks, I imagine people within the club will know why it has gone wrong and what the club has to do to get back into the Premier League.”

Meanwhile, vice chairman Ehab Allam, in a club statement released yesterday, said he “feels the pain of relegation”.

Silva is set to sit down with the board this week to discuss the future, though this was not covered in a brief statement that included Allam vowing: “We all rebuild for the challenge ahead”.