Hull City's Liam Rosenior making progress even without wins to show for it yet

In return, owner Acun Ilicali expects results. One win, one loss and three draws from Rosenior's first five matches are yet to deliver.

Hull should have taken all three points from their Championship game against Sunderland, a day short of 20 years after the sides became the first to play at what is now the KCOM Stadium.

Not only were they the better team, they were given a penalty, then a one-man advantage when Elliot Embleton was harshly sent off. Instead, Ross Stewart's goal made Ozan Tufan's a face-saver, not a game-changer.

But one advantage of the 1-1 draw being fairly uneventful for long periods was it allowed a proper look at what Rosenior is trying to do.

"Pep Guardiola can't guarantee winning games but if you can guarantee a standard level of performance and processes, you've got more chance," he argued.

His comment that "We're on the verge of being a really, really good team," is the sort of thing coaches say to fluff up confidence whether there is any evidence of it or not. This looked like more than wishful thinking.

Where before Hull appeared to rely on talent alone, Rosenior's Tigers look very well drilled.

"He works good rotations and if the opposition's not prepared, he gives them problems," said opposite number Tony Mowbray.

Hull set up in a 4-4-1-1 and kept strictly to it with Sunderland in possession. But at times when the hosts were, a switch flicked and the pieces moved. Jacob Greaves shuffled in from left-back, Lewie Coyle went high on the right, Tyler Smith came off the wing to join Oscar Estupinan at centre-forward, Ryan Longman moved up one alongside them and Regan Slater dropped into the middle of a 3-3-4.

It was all so smooth, so obviously done on training grounds, so disciplined from a team made up almost entirely of Rosenior's roundheads as the cavaliers watched on.

But Hull were also happy to try and pass out of tight situations on the odd occasions the Black Cats penned them into one.

"My system's not perfect at the moment but when we understand it better we'll cause teams a lot of problems," promised Rosenior.

"I know the fans were a little bit nervous at times when we were playing with Matty (Ingram, the goalkeeper), but it's for a reason. Some of our build-up for this level was magnificent and if you look at the chances we created, it starts with Matty being brave to play through lines.

"Our defensive organisation has been magnificent. Everyone knows their jobs."The plan put Hull into dangerous crossing positions. What it could not do was make those crosses find their man, or be converted.

A couple Longman aimed at Coyle went astray, Oscar Estupinan glanced a good chance wide and an even better one over.

The plan could not stop Estupinan missing from 12 yards either. After seven August goals, his only one since came in early October.

Denied a spot-kick in first-half stoppage time when Luke O'Nien appeared to pull him down - prompting some Rosenior words in Gavin Ward's shell-like at the interval - he got it four minutes into the second half, when Dan Ballard fouled Slater. Estupinan rolled it wide.

When Elliot Embleton jumped into Ryan Woods five minutes later, Ward pulled out his red card, his eye perhaps caught by the midfielder's boot off the ground.

About four minutes of treatment gave plenty of thinking time but as Embleton was stretchered, the card was finally brandished.

It was just another opportunity Hull could not take.

Substitute Tufan was tackled and ex-Middlesbrough midfielder Patrick Roberts released Ross Stewart on a rare counter-attack for 1-0.

Set up by the brilliant Woods, Tufan volleyed an 82nd-minute apology and Rosenior swapped control for chaos.

"I threw the kitchen sink at it," he admitted. "We had (winger) Dogukan (Sinik) at right-back, Ryan Longman at left-back, I'm trying to win games."

That is the bit he really needs to get right, but he seems to know where he is going and has taught his players the route.

Hull City: Ingram; Coyle (Sinik 75), Christie, McLoughlin (Vale 81), Greaves; Smith (Tufan 71), Woods, Seri, Longman; Slater; Estupinan. Unused substitutes: Elder, Figueiredo, Docherty, Lo-Tutala.

Sunderland: Patterson; Gooch, O'Nien, Batth (Ballard 16), Alese (Cirkin 61); Evans, Neil; Diallo (Ba 85), Embleton, Clarke (Roberts 61); Simms (Stewart 61). Unused substitutes: Bass, Bennette.

Referee: G Ward (Surrey).