Swansea City v Hull City - Tigers cloth has got to be cut, says Nigel Adkins

HEADING OUT: Hull City goalkeeper, David Marshall. Picture: James HardistyHEADING OUT: Hull City goalkeeper, David Marshall. Picture: James Hardisty
HEADING OUT: Hull City goalkeeper, David Marshall. Picture: James Hardisty
SUMMERS are rarely quiet or smooth ones at Hull City these days – and it promises to be no different in 2019.

For the time being, the mid-table Tigers are fulfilling their final 2018-19 Championship commitments with a dead-rubber trip to Swansea City preceding a last-day home game with Bristol City.

Planning will then focus on the future, with a fair degree of uncertainty regarding next season with a number of players expected to leave and the future of manager Nigel Adkins also up in the air – with the 54-year-old seeking assurances before committing his long-term future to the club.

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Player-wise, David Marshall is set to depart, with Evandro, Fraizier Campbell and Liam Ridgewell also out of contract in the summer, with Jarrod Bowen and Kamil Grosicki likely to be the subject of renewed interest.

Bracing himself for a potential revamp of the club’s squad, Adkins said: “We had it last summer when there were players I wanted to keep and could not. Players left that I wanted to keep.

“I made it public and to the owners that I wanted to keep players but we could not do it financially. This year I have highlighted that, without the parachute payments, the cloth has got to be cut accordingly.

“Every football club in every season will have players moving on. That has to be an evolution of a squad. People will move on and people will come in. Ideally, you only want a couple for less disruption.

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“It is very challenging when all of a sudden you are bringing in 10 or 12 players every summer because it is a whole new team. However, if that is the way it is got to be, that is what will happen.

“Even if you want to keep all the players, there is always going to be speculation about who is coming in and who might want to sign your players. That will never change, but if we can get the fundamentals right we can have a lot to look forward to.”

Specifically on the futures of Marshall, Campbell and Evandro, who will become free agents in June, Adkins is philosophical regarding their situation.

He added: “If you asked them, I think they would be happy to stay. However, you also need to understand that those players are Bosmans. Those players can do what they want to go and do.

“They are on Premier League contracts and we are not giving out Premier League contracts. David Marshall, Fraizer, Evandro are good characters and good people. You cannot have enough of them.”

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