Hull City V Bristol City: New owners backing Pearson to deliver

The takeover by Assem and Ehab Allam was formally concluded on Thursday night and the new management team have wasted little time in telling the 47-year-old they feel he is doing a good job.

Head of football operations Adam Pearson, who will remain in the role following the sale of the club, said: "He is safe in his job.

"Nigel has done particularly well in very, very difficult circumstances.

"We moved 23 players out in the summer and have brought in a lot of loan players."

Pearson was named manager last June after Hull pulled off a notable coup by tempting him away from Leicester City, who just a month earlier had reached the Championship play-offs – 12 months after winning the League One title.

It was hoped that appointing someone with such an impressive CV would ensure Hull adapted quickly to life back in the second tier following relegation from the Premier League.

However, the Tigers won just one of their opening five games and by November 6 only goal difference was keeping Pearson's side out of the bottom three.

Since then, though, Hull's form has picked up with last weekend's goalless draw at Crystal Palace extending their unbeaten run to five games.

The completion of the Allams' takeover means the Tigers manager will have money to spend in the transfer window to try to move the club away from the wrong end of the table.

Among his priorities is likely to be one or two strikers with the scarcity of his attacking resources being underlined today when Hull take on Bristol City for the first time since the two clubs met at Wembley in the 2008 Championship play-off final with only out-of-form Jay Simpson available.

Any hopes, however, that Pearson will be handed a major transfer war chest by the Allams appear to have been dashed by the new owners having to pump in 40m – three times what they were anticipating – to save the club.

Head of football operations Pearson said: "There is going to be some money available in the window, but not a huge pot.

"But there will be some money for one or two signing in strategic positions that we need as a team."