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Hull City supporters are fearing the worst ahead of their showdown against Portsmouth this weekend as they aim to salvage their Championship status.
It was heartbreak last time out as Hull City’s 1-0 defeat against Derby County left them inside the relegation zone by a point.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 20 |  PrestonPreston | 45 | 10 | 19 | 16 | 46 | 57 | -11 | 49 |
| 21 |  LutonLuton | 45 | 13 | 10 | 22 | 42 | 64 | -22 | 49 |
| 22 |  Hull CityHull City | 45 | 12 | 12 | 21 | 43 | 53 | -10 | 48 |
| 23 |  PlymouthPlymouth | 45 | 11 | 13 | 21 | 50 | 86 | -36 | 46 |
| 24 |  CardiffCardiff | 45 | 9 | 17 | 19 | 46 | 69 | -23 | 44 |
The Tigers knew that securing all three points against the Rams would have guaranteed their Championship status but, a terrible performance at the MKM Stadium means they will now be involved in the nerve-shredding final day drama.
Hull travel to Portsmouth knowing that a victory at Fratton Park would keep them in the second tier regardless of results elsewhere, and that should fuel Ruben Selles’ players to put everything on the line.
But truthfully, it’s baffling to many that the East Yorkshire outfit find themselves in such a perilous position, as 12 months ago Hull were on the verge of the Championship play-offs under Liam Rosenior.
- READ MORE: Hull City may need to break astonishingly bad 20-year curse to avoid relegation from Championship
Why Acun Ilicali sacked Liam Rosenior from Hull City
Rosenior was hired by Acun Ilicali in November 2022 after a shocking spell under Shota Arveladze left the Tigers fearing relegation.
The Englishman used his incredible man-management and defensive nous to make Hull hard to beat and dragged them to a 15th-place finish in 2022/23.
Ilicali then backed Rosenior in the transfer market, putting together a squad of talented youngsters, including Liam Delap, Jaden Philogene, Tyler Morton, and Fabio Carvalho.
However, despite assembling one of the division’s most expensive sides, with Jean Michael Seri at the heart of their midfield and academy graduate Jacob Greaves in defence, the 41-year-old failed to get Hull into the play-offs.
A 1-0 defeat to Plymouth Argyle on the final day left them three points outside the top six, and to the surprise of many, saw Ilicali pull the trigger on Rosenior’s time at the club in May 2024.
Speaking after making the decision, Ilicali said at the time via BBC Sport: “It was a difference in opinions. Liam is a very good coach and will be very successful. He is young and is a very good character who makes the team love him.
“There are so many positive things, but at the end of the day me and my team are dreaming of something for this club and there is a football style we want to see on the pitch.
“I can’t say what the biggest difference is. Liam’s football philosophy is very good and may be successful but we didn’t see it suiting our character for the future.”
Ilicali’s decision has cost Hull dearly
From the outside looking in, this was – and still is – a ludicrous decision. Rosenior did a fine job at the MKM Stadium, but Ilicali wasn’t excited by his style of football, even bizarrely admitting that he’d rather lose a game 3-2 than draw 0-0.
“I said I would rather lose 3-2 than have a boring 0-0,” Ilicali added. “If you are counting the points and draw every game 0-0 you are going to get relegated. If you lose 3-2, it means you will win another game 4-1.
“My football brain is completely full of a successful and entertaining football style. Liam has a great philosophy but there are different styles of football in the world – Liam’s direction can be successful but we want to see different things.”
Admittedly, some fans were frustrated at Hull’s unwillingness to attack under Rosenior at times, leaving many home games perplexed at what they had just watched.
But, they also accepted that he was a young manager who would only improve and learn from his mistakes as time went on.
The decision to sack him could have been justified if someone better was brought in, but the appointment of Tim Walter was a disaster, and now Selles is picking up the pieces.
So, at a time Hull are staring League One in the face, Rosenior is leading Strasbourg to Champions League football, prompting anger directed towards Ilicali’s decision to sack him a year ago.