Hull City manager determined to lead his team into EFL Championship playoffs

By Yasin Tuncer / Oktay Ozden

ANTALYA, Türkiye (AA) - Hull City manager Tim Walter said the team started the season as a renewed team, with fresh energy and a strong determination to succeed in the league as he wants to move his team into the English Football League (EFL) playoffs.

Speaking to Anadolu during training camp in Turkish Mediterranean resort city of Antalya, Walter stressed that Hull City are currently in the middle of the league, and of course, their goal is to climb higher.

"We started the season as a new team, and my players are very ambitious. The team is getting better every week. This could be our primary goal. Then, we want to take firm steps and make it to the playoffs," he added.

Walter, who served as a manager for Karlsruher and Bayern Munich youth academy in Germany and later worked in Holstein Kiel, Stuttgart, and Hamburg in the Bundesliga 2, stated that the Championship is more competitive than the Bundesliga 2.

- "Pep Guardiola is the best coach in the world"

Walter, reflecting on his time at Bayern Munich's youth academy, said that working with Pep Guardiola during those years had a significant impact on his coaching development.

"Pep Guardiola is the best coach in the world right now," said Tim Walter. "Of course, I am not like Guardiola. I have a different style, and while I’ve learned a lot from him, I want to follow my own path. But I like Guardiola's style the most.

German coach mentioned that Carlo Ancelotti is also the other name I like the most. A combination of the two would be perfect.

Evaluating the performances of Abdulkadir Omur and Dogukan Sinik, who are part of the squad, Walter provided an update on their conditions.

He said that Doğukan Sinik's injury has not fully healed yet, "Dodo (Douukan) is still in the recovery process, so he is not ready yet."

Walter had high praise for Abdulkadir Omur, describing him as "a football player with high technical capacity who can contribute a lot to the team."

He also noted that Hull City owner Acun Ilicali's football background makes his job easier, saying, "It is very easy to work with President Acun, we have a good rapport. We are both very ambitious and we understand each other."

The 48-year-old added that the is a family atmosphere in the Hull City squad, adding that "Acun is someone who has a success story and it is great to work with him."

The Tigers finished last season with 70 points in the Championship, narrowly missed out on the playoffs, falling three points short and finishing in seventh place.

Hull City is currently in 13th place with 12 points after nine weeks this season.