Why less is more for shrewd Hull City manager Liam Rosenior as Championship club prepare for EFL kick-off in 2023-24

The Hull City chief is not only one of the most engaging and thoughtful ‘rookie’ managers currently on the EFL circuit, but also one of the most astute. An old head on young shoulders.

This time last year, Hull were all-singing and all-dancing. It was akin to show-time with the East Yorkshire outfit linked with a host of players from across Europe and beyond. Rarely a day passed by without a new target being talked up as the next arrival.

City - led by a charismatic media mogul in Acun Ilicali - were the talk of the Championship in many respects.

At the end of July 2022, nine signings had arrived, including a couple of Turkish internationals, a Colombian striker and a bright young thing from Iranian football.

By the close of that summer window, City had completed the signings of 18 players who could be deemed as first-teamers.

Unfortunately, after some excitement and early-season positivity, the Championship caught up with Hull and Rosenior had to pick up the pieces when he arrived.

Rosenior can also recall a chaotic time, for wholly different reasons, at old club Derby County last summer.

After being bought out of administration by David Clowes, Derby, led by Rosenior, had to scramble around for free agents and effectively build a side from scratch.

This time around, there is rather more quietness and order at Hull.

When the current window closes at 11pm on September 1, their total of incoming arrivals is likely to be comfortably in single digits.

Thus far, just three signings have arrived, with Portuguese wing-back Ruben Vinagre being the latest one on Thursday and the Tigers are one of a number of Championship clubs competing for a small pool at top-flight clubs.

Active targets include Brighton’s Aaron Connolly and Bournemouth keeper Mark Travers. Recruitment is strategic and not scattergun.

Rosenior told The Yorkshire Post: "It is very competitive and the market is so competitive.

"I think many Championship team have the same targets, it's a small market in England. What you have to do is fight and use whatever it takes to try and get the ones you want over the line.

"I have to be honest, our work has been months in the making. I’ve an understanding of what the squad will look like in four weeks time. I’m excited.

“If the ones that I expect to happen do happen, I’m in a really comfortable place. We don't need many numbers and that's a great place to be.

"Last season, I had five players at Derby and I needed to sign 15 players and that was a whole new different level. This season, I’ve a settled group who understand the way we work and believe in the way that we play.

"I don't want to go out and sign seven or eight players. We don't need to do that.”

Several of Hull’s new arrivals last summer were left exposed to the elements by the autumn - unprepared mentally and physically for an ultra-intense competition when there are no free lunches and the itinerary affords few favours.

The likes of Ozan Tufan, Allahyar Sayyadmanesh and Jean Michael-Seri might just be better for the experience, alongside others such as Benjamin Tetteh and Adama Traore, whose seasons were affected by injury.

Under Rosenior, Hull - after pulling away from the wrong end of the table and becoming harder to beat -. have built firmer foundations.

They possess a reliable ‘spine’, while experience has wised up some of last season’s newcomers.

Whisper it gently, there is quiet optimism that Hull - with a fair wind - might just break through and be in the top-six mix if things go well.

Rosenior is too shrewd to say that publicly. Yet he spies positive signs, nevertheless.

He added: "I think that any team in the Championship who has togetherness and continuity can be successful and that's what I am trying to create here. I don't want to be in the headlines every week for another signing. I want to be in the headlines in May.

"I’m not saying we will be, but that's the ambition and target. In my time at Hull when we got promoted, we had a settled group and did not make many signings. When we got promoted at Brighton, it was the same thing - a settled group who understood each other.

"I’ve got experience of promotion that comes from having a group who have the same characters and same values and understand the way that they play."

While last season’s events have tightened the squad at Hull and provided a number with some key experience at this level, clarity in terms of the club’s playing style and everyone now fully knowing their roles in the side under Rosenior should aid in their further development and quest to push on.

Rosenior continued: "We’ve built a culture. On Tuesday, you saw both of our teams and there was a 70-minute team and a 20-minute team playing exactly the same way because the players have had six or seven months with me and understand everything that we want.

"If you bring in players, you have got to re-educate them. I have signed (contracts for) Sean McLoughin, Alfie Jones, Lewie Coyle, Regan Slater and Harry Vaughan because I know that they can improve. So why do I need to go out and replace them?

"I think they will improve by being here. I think Adama Traore, Benjamin Tetteh and Oscar (Estupinan), all these players will improve from being here and having a settled season."