Hull City will be desperate to improve their current league position following the appointment of former player Liam Rosenior.

Despite enjoying a busy summer with several fresh faces arriving, the Tigers haven’t benefitted from that just yet with some of these new players failing to make a real impact at the MKM Stadium and that comes as no real surprise considering how many players there are in the first team.

Also losing Keane Lewis-Potter, it has taken them time to adapt to life without the 21-year-old with the Englishman establishing himself as the club’s best player last season.

 

 

However, four months have passed since his switch to Brentford and with a new manager at the helm, that should help to re-focus minds in East Yorkshire ahead of what looks set to be an important festive period for them.

Their 2-1 defeat against Reading just before the World Cup break was particularly disappointing considering it was a great opportunity for them to end their previous set of games on a high - but they need to put that behind them with the Tigers currently sitting in 20th and desperately need to pick up more points to avoid a relegation battle.

This break gives everyone a chance to recharge their batteries - but head coach Rosenior will still be busy and we take a look at three things that will be playing on his mind during the interval.

Which loanees should he send back?

The Tigers currently have five loanees at their disposal and this is the maximum number they can have in a matchday squad.

With that, they probably wouldn’t be well served adding more loanees to their squad during the January window but following a summer transfer spending spree, they won’t want to spend a huge amount this winter and going into this market once more could minimise their expenditure, with Malcolm Ebiowei a reported target.

With this, you have to feel at least one or two loanees will return to their parent clubs in January if there’s the option to do so, with Nathan Baxter, Salah-Eddine Oulad M'Hand, Dimitrios Pelkas, Xavier Simons and Harvey Vale all at the club temporarily.

Baxter and Pelkas will surely stay - but Oulad M'Hand and Simons are two players that may be sent back.

Rosenior will need to weigh up whether he definitely wants to send the latter duo back.

Change of captain needed?

Cyrus Christie has been one of the first names on the teamsheet for the Tigers since the early stages of October - and deservedly so considering some of his performances.

The Republic of Ireland international looks set to keep his starting spot for the long term if he can retain his performance levels and that will keep captain Lewie Coyle out of the starting lineup.

Although Coyle is likely to stay at the club in January as a great competitor for a starting spot, you have to wonder whether it would be better for him to hand the captaincy over to a regular starter on a permanent basis.

A skipper’s role may be much more than just what they do on the pitch - but Hull need a long-term leader who’s almost guaranteed to be in the first 11 each week.

A long-term injury to Christie could give Coyle the chance to be one of the first names on the teamsheet again though, so Rosenior may be better off leaving this situation alone at the moment.

Should he push for a move for Ebiowei?

Rosenior already knows the Crystal Palace man from their time together at Derby County - and could be an excellent signing considering he shone in the Championship for the Rams last season.

However, there are a couple of questions that need to be answered to determine whether this would be a good move. Firstly, how much game time would he get? And can they get other loanees out of the door before they bring him in?

With only five loanees allowed in a matchday squad, it could create disharmony in the squad if one needs to drop out each week following Ebiowei's potential arrival.

He could be an excellent wide option though and may not be an expensive signing considering he would only be arriving on a temporary deal.