BREWERS manager Nigel Clough is wary of the threat Hull City possess ahead of tomorrow’s trip to the KCom Stadium despite them being a period of transition both manager wise and squad wise.
Tomorrow’s opponents Hull have a new manager in Leonid Slutsky who became the first Russian to manage in the Championship last weekend when his side drew 1-1 at Aston Villa. Slutsky, previously managed CSKA Moscow for seven years and was in charge of Russia in the 2016 European Championships.
Hull have also lost a number of key players since being relegated but have brought in seven players including two loans from Chelsea in Michael Hector and Ola Aina.
Speaking on the trip Clough said: “Hull had a good start in the league last weekend with a good point at Aston Villa, it will be a good test for us so early on in the season. It won’t be an easy one, we will be the underdogs and we know that. It gives us an opportunity to show what we are about, it’s the same with the Middlesbrough fixture Tuesday but we will go there looking for a positive result whether that’s one or three. I don’t think we have played Hull or Middlesbrough away before so that’ll be nice for our supporters despite the long trips.
Clough also played down the idea of playing Hull so soon after coming down to the Championship: “In some ways it can be good to catch them early on as teams who come down from the Premier League do their business both ins and outs quite late but at the same time they can have players playing that will be sold to bigger clubs.
"They almost managed the great escape last season, I have never come across Leonid but judging by the way his side came back at Aston Villa, I thought they responded very well to going down and deserved their draw. These days the managers and players come from all over the world to try their hand in England and it is always interesting to meet different managers from abroad.”