Top 2 Quality Leonid Slutsky Replacements Hull City Could Sign If They Sack The Russian

Two Leonid Slutsky Replacements Hull Could Look To Sign

With his team already in a mediocre state at best before kick-off, Leonid Slutsky cut a very forlorn figure in his press conference in the wake of Hull City’s 3-2 home loss to Bristol City last weekend. The Russian looked utterly defeated after his team’s latest collapse, this time from 2-0 up to 3-2 down in the final quarter of the game and it looks as though he is wondering what more he can do.

Slutsky appeared to even question whether or not he wants to continue in the role, so I guess it’s not even a question of whether the powers that be wish him to leave but whether or not he can even take it anymore. The local press seems to be questioning where his fight has suddenly vanished, having previously noted plenty of emotion from the dugout in the past.

Whoever makes the decision then, it seems Slutsky may not be at Hull City for very long and with that in mind, the board will need to have potential replacements lined up in order to stop an alarming slide which started with Premier League relegation in May and could end up in the third-tier of English football by next summer.

Here are two coaches perhaps capable and willing to turn things around at Hull:

Aitor Karanka (unattached)

The former Middlesbrough manager was named as a possible successor to Garry Monk at Leeds United in the summer. Instead, the job went to Thomas Christiansen.

Karanka, 44, has helped a side win promotion from the Championship before and knows how to win, but was apparently interested somewhat in the Sunderland job, recently showing he has the heart for a fight as well. That job went to former Wales manager Chris Coleman though; leaving Karanka without a job.

He seemed keen to stay in that general part of the country so Hull itself may appeal to the 44-year-old; a change of approach by the Spaniard perhaps suiting the Tigers.

Paul Heckingbottom (Barnsley)

The Barnsley boss was reportedly very much on Sunderland’s radar too, especially given his former association with that club, and once again, for him to go to Hull would not be too big a shift logistically.

Hull, with all due respect to Barnsley, would be a step up in grade for Heckingbottom and so you could forgive him for wanting to take up the challenge. So any approach for him from the Tigers may well be received positively by the man himself.