Ozan Tufan now fully up to Championship speed at Hull City, but Sheffield Wednesday are miles off it amid worrying Championship start: Final word on Tigers' victory over Yorkshire rivals

The above phrase will have been in the mind of Liam Rosenior when he watched Ozan Tufan struggle to navigate the Championship landscape at times in his maiden second-tier season in 2022-23.

Certainly Acun Ilicali, who made the Turkish international his marquee signing last summer with a fair bit of song and dance.

Rosenior has kept things refreshingly simple with the midfielder - who brought sumptuous gifts to the table en route to his first career hat-trick on Saturday - and focused on getting his fitness in pristine condition.

On the weekend’s evidence, he is now up to Championship speed in mind and body and assimilated to a level of football that spits out many continental players. It was worth persevering.

Fit and firing, the number ten position in Hull’s fluid 4-2-3-1 system also fits Tufan like a glove.

It had been a testing first week for City and Rosenior, but they are safely through it. They have round pegs in round holes across the pitch and you know what you are going to get from them at least.

A patient, possession-based game with width. It may not work every time, but there is a method.

The main thing missing - and criticism - has been a ruthless edge in front of goal.

They did something about that in a dominant second-half against a hapless Sheffield Wednesday side as Hull scored four goals in the East Riding for the first time since February 2020.

As for Wednesday, it may be early, but it is currently very difficult to see what they were actually trying to do. Just what is Xisco-ball?

Wednesdayites are waiting to find out and impatience will grow with more performances like this.

The Owls have played two league matches this season and aside from a brief flurry at the start of the second half versus Southampton, they have offered nothing.

The events of Saturday were far more worrying than the opener against the Saints, an automatic promotion contender unlike Hull, with all due respect.

Their number of completed passes has been pretty lamentable, while Wednesday’s possession count in the two games finished at 20 and 27 per cent respectively. They mustered one shot on target versus Southampton and two against Hull.

That they have scored from all three should not provide solace.

Michael Smith’s late stoppage-time effort out east was consolation with a very small c. It reduced Hull’s lead to two goals, but everyone in attendance was not fooled. They knew that the hosts dominance was befitting of a three or four-goal cushion.

While the Owls demonstrably lacked personality in their play, the big word that Xisco Munoz used afterwards was ‘balance’. Hull had it, Wednesday didn’t.

Squad pegs in round holes. Centre-halves offering limited width at full-back. Callum Paterson utilised as an auxiliary midfielder on the flanks and the right-footed Juan Delgado playing on the left.

The last time Wednesday conceded four goals in May, there was a sensational silver lining just down the road.

Here, it’s harder to see. Xisco is not yet close to his best side, few know what it is.

Rosenior, angry after the midweek cup loss to Doncaster Rovers, urged Hull's players to 'solve the puzzle' themselves if Wednesday's players choose to press, sit off or go man to man.

The Owls, lacking several pieces in their own particular jigsaw, sat off and it didn't work as Hull found outlets wide in Jason Lokilo and the marauding Lewie Coyle, in particular, who had a ball.

For Hull, it turned out to be a glorious 12th, with home supporters among the 20,410 crowd lapping it up.

That Wednesday struck a deflected opener after Delgado latched onto Dominic Iorfa's cut-back after a quickly-taken free-kick from Paterson caught Hull cold, proved a minor irritation on the day. As did Smith's late strike.

A leveller arrived before the break, rightly from the spot, after Lee Gregory's stray elbow caught Jacob Greaves. Tufan's unerring, confident penalty was a sign of things to come.

In the second half, the Tigers showed their teeth and the ‘mauled by the Tigers’ chant got an eventual airing. The bandmaster was Tufan and Wednesday were cowed.

Tufan's second was a thing of beauty. A gorgeous swerving strike from distance which left debutant keeper Devis Vasquez rooted.

His hat-trick strike was cool and impeccable, low past Vasquez. It secured Tufan the match ball. It would go on display in the best place in his house, he revealed afterwards.

City’s fourth goal, slotted home by substitute Aaron Connolly following Michael Ihiekwe's dreadful blind pass inside, confirmed Wednesday's descent and disintegration.

In terms of getting up to Championship speed, they are miles off at present.

Hull City: Ingram; Coyle, Jones, McLoughlin, Greaves; Slater, Seri; Lokilo (Simons 85), Tufan (Connolly 79), Traore; Delap (Estupinan 72). Substitutes unused: Lo-Tutala, Longman, Fleming, A Smith, Christie, Green.

Sheffield Wednesday: Vasquez; Iorfa, Ihiekwe, B Diaby, Famewo; Bakinson (Byers 62), Bannan (Vaulks 45); Paterson, Windass (Musaba 62), Delgado (Fletcher 72); Gregory (M Smith 62). Substitutes unused: Dawson, Palmer, Valentin, Bernard.

Referee: M Donohue (Greater Manchester).