Tim Walter’s-approach needs Hull City ‘courage’ – from players and fans as he admits there will be more mistakes- Stuart Rayner By Stuart Rayner
“Bravery” will be the motto of Tim Walter’s time as Hull City coach.
The German is trying to implement a new playing style this season – so far without most of the signings he is looking for – which will not only test the courage of his players, but supporters too.
The way Walter set up previous club Hamburg was sometimes called “heart attack football” and certainly requires players to gamble.
Most if not all the goals the Tigers have conceded in pre-season have come from mistakes, but fans had better get used to it. There will be no safety-first football under him.
“Some people call it risk, some people call it courage, you can decide but for me it’s courage to play,” he said ahead of Saturday’s friendly at home to Newcastle United. “If you play a long ball, that’s the same – it’s a style of the game, a philosophy.
“I’ve tried to convince my team and we’ll keep going. We’ll play with the ball and it takes more time than just to play for second balls.
“When you are fluid (in your position, as “Walterball” demands) you can’t be pressed but you need time to look and to play forward and not turn around and play back.
“At the moment there’s maybe a little bit of a courage issues but by the end they will know it because we have some quality in the squad but we need more.”
Tuesday’s friendly at Doncaster Rovers was the first chance for most supporters to see the new approach in the flesh and it did not go well.
As Walter put it, “If you make mistakes, you get the bill at the end.”
Hull lost 4-0 in a game where they dominated possession but did little with it, the away fans sarcastically chanting “We’ve got the ball” as if it were cause for celebration.
But pre-season matches are about working towards something – in Hull’s case, Bristol City at home on August 10 – especially as Walter sent out a side with little experience of senior football, most of it from loan spells.
If Hull do anything like the business they need to after selling or releasing 14 players and so far only signing Ryan Giles and Cody Drameh, few of Tuesday’s XI will continue their learning in the Tiger’s first team next season but it was important for Walter to see who had the stomach for his bold ideas.
“You will make mistakes because if you try it and try it, sometimes you will make a mistake and that’s a problem, especially for the youngest players, but I’m happy to see how far they are,” he argued. “They need time.”
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