Portsmouth v Hull City: Kyle Joseph points to on-field leaders for Tigers' improvement

Last May, the Tigers only avoided being relegated from the Championship on goal difference on the final day at Portsmouth's Fratton Park. Kicking off at 12.30pm on their return this Saturday means victory will put them third, three points behind Middlesbrough on the same games played, before Ipswich Town (at home to Swansea City) and Millwall (Preston North End, away) have chance to respond.

Banned from buying or even paying loan fees for players in the last two windows after being late with summer payments, Hull have clearly signed some good players and coaches since but Joseph believes adding characters with real leadership qualities has been crucial too.

John Lundstram, Oli McBurnie and Semi Ajayi were added last summer, and Paddy McNair joined in January.

"I think it's a massive thing," says 24-year-old forward Joseph, who celebrated a year at the club last month. "No disrespect to last season's side, but that's something we lacked at the time.

"I think that's why it was such a good achievement staying up last season, because we needed that and we probably didn't have it.

"Skip (Lewie Coyle) was probably the only one, and that's a lot to carry on his back,” he says, before remembering “…and Eags (John Egan) and Reags (Regan Slater), to be fair.

"This season look at the leaders we've brought in. Lunny (Lundstram) has played 500 games, Oli is a massive player, playing in the Championship, Premier League and stuff like that."

Ajayi has missed twice as many games as he has played in 2025-26, and Lundstram and McBurnie have had lengthy spells out injured too, but ex-Sheffield United midfielder Lundstram demonstrated before Tuesday's 4-2 win over Derby County he can still have an influence without playing.

"Before the game Lunny gave a little speech to us," reveals Joseph." He didn't get on the pitch (he was an unused substitute) but that's what being a good team-mate's about. That's what you lean on your leaders for.

"I think that's been massive for us, to have them sort of characters in and around the team.

"We had Crooksy (Matt Crooks) back as well (another unused substitute) – again, another leader.

"You could say I'm an inexperienced Championship player but they just give me that extra 10 per cent. It gives me that push to know I've got that confidence from them, and I know I can lean on them to help the team. You know what you're getting from them.

"That's been really important this season for us, and I think that's why we've done so well, because we've got such a good group in terms of characters, and just people as well.

"Everyone's so approachable. You can speak to them about anything. I think that's been a big reason for our success so far this season.

"It's about knowing your role and where you are and accepting it and being the best team-mate that you can possibly be, doing that role as best as possible

"Lunny's played 500 games, he's played in the Europa League final, he's been a massive, massive player for us this season.

"He's been a massive miss with injury but a team sticks together. Everyone's focused on the end goal."

Joseph believes the squad is training better too for having those characters around.

"They never let the levels drop in training," he says. "That's important.

"What you do in training is a reflection of how you're going to play on a Saturday. You bring your A-game to training, you train hard all week to make Saturday the easiest day of the week.

"That's what it's been like all season. The lads have been top training-wise all season.

"It pushes you to be better, the behaviours every single day. That's something which has been a big eye-opener for me this season to see.

"That's really helped me think, 'Okay, this is how a squad needs to look moving forward.'

"I think it's been a massive improvement this season for us."

A throwback ground with an atmosphere to match, Fratton Park can be intimidating for away teams, but Joseph feels adversity brings the best out of the Tigers.

"I think that's shown this season, where you look at games such as, for example, Birmingham away, Southampton away, where you see how together the team is in terms of the fighting for every ball," he says.

"Every single moment, every single time, the pressing and stuff, you see everything's with intent."

Ryan Giles could be out for two months – the same period his deputy Matty Jacob is expected to be sidelined for – with a hamstring injury.

Giles joined Mo Belloumi (hamstring), Eliot Matazo (anterior cruciate ligament injury), Darko Gyabi (groin), Yu Hirakawa (ankle) and Toby Collyer (hamstring). The latter is probably the closest to returning, but not this weekend.