A fresh start to the season could be just the answer at Hull City

When he spoke to the media last week, left-back Callum Elder was looking forward to the chance to put that right. Now it could be weeks or even months before he and his team get it.

“It was really hard walking past the fans back into the tunnel,” said the Australian.

“To put in a performance like that was really difficult.

“Individually and collectively it’s hard to hear things like you’re not fit to wear the shirt but we can’t dwell on that. There is a severe pride that lads have within them.

“The results haven’t been good enough since New Year’s Day.”

The Tigers’ season has gone into a tailspin since the transfer window opened at the start of the year. They knew it would be difficult to keep their top-scorer and talisman Jarrod Bowen, but it took until shortly after the 11pm January 31 deadline for West Ham United to complete a £22m deal for the winger. With doubts right up until the last minute about whether the deal could be completed, it was impossible for Hull to spend that money on reinforcements.

Adding to their difficulties, they lost Kamil Grosicki, their next highest-goalscorer this season, to West Bromwich Albion for an initial £800,000 early on deadline day.

Hull have picked up just two points from a possible 33 since starting the year with the 1-0 victory at Sheffield Wednesday which raised false hopes that they might be able to qualify for the Championship play-offs.

As it is, they now are one place outside the relegation zone with nine matches to play.

If this ends up being the final league table, Hull will be spared relegation. If the competition restarts, they have a real fight on their hands.

Elder was speaking last Thursday morning, a little more than 24 hours before English league football was put on hold.

The Football League announced last week they have suspended all fixtures until at least April 3 because of the coronavirus pandemic, but with predictions the spread will not peak in this country until mid-June, it could be much longer than that.

The Premier League are due to hold an emergency meeting on Thursday, and the Football League could take their lead from that.

For clubs like Hull, whose momentum has been going in the wrong direction for some time now, a fresh start – be that a summer resumption of the 2019-20 campaign or a new season entirely – could be the best thing for them.

Hopefully when the resumption comes, it is with the memories of Stoke distant and the enthusiasm of a return to competitive football outweighing the frustrations of the first three months of 2020.

“This group of lads are in it together,” said Elder.

“You need to acknowledge and recognise the gravity of the game but pressure can’t affect the way we perform.

“I found myself in a situation very similar at Ipswich last season (the Tractor Boys were relegated at the end of the season).

“If you’re not winning games you’re not performing well enough. We’ve not been unlucky.

“We didn’t give ourself a chance against Stoke.

“There’s absolutely no excuses from me. We need everyone in.”