Championship manager sacked just days after end of 2023/24 season as fans left stunned by decision

Championship side Hull City have sacked manager Liam Rosenior despite the club finishing just three points outside of the play-offs.

Rosenior was appointed head coach of the Tigers in November 2022, having been relieved of his duties at Derby County several months earlier.

Hull's current owners, the Turkish media company Acun Medya, invested heavily into the club last summer, including the signing of promising winger Jaden Philogene from Aston Villa for a reported fee of £5 million.

He was joined by Liverpool loanee Tyler Morton, while centre forward Aaron Connolly arrived from Brighton.

However, some of those fees had been re-invested from the £16 million sale of Keane Lewis-Potter to Brentford in the summer of 2022.

Rosenior has been widely credited for his development of young players, with Morton's progress reportedly the key reason why Liverpool decided to loan Fabio Carvalho to the Tigers in January amid interest from other clubs in the Championship and Europe.

And following the second match of the season, Hull spent just one week out of the top 10 places in the division, and were sixth in the table with 13 games to play.

But they then went six games without a win, and a 1-0 defeat to Plymouth on the last day of the season meant they finished three points outside of the play-off places.

Now, it has been reported by Sky Sports News that the former right-back, who played for the club between 2010 and 2015, has been sacked.

🚨 BREAKING: Hull City have today sacked head coach Liam Rosenior despite being shortlisted for the Championship manager of the season award, Sky Sports News understands pic.twitter.com/faIYMfTUKp

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) May 7, 2024

The club are yet to announce the decision, but the Hull Daily Mail report that owner Acun Ilicali spoke with Rosenior after the Plymouth defeat and then communicated his sacking during a meeting on Tuesday.

The 39-year-old had earlier been shortlisted for the Championship manager of the season award, losing out to Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna.

And while some Tigers fans understood the decision given the late season form, many others made their disappointment at the news perfectly clear on social media.

One wrote: "I can't quite believe they've been so short-sighted if true - some of the results have been frustrating but he's been building something special."

Another said: "Feels like the equivalent of Arsenal sacking Arteta for finishing second."

A third exclaimed: "Sacking Liam Rosenior is an absolutely absurd decision."

A fourth questioned: "We think it's absolutely bonkers. Gutted."

A fifth summarised: "Since he took over the club has been on an upward trajectory. Feels like a decision made on emotion rather than rationale. He's shown what he can do at Championship level."

More to follow...