Slutsky in pain as axe hovers over his head at Hull City

BELEAGUERED Leonid Slutsky admits he is unsure whether he will remain as Hull City manager following a bitter 3-2 weekend home defeat to Bristol City.
Leonid Slutsky says he 'cannot evaluate my emotional level in Russian, (so) especially not in English (Picture: Tony Johnson).Leonid Slutsky says he 'cannot evaluate my emotional level in Russian, (so) especially not in English (Picture: Tony Johnson).
Leonid Slutsky says he 'cannot evaluate my emotional level in Russian, (so) especially not in English (Picture: Tony Johnson).

The Russian, under serious pressure ahead of Saturday’s game, looked bereft and broken following his side’s wretched loss.

The decision is likely to be made for him by the Tigers’ board, quite possibly as early as today, with former Sheffield United chief Nigel Adkins strongly linked with the Hull post.

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Adkins is understood to have attended several Hull matches this term, including the recent draw at home to Ipswich Town.

His long-term assistant Andy Crosby is also reported to have been at Ashton Gate last Tuesday as Hull’s weekend opponents lost at home to Preston North End.

On Saturday evening, Slutsky gave the distinct impression of a manager who feels he has run out of time, given his post-match sentiments with his five-and-a-half month reign in East Yorkshire highly likely to be ended shortly.

Speaking after Saturday’s game, which saw 20th-placed Hull relinquish a 2-0 lead to lose 3-2, with the visitors scoring three goals in the last 22 minutes, the forlorn 46-year-old, asked if he would like to continue as manager, said: “It is a very difficult question. I do not know.

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“You ask me this question 20 minutes after maybe the most frustrating match in my life. My first desire is to finish the interview. I am sorry.

“It is like, for an example, one man in a coma and you ask him, ‘What are your plans about your future?’ Not today.

“My first plan is to take away this pain maximum quickly. I cannot think about the future.

“My English cannot explain my level of emotion. I cannot evaluate my emotional level in Russian, (so) especially not in English.”

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One thing that Slutsky can at least count upon is the support of his players, who made a point of celebrating Jarrod Bowen’s strike to make it 2-0 with him on the touchline on Saturday.

But Slutsky is pragmatic enough to realise that football is a results business, with his Tigers side extending their run without a win to six Championship matches while claiming just two wins in their past 14 league games.

Slutsky added: “I am very thankful for everybody here, supporters and players. But football needs results.

“We can talk about who is supporting me or does not support, but the main question is the result.”

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Meanwhile, Barnsley manager Paul Heckingbottom has suggested Leeds United targeted his side’s on-loan teenager Harvey Barnes during the Oakwell oufit’s 2-0 defeat on Saturday.

The 19-year-old has impressed hugely since moving to Oakwell from Leicester City and has five goals to his name, just one behind top scorer Tom Bradshaw.

Against Leeds, however, Barnes was booked following a clash with Luke Ayling and then fwas ortunate to avoid a second yellow card after rugby tackling Kalvin Phillips to the floor.

Warned by referee Andrew Madley that one more indiscretion would bring a second caution, Barnes subsequently pulled out of a tackle during the build-up to United’s second goal. He was substituted at half-time.

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“You could see Leeds targeted him,” said the Reds’ chief, who admitted his side had been “second best”.

“It is appalling that he got booked for a kid (Ayling) trying to win a penalty. An appalling dive, I don’t have to see it back to know that.

“If the referee blows and books him (Ayling), Harvey doesn’t react. That put him on the back foot, but, to me, it was more the reactions of their bench that put him under pressure.

“They saw him as the danger man, clearly. It is something different for him to deal with, he is going to have to learn from that.

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“When you start pulling out of tackles, the referee’s influence in saying, ‘one more foul and you are off’, it is difficult.

“Harvey was under pressure, which meant he daren’t make a tackle. He pulled out of it. He has to do better there on the edge of the box.”

Heckingbottom was also unhappy with an unnamed member of United’s coaching staff, who he felt showed disrespect when celebrating Ezgjan Alioski’s goal on the stroke of half-time.

“One of their lads needs to learn how to celebrate,” said the Reds’ manager.

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“He needs to have a bit of class about him, instead of trying to get over and signal to our bench.

“He was trying to say it wasn’t at me but that doesn’t matter. You don’t do that.”

Saiz stars as Leeds defy Oakwell hoodoo: Page 3.

Slutsky on verge of exit after Hull’s late collapse: Page 4.