Hull City Vice President Tan Kesler: “How We Finish the League Matters”

Hull City, a team in the English Championship, met with the press ahead of their friendly match against Alanyaspor tomorrow. Hull City Vice President Tan Kesler stated that there are more balanced teams in the Championship this season compared to the last and emphasized, “I believe it’s not how you start the league, but how you finish that matters.”

Hull City will face Alanyaspor in a friendly match tomorrow at 17:30. Prior to the match, Tan Kesler, head coach Tim Walter, and players Abdulkadir Omur and Dogukan Sinik spoke with reporters. Kesler reminded that they generated around 30-35 million Euros from player sales last season, stating, “We quickly sold these players to higher leagues, generating good income for the club. Under our president’s leadership, we used this income to elevate the team. We made profits, but we reinvested in players again. In discussions with our coach, we aimed to adopt an attacking team identity. This is a process, and we are in that process.”

Tan Kesler: “I believe it’s important how you finish the league, not how you start.”
Kesler mentioned that the management’s primary goal is always to compete in the Premier League, saying, “This season seems easier than last. Last year, we competed against 8 Premier League teams and finished 7th. This year, teams seem more evenly matched. In previous years, when we continued with top-level loan players, our goals were not the same. Clubs are now trying to avoid losing elite players. Our president stated that we should discover players and develop that way. The Championship is a long marathon. I believe how you finish is more important than how you start.”

“Every team knows each other well in England.”
When asked what they considered while choosing Tim Walter, Kesler replied, “We researched Tim extensively. This decision was made with our president’s final say. When we bought the club, there were 7,500 fans. There were also 5,000 season ticket holders. After two seasons, we are selling tickets to 22,500 fans. This is due to the vision our president wanted. He wants us to play attacking football. Every team in England knows each other well. We started playing a game that attracts spectators, but we haven’t fully nailed it yet. At that point, we met with Tim and appreciated his football philosophy, and we entrusted the team to him. There have been injuries and absences within the team, but he has never deviated from the system he wants to implement.”

“I believe Turkish football will make the expected leap.”
Kesler shared his thoughts on the football climate between England and Turkey, stating, “As a population, we have a great interest in football. However, we cannot turn this into an economic advantage. We lack patience. England progresses in a structured and planned manner. I do not criticize the development of football in my country. England has taken serious steps in branding. Football has been made attractive to viewers as a show and a game. When you play good football, you gain success. They have been more successful in globalization. The English have developed the product we have. We need to improve ourselves regarding broadcasting revenue, etc. There are sportsmen in Turkey who think about this. I believe Turkish football will make such a leap.”

Tim Walter: “We will continue to work for Hull City to improve.”
Starting his remarks by expressing his happiness to be in Turkey, Tim Walter said, “We struggled at first. The team was not complete, and we did not have the desired players. Our squad was not ready. We will overcome these challenges. We scored fewer goals than last season. The team is doing well, and I am trying to elevate them to a higher level. In recent weeks, the situation has improved. We will continue to work to make it better. I have a completely different philosophy. I am considering a game system starting primarily with the full-backs. We struggled in the first matches, but in the last matches, we scored 10 goals and are improving. Ultimately, we are continuing to do well.”

“We want to be like family with our supporters.”
Regarding their victories being away wins this season, Walter stated, “This is not a trend. We want to win at home and make the stadium a fortress. We want to be like family with our supporters. Currently, we have won more away matches, but we will continue to win at home.”

Abdulkadir Omur: “I think about why we didn’t accept that offer when I lay my head on the pillow.”
Expressing happiness and peace about being in Turkey, Abdulkadir Omur said, “Whenever we come here, it’s great to be with our people. When the first offer came from Manchester City, I thought my time at Trabzonspor was over, and I wanted to leave. At that time, Ertugrul Doğan and Ahmet Agaoglulu wanted me to stay. I had stated that I wanted to leave then. It is everyone’s dream to play in the Premier League. I want to reach the Premier League with this team. Every time I lay my head on the pillow, I think about why we didn’t accept that offer. I want to play in the Premier League with Hull City.”

“The Championship is a league that could easily be in the top 6 in terms of physicality and pace.”
Regarding the differences between the Trendyol Super League and the English Championship, Abdulkadir Ömür expressed, “In terms of the league’s quality, it can be underestimated because it is not watched in Turkey. The Championship is a league that could easily compete in the top 6 in terms of physicality and pace. When you come here, you are just below the Premier League. You are very close, yet so far. Compared to last year, teams are more suited to this league this year. I played at Trabzonspor, which is one of the places with the most pressure and stress. The biggest difference is that when we lose a match, we analyze it, but here, all parties applaud and encourage us. They help us forget the match and prepare for the next one. In Trabzon, we would think, ‘Will people be angry at us if we go out?’ This made it mentally challenging to prepare for the next match. In Turkey, this situation tends to be day-to-day. President Acun came to the dressing room once this year to congratulate us. We came back to win against Stoke City after being behind. After that match, he congratulated the whole team. Last year, we dropped points in a match we should have lost, but because we fought well, he told us to keep playing like that.”

“I think there is an issue with the youth system in Turkey.”
Commenting on the youth system organization between the two leagues, Omur said, “I think there is an issue with the youth system in Turkey. At that time, I came through with Yusuf and Ugurcan. It wasn’t really about bringing players up from the youth system; it was due to the necessity. Here, they prepare mentally very well. I believe that the youth systems in Turkey are not sufficient physically.”

Dogukan Sinik: “My primary goal is to play in the Premier League with Hull City.”
When asked about his future goals, Dogukan Sinik said, “We are competing in a really tough league. It feels a bit intense. We play every three days. Abdulkadir is more experienced than me. The training sessions are heavier than what we are used to in our league. I would say it’s almost half and half. It’s hard to adapt. I think we are adapting. The pressure in our country is very different from here. We get very upset after losing points, but people here see it as a game and move on with their lives. One of my biggest dreams is to get playing time at the current club. With the arrival of our coach, there is a positive atmosphere. I am looking at my goals day by day. My primary goal is to play in the Premier League with this club, like Abdulkadir.”