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Having secured promotion back to the Championship at Lincoln City last weekend, Hull City now have their eyes firmly fixed on lifting the League One title as they head into their final two games of their hugely successful promotion campaign.
With Wigan Athletic up next on Saturday, there’s a degree of irony attached that Grant McCann’s side could be crowned champions when under 12 months ago, the very same opposition had humiliated the club with an 8-0 win at the DW stadium.
It was a defeat that left many City fans baying for a change in manager and since that time McCann himself has been on somewhat of his own personal journey during that time.
Reflecting on Hull’s sealed promotion, relegation in the last campaign and losing his job at Peterborough, sat just outside the playoff places, he’s already had a real taste of the highs and lows of football management.
“I’ve seen everything so far, and I think all these experiences will hopefully help build a stronger character and a stronger backbone for the future. Hopefully, that can benefit me and also the players that we’ve got”
Having drawn on the experience of other managers in the past including Nigel Adkins, Graham Westley and Brendan Rodgers, the phone has not been picked up this season. Whilst McCann pointed out that this was partly down to the gruelling League One schedule, he referred to a different approach he’s adopted this season, that has broken the mould of more traditional means of football management. Working alongside a psychologist to adopt a more scientific and holistic approach to his work, McCann has been on a path of self-discovery.
“I wanted to learn a bit more about myself in terms of where I see myself and how I can improve and speaking to the psychologist, once every week or two weeks has been a real benefit for me. It’s kept me so much more calmer and so much more focused on my job and not worried about anybody else thinks.”
Following Hull’s relegation from the Championship last season, there had been lots of criticism laid at McCann’s door from his own fanbase. Ultimately, as the club manager, he’s had to carry the can of results.
But how McCann has addressed how he can improve his performance is something that should not be lost on the most ardent of his critics.
“When you’re losing games it’s very hard to get away from. It’s there in black and white for everybody to see and that’s football.
I think for me, I’ve actually prioritised my own life better this season. And when I say that I’ve made sure I’ve spent more time with my family. I’ve made sure I’ve put all my energy and focus into everybody on this training ground and this football club.
Ultimately that’s what I’m here for and getting help from my psychologist and mentor has been excellent. He’s kept me a lot more calmer, as well as my family and friends.”
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The 41-year-old was also quick to address his EFL League One manager of the season accolade and referred to the collective approach behind the scenes, not only with his staff but also in involving the players too in discussions.
“I think the football world’s changing now and the dictatorship thing is not there anymore. You can’t be the one that beats everyone with a stick all the time. You have to be open to new ideas.
The biggest thing is going into games, is that everybody understands what we’re going to do. And when I say, understand, I mean players coming to me with some ideas, giving me their opinion on stuff because ultimately they’re the boys that have to go onto the pitch and deliver.
Having that approach this year, instead of me saying ‘we’ve got to do this, we’ve got to do that’ it’s been so much better and so much easier for everybody and we’ve enjoyed it”
Echoing those thoughts, influential midfielder George Honeyman, who was shortlisted for the League One Player of the Season award also acknowledged the importance of the team focus and is now set on finishing Hull’s season with the crowning glory of being titleholders.
“It’s nice to be acknowledged, but we’ve won promotion as a team and we want to go on and win the league as a team.
“It’s a team sport and we’ve had a group of lads, backed up by a great coaching staff, putting everything in for the team and that has made it a really enjoyable year on the pitch.”
The former Sunderland midfielder was one of the few players that had finished City’s relegation campaign with some credibility but with three goals and 14 assists, he’s now a firm favourite of the new-look Tigers outfit which has won over their doubters over the course of the season.
Not only will his performances on the pitch go down in City folklore, his rendition of Queen’s ‘I want to break free’ during their promotion celebrations last weekend had gone viral as the promotion celebrations went on late into the night at their Cottingham training base. There is a real sense that Honeyman and Company have the ultimate opportunity tomorrow to lay the ghost of Wigan Athletic to rest.
? THIS FOOTBALL CLUB #hcafc | #theTigers pic.twitter.com/ULl5O9YPZ5
— Hull City (@HullCity) April 24, 2021
The Latics, who still sit perilously close to the relegation places are making quite a fist of things in their efforts to stay in the division. With the recent acquisition of the club by Abdulrahman Al-Jasmi, the club is already in a healthier place.
With Leam Richardson appointed permanent manager and with four wins in their last five outings, a dark cloud has been lifted over the DW Stadium. Now looking to press the reset button on their fortunes over the past 12 months, the first objective is securing League One status.
Sitting four points above Rochdale occupying the last relegation place, Wigan will have a difficult task on Saturday afternoon but with a credible draw against in-form Burton Albion and a stunning 2-1 win over Sunderland, they will be in no mood for surrender.
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