Hull City hero Dean Windass has called on the club's owners to back manager Grant McCann if they want to stay in the Championship for the foreseeable future, with the Tigers winning promotion from the third tier last season.

After years of turbulence off the field with ownership uncertainty - and the Allam's future as Hull owners continuously in doubt - Grant McCann's League One promotion with the club has given the East Yorkshire side a real chance of making a fresh start.

However, Turkish businessman Acun Ilıcalı was linked with a takeover last month, placing fresh doubt in the minds of Hull fans over who will be the club's major shareholder(s) when the transfer window closes this summer.

Former Hull player Dean Windass believes this is an issue that needs to be sorted out quickly, and in an interview with the Yorkshire Post, he said: "My experience is that there will be more fans there if the Allams leave. That’s just fact – it is not me saying that, but the supporters.

"I was ambassador for the football club for four years and they were very good to me and I will never disrespect the Allams because they were brilliant towards me.

"But supporters have different views and everyone all over the country knows what they have chanted and they wanted them out. It is not good for the city or the players. It needs resolving."

Whoever is in charge, Windass wants McCann to be given the finances to build a squad ready to compete in the Championship.

And despite the Hull boss already making three signings in the early stages of this window, the 52-year-old believes there is still a lot of work to be done as the club prepare for the next campaign.

"My opinion is that if they do stay: ‘back your manager to stay in the Championship and push on to get into the play-offs’.

"Grant (McCann) has been relegated from the Championship and is renowned to be a very good League One manager and he will want to prove he is a good Championship manager. But he can only do that with better players and more funding.

"It is a situation where there is massive speculation about the owners selling the club.

"That will determine what is going to happen. If the Allams do stay, are they going to give Grant plenty of money?

"No disrespect to Hull City’s players, but there are a lot of League One players in that team. They did extremely well to win the league and get out of it.

"From the Conference to League Two is a massive jump and it is from League Two to League One and League One to the Championship – and the Championship to the Premier League. They are different levels in terms of quality."

For a side that has only just been promoted to the second tier and is currently experiencing these ownership issues, competing for a top-six spot will be a big ask for Grant McCann and his current squad - but the prospect of reaching these heights could end up being more realistic if the sufficient funds are made available for effective reinforcements to be brought in.

Many Hull City fans will believe they should be aiming high after competing in the Premier League not so long ago, but at this moment in time, consolidating a spot in the Championship is likely to be the more realistic aim for the 2021/22 campaign.

The Verdict:

Are the Allam's already past the point of no return in terms of their relationship with the fans? Well, if they are to stay, they need to follow Windass' advice and back the manager, otherwise next season could be a miserable affair for all parties.

So far, the Tigers have only made free transfers and despite the signings of George Moncur, Andy Cannon and Randell Williams being a good start to the summer at the KCOM Stadium, funds for transfer fees may be required at some point to allow McCann to secure his remaining top targets.

Let's not forget key defender Reece Burke has already left the club this summer - and with the likes of Regan Slater and Daniel Crowley returning to their parent clubs after the expiry of their loan deals - there is a lot of business left to do.

Ownership uncertainty won't help matters, so Windass' statement on this issue needing to be sorted out quickly is a correct one.