Hull City: Acun Ilicali needs to emulate 2022 Fulham deal to provide stability | OneFootball

The signing of Jean Michael Seri which provided midfield stability at the MKM Stadium must be emulated in the upcoming window

It's no secret that Hull City's 2024/25 campaign has been a disaster thus far.

Despite the overall acceptance that Tim Walter's philosophy would take ample time to adjust too, a 2-0 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday on Tuesday night proved to be the straw which broke the camel's back as far as the German's tenure was concerned.

Whilst there are a handful of factors which have played their part, such as key injuries to new signings as well as a high amount of player turnover in the summer, City lacked any form of stability and identity after nigh on four months of Championship outings under his management.

After narrowly missing out on the play-offs last term - which some viewed as an underachievement given the calibre of numerous individuals - it was obvious to many that a summer of change was to occur, regardless of Walter replacing Liam Rosenior in early June.

On top of seeing the highly-rated quartet of Jaden Philogene, Jacob Greaves, Liam Delap and Fabio Carvalho among others depart or see their loan deals expire, the Tigers also bid farewell to the duo of Ozan Tufan and Jean Michael Seri, who had both become fan favourites since their respective arrivals in 2022.

And, it is clear that the Tigers are missing the key attributes provided by the Ivorian midfield general, and his free transfer is definitely a deal worth emulating sooner rather than later.

Jean Michael Seri was a key figure for Hull City

Even during an initially chaotic start to life in HU3 under the management of Shota Arveladze, it was clear that the man who won the second tier with Fulham just three months' prior would be a key figure in Black and Amber.

Seri was ultimately 'calmness personified' throughout his two-season stint, which saw the fans immediately take to him with a debut goal against Bristol City in July 2022, showcasing his technique, composure and experience in equal measure as Hull eventually looked to assert themselves as play-off contenders.

In an inconsistent first season, the man who was once linked with FC Barcelona created a further eight big chances and had an average of 65.6 touches, highlighting a metronome-like role within the squad.

However, whilst last season saw the 33-year-old produce similar numbers whilst controlling the game from deep, Seri was able to make large contributions ahead of the back four, echoed by stats such as 5.9 recoveries per game, as well as being dribbled past just 0.8 times on average over his 39 league appearances.

This season, it is clear that Hull have lacked stability across all areas of the pitch, but most prominently in midfield.

Walter, who adopts a stark contrast in tactics to Rosenior whilst still utilising a 4-3-3 system, has seen his side exposed - especially in transition - on far too many occasions, which leads to a constant defensive bombardment.

Seri saw his move to Saudi Pro League outfit, Al-Orobah, confirmed in late August after featuring in just 45 minutes worth of action under the Tigers' latest head coach in the EFL Cup - ironically against Sheffield Wednesday.

As a result of the expansive and more-attractive brand of football which was promised by Ilicali at the time of Walter's appointment, the likes of Marvin Mehlem, Gustavo Puerta, Kasey Palmer and many others were brought in to feature alongside the likes of Regan Slater and Xavier Simons in the middle of the park.

Despite being nearly halfway through the season, it felt as if Walter was unaware of his best midfield, with an array of tactical or forced changes occurring so far, and as a result, a distinct lack of cohesion and creativity.

Simons has showcased his potential as a box-to-box midfielder with goals against Burnley and Derby County, whilst Puerta, Slater, Palmer and even free agent signing, Steven Alzate have also seen themselves rotated depending on factors.

It seemed as if Hull had eventually found Seri's successor in a holding role in the form of Ecuadorian midfielder Oscar Zambrano, but the young midfielder's suspension sums up the current situation at the MKM, which is far from ideal.

And, although numbers in midfield are high within the squad, it feels like another experienced body in the middle of the park to emulate Seri's influence is a necessity, given Hull's current struggles in order to push up the table