Luton Town v Hull City: Tim Walter insists poor form has not hurt Tigers' confidence

Given the form Hull City and Luton Town are in, you could forgive the stench of desperation wafting across Kenilworth Road when the teams emerge for Saturday's 3pm kick-off.

But as far as coach Tim Walter is concerned, the Tigers are full of confidence – he in his job security, the players in his methods.

That improvement Walter speaks often of needs to start showing itself on the scoreboard with just three points from a possible 21 since the last of their three wins under him.

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Luton have made an even worse start, only out of the Championship relegation zone on goal difference six months after dropping out of the Premier League.

Hull have been lifted by some overdue positive injury news at the end of the international break, and Walter – you would think – by the public support of his chairman, Acun Ilicali. The latter, though, makes little difference to a coach who certainly does not lack conviction in himself and his playing style.

"We have a really good relationship so for your side it's maybe new (ilicali's comments) but for my side it's not new," insisted the German, in his first season in English football.

"I have a good relationship with him so it makes no difference to me, what's important is what we talk about and we've talked about the long term.

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"I'm happy to have a game on Saturday and a week with a lot of games where we can show we have improved, we have a lot of energy in the team and a good group.

BELIEF: Hull City coach Tim WalterBELIEF: Hull City coach Tim Walter
BELIEF: Hull City coach Tim Walter

"I'm very confident and I'm very convinced in what I'm doing and my boys are as well.

"I can see every day in the training sessions that they're really convinced and they're doing it. If they are not convinced, they're not playing like I want them to play."

The time for reflection a fortnight without a match allows has not dampened Walter’s belief his players are firmly behind him.

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"We need togetherness and we have to take the dynamic and the moment," he said. "They can do it, they showed it.

FIT AGAIN: Hull City winger Abu KamaraFIT AGAIN: Hull City winger Abu Kamara
FIT AGAIN: Hull City winger Abu Kamara

"I see the energy of the team and the power of the team. They're really fresh, they know they are good and they have the confidence in the performance and themselves.

"We've had a good week. They're really on-point and confident. Maybe it's not because of the results but how they behave and perform in training sessions is really brilliant.

"It's (about) taking the moments. There's no growth in comfort and no success in excuses.

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"They're showing all the time they want to work and want to develop. They know success will come with the development.

"At the beginning we didn't do well but afterwards we had a lot of new players and we played better and now we play even better but we've been a bit unlucky. But we never have excuses.

"All we want to do is work to try to develop the group so they score and win games for our team and our fans."

The chances are helped by the return of on-loan winger Abu Kamara, who sat out the defeats to Oxford United and West Bromwich Albion with an ankle injury.

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Midfielders Steven Alzate and Marvin Mehlem were back in full training on Thursday, and while they are unlikely to feature in Bedfordshire, they could be options to freshen the squad in next week's game against Sheffield Wednesday and at Middlesbrough.

Internationals Kasey Palmer and Gustavo Puerta have not been discounted despite playing for their countries in the United States of America and Colombia respectively at the start of this week.

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