After the controversial termination of Liam Rosenior back in May last year, Hull City appointed Tim Walter as his successor.
This decision by Hull City Owner Acun Ilicali turned out to be fatal, as 17 games later with only three wins, Tim Walter was dismissed.
On the 6th December 2024, Rubén Sellés was appointed the new manager of the Tigers on a two-and-a-half year deal.
So that begs the question, what is so special about Rubén Sellés and why is he the man to take the club forward?
Well, Sellés has coached in a number of countries including Cyprus, Russia and Azerbaijan, before taking charge at Reading in the summer of 2023 after they were relegated to League One.
He guided the Royals to a 17th-placed finish last season despite a six-point deduction for financial issues and a transfer embargo, and his Reading side made an excellent start to this campaign with nine wins from their opening 18 games before he departed for the MKM Stadium.
His range of clubs brings well needed experience to all sorts of scenarios, benefiting Hull in the sense that Sellés is well prepared for whatever challenge he could come across in his tenure.
When talking to the Coaches Voice about his tactical style, Sellés said: “My idea of football is always based in high-intensity moments, especially in defensive actions. We should be very dynamic and defend far away from the goal. Remember; we press to score goals.
“In possession, we should be organised and arrive very quick into the final third. We want to be vertical. We must be able to combine to arrive in the final third or, when it makes sense, break the lines with most combinative build-up.”
He added: “The organisation in possession is very important. My team should be able to apply a high level of counter-pressure, to get a lot from transitions when we regain the ball.”
When watching a Rubén Sellés team, you would interpret his style to be contradictory in the sense that his style can be perceived as very attacking, while also being defensively solid; and as the man himself has said, being able to apply a high level of counter-pressure is of top priority to the Spaniard.
Sellés has shown his adaptability in English football throughout his two stints at other English clubs.
Initially, Sellés set his Royals side up in a 4-2-2-2 formation and was ineffective leaving them winless in nine games. This prompted a change from Sellés transitioning into a more basic 4-3-3, seeing a remarkable turnaround in their form and prompted an incredible start to this campaign.
It is clear to see his ideas as a coach are around transitions between play from the initial press, and largely has benefited sides even with lower quality players compared to those around them.
The Spaniard has an impressive record against some of the top Premier League sides from his stint in-charge of Southampton, going undefeated against the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal.
All of these features from intense pressing, to adaptability have merit to benefit Hull City and given an appropriate amount of time, could drive them up towards the Premier League.
His start so far at the MKM Stadium has been pretty good all things considered; five wins, three draws and six defeats sees Hull sit 20th in the table, having climbed from rock-bottom since Sellés took charge; to add to some impressive results, such as the 3-0 away win at title-challengers Sheffield United.
Rubén Sellés is the perfect manager for Hull City as they look to rebuild their status as a club to play-off challengers. He has delivered results on a shoestring budget at Reading, and improved the performance levels of a struggling Southampton side.
He epitomises the word versatile in every sense, and is sure to build a distinctive style of play at the Tigers. This should prove why Rubén Sellés will be a match made in heaven for Hull City, and whatever the future holds for these two, it is sure to be an eventful journey.
Hull City are fighting relegation in the EFL Championship at the time of writing, currently sitting in 20th place in the table on 33 points, three points clear of the drop zone.
After the controversial termination of Liam Rosenior back in May last year, Hull City appointed Tim Walter as his successor.
This decision by Hull City Owner Acun Ilicali turned out to be fatal, as 17 games later with only three wins, Tim Walter was dismissed.
On the 6th December 2024, Rubén Sellés was appointed the new manager of the Tigers on a two-and-a-half year deal.
So that begs the question, what is so special about Rubén Sellés and why is he the man to take the club forward?
Well, Sellés has coached in a number of countries including Cyprus, Russia and Azerbaijan, before taking charge at Reading in the summer of 2023 after they were relegated to League One.
He guided the Royals to a 17th-placed finish last season despite a six-point deduction for financial issues and a transfer embargo, and his Reading side made an excellent start to this campaign with nine wins from their opening 18 games before he departed for the MKM Stadium.
His range of clubs brings well needed experience to all sorts of scenarios, benefiting Hull in the sense that Sellés is well prepared for whatever challenge he could come across in his tenure.
When talking to the Coaches Voice about his tactical style, Sellés said: “My idea of football is always based in high-intensity moments, especially in defensive actions. We should be very dynamic and defend far away from the goal. Remember; we press to score goals.
“In possession, we should be organised and arrive very quick into the final third. We want to be vertical. We must be able to combine to arrive in the final third or, when it makes sense, break the lines with most combinative build-up.”
He added: “The organisation in possession is very important. My team should be able to apply a high level of counter-pressure, to get a lot from transitions when we regain the ball.”
When watching a Rubén Sellés team, you would interpret his style to be contradictory in the sense that his style can be perceived as very attacking, while also being defensively solid; and as the man himself has said, being able to apply a high level of counter-pressure is of top priority to the Spaniard.
Sellés has shown his adaptability in English football throughout his two stints at other English clubs.
Initially, Sellés set his Royals side up in a 4-2-2-2 formation and was ineffective leaving them winless in nine games. This prompted a change from Sellés transitioning into a more basic 4-3-3, seeing a remarkable turnaround in their form and prompted an incredible start to this campaign.
It is clear to see his ideas as a coach are around transitions between play from the initial press, and largely has benefited sides even with lower quality players compared to those around them.
The Spaniard has an impressive record against some of the top Premier League sides from his stint in-charge of Southampton, going undefeated against the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal.
All of these features from intense pressing, to adaptability have merit to benefit Hull City and given an appropriate amount of time, could drive them up towards the Premier League.
His start so far at the MKM Stadium has been pretty good all things considered; five wins, three draws and six defeats sees Hull sit 20th in the table, having climbed from rock-bottom since Sellés took charge; to add to some impressive results, such as the 3-0 away win at title-challengers Sheffield United.
Rubén Sellés is the perfect manager for Hull City as they look to rebuild their status as a club to play-off challengers. He has delivered results on a shoestring budget at Reading, and improved the performance levels of a struggling Southampton side.
He epitomises the word versatile in every sense, and is sure to build a distinctive style of play at the Tigers. This should prove why Rubén Sellés will be a match made in heaven for Hull City, and whatever the future holds for these two, it is sure to be an eventful journey.
