Peterborough v Hull City: Tigers to spend ‘big money’ on strikers

The Tigers loaned two in January – Brentford’s Marcus Forss and Fenerbahce’s Allahyar Sayyadmanesh – but both are injured for today’s game against a Peterborough United team back under the control of Grant McCann. Terrace cult favourite Tom Eaves remains out having shown some good form in January and February.

Only Posh and Barnsley have scored fewer Championship goals than Hull’s 27 in 34 matches.

The return of Mallik Wilks from a foot injury picked up in the run-up to Christmas will therefore help today, but the former Barnsley and Doncaster Rovers striker, so prolific in League One last season, only has three goals this term.

Ilicali, who also signed Liam Walsh and Regan Slater in January, is reluctant to flex his financial muscles too much in what will surely be a summer of change regardless, but is prepared to push the boat out for a striker.

“Making big transfers does not bring success,” the Turkish television presenter warned.

“In football, if you bring in a star player it doesn’t necessarily mean success.

“But, the only thing I will spend big money on, is the strikers. Success is coming from football’s biggest strikers, and you don’t get the goalscoring positions you had 20 years ago.”

McCann will be in the odd position today of not knowing the team he inherited on Thursday very well, but knowing Shota Arveladze’s side much better than the Georgian, who is looking to end a six-match winless run.

“He knows his old team he created and had many games with,” said Arveladze. “It’s a new team he has in his hands which he probably doesn’t know as well.”