Sat one point adrift of safety in the Championship and sacking Tim Walter as a result, one manager is now reportedly in pole position to take the vacant managerial role at Hull City, who desperately need to get their next appointment right.
Hull City's Tim Walter replacement
Having failed to win in nine games, Tuesday’s 2-0 defeat against relegation rivals Sheffield Wednesday proved to be the final straw in Walter’s reign, with Hull left with no choice but to end his time in charge. Taking over from Liam Rosenior was never going to be an easy task, given that he took his side within three points of the play-offs last season, but the Tigers made their bed by sacking their former manager and watched on as Walter struggled since.
Releasing a statement after parting ways with Walter, Hull said: “Hull City can confirm we have parted company with head coach Tim Walter with immediate effect. Assistant head coaches Julian Hübner and Filip Tapalović have also left the club.
“First-team coach Andy Dawson will take interim charge while the club conducts a thorough recruitment process for a permanent successor. We would like to thank Tim, Julian and Filip for their efforts during their time at the MKM Stadium and wish them well for the future.”
Back to the drawing board, the Tigers may have already identified their next manager. According to TalkSport journalist Alex Crook, Slavisa Jokanovic is now in pole position to become the next Hull manager and is the leading candidate to replace Walter.
Out of a job since leaving Dynamo Moscow in 2023, Jokanovic could return to take his fourth job in English football, having enjoyed mixed success at both Sheffield United and Fulham. Earning promotion twice from the Championship, the 56-year-old represents an option who would likely do more than just take Hull to safety in England’s second tier.
"Proven" Jokanovic would be a wise appointment
Unexpectedly in the Championship’s bottom three, now is the time that Hull must turn towards experience rather than gambling like they did when sacking Rosenior at the end of last season. Jokanovic is more than capable of taking the Tigers towards their play-off ambitions too. He’s already got two promotions on an impressive CV, but taking Hull back to the Premier League would arguably be his best achievement in English football yet.
The manager earned plenty of praise the last time that he returned to English football, with Sky Sports’ Tim Thornton saying after his arrival at Sheffield United was confirmed: “Two-and-a-half months after the departure of Chris Wilder, Sheffield United have got their new first team manager. Jokanovic comes in on a three-year contract.
“He’s been managing in Qatar since 2019 but he’s someone with a proven track record in the Championship having already gained promotion at Watford and Fulham.”
It is, of course, early days in Hull’s managerial hunt but picking Jokanovic out of the leading pack could instantly be a wise decision, given the Tigers’ long-term ambitions.