Spaniard’s brief reign ends as Tigers avoid relegation by the slimmest of margins
Ruben Selles is set to leave Hull City just six months after taking the reins, bringing a short but dramatic chapter in East Yorkshire to a close. The Spaniard arrived in December with cautious optimism and a reputation for steadying sinking ships. And while he ultimately kept the Tigers afloat, his departure underlines just how far the club still has to go.
Sources at BBC Radio Humberside confirmed on Tuesday that Selles is expected to move on following a nail-biting campaign that saw Hull survive in the Championship by the skin of their teeth—on goal difference and on the final day.
A rocky road from Reading to Hull
Selles made the jump from League One side Reading in early December, replacing Tim Walter on a two-and-a-half-year deal. At the time, the appointment seemed like a progressive step. Despite the chaos surrounding Reading, Selles had managed to guide them to sixth place, working under financial constraints and considerable off-field turmoil.
Hull’s chairman Acun Ilicali clearly saw something in the Spaniard’s approach—calm, pragmatic, and with a keen eye for structure. But managing Hull was always going to be a different kind of challenge.
Just a week before Selles’ arrival, Walter had been dismissed following a dismal run of nine games without a win. Morale was low. The team lacked direction. And the club was flirting dangerously with the drop zone.
Early struggles, faint glimmers of hope
Selles didn’t exactly get an instant new-manager bounce. The Tigers were winless in 13 matches when he took over, a run that had drained the squad of belief. But just before Christmas, on 21 December, he got his first win—a gritty 2-1 victory over Swansea at the MKM Stadium. It was a much-needed sigh of relief and a sign, perhaps, that the corner was turning.
Still, progress remained stop-start. There were some impressive results on the road—wins away to high-flying Sheffield United and Sunderland stand out—but home form continued to be a major Achilles’ heel.
Hull ended the season with the worst home record in the Championship, a painful stat that weighed heavily on the campaign. Defeats to relegation rivals Luton and Derby at the MKM proved especially damaging, dragging the club deeper into trouble as the season wore on.
Relegation threat loomed large
By the final week of the season, Hull City were in the bottom three. It had all come down to one last roll of the dice. A trip to Fratton Park to face Portsmouth, with the knowledge that only a positive result would be enough to keep their Championship status intact.
Matt Crooks gave them the perfect start, scoring the opener and raising hopes of a great escape. But Pompey equalised, setting up a tense, nerve-jangling finish. In the end, the point was just enough—Hull stayed up by the slimmest of margins, their goal difference proving the decisive factor.
For a team that had spent large swathes of the season hovering near the trapdoor, survival was an enormous relief. But it wasn’t enough to save Selles’ job.
Ilicali pulls the trigger again
Chairman Acun Ilicali is no stranger to managerial changes. This time last year, he let go of Liam Rosenior despite a respectable seventh-place finish in the league. The reasoning? He felt the club needed a different style, a new energy. That same logic appears to have applied to Selles, despite the difficult circumstances he inherited.
The timing might raise a few eyebrows—after all, keeping Hull in the division was the primary target. But in modern football, survival often isn’t enough. Style, identity, and vision carry just as much weight as results, and Ilicali clearly wants a fresh start once again.
Selles bows out with dignity
If Selles is frustrated by the decision, he didn’t show it. Speaking to BBC Radio Humberside after that final game, he reflected with pride on what the squad had achieved.
“Everyone in the club managed difficult moments, and it has been a tough season for everyone. We deserved to stay in the division,” he said.
“We had a team that was rock bottom, and to achieve the target this season with all the injuries and everything else is just massive. Now it’s over, and we crossed the line—we can rest a little bit. I told the players that we will remember this day for years to come.”
Those words paint a picture of a man who understood the scale of the challenge he took on, and who will likely feel he did what was asked of him.
What next for Hull City?
As the dust settles, the question becomes: where do Hull go from here? The club has gone through three managers in the space of 12 months, and while there is ambition from the top, there is also clear instability.
The recruitment process will need to be swift and decisive. The new boss must not only bring results but also address the underlying issues that plagued Selles’ reign—especially Hull’s woeful home form and a lack of consistency.
There is talent in the squad, and the Championship remains wide open. But the next appointment must be made with more than just the short term in mind.
And for Selles?
For Ruben Selles, the end at Hull doesn’t necessarily spell a career setback. His work at Reading, and even the resilience shown during his time with the Tigers, may still earn him credit in the English game. He’s a thoughtful coach, admired for his attention to detail, and he’ll no doubt be back on a touchline before long.
As one chapter closes in East Yorkshire, another begins. But for now, Hull fans can breathe a sigh of relief. The Tigers live to fight another day in the Championship—though the hard work is far from over.
