Hull City manager Liam Rosenior has been given the complete backing of owner Acun Ilicali ahead of the Tigers' Good Friday clash with Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.
Rosenior brings his side to Wearside with only one win in their last 10 games, with questions raised about his long-term future at the MKM Stadium. A defeat to Sunderland this week would mean they still need more points to avoid a difficult end to the season, although being dragged into the relegation battle seems unlikely.
Rosenior has overseen a significant change in ethos and playing style at Hull City since taking over in early November when the Turkish businessman handed the rookie boss the job, going on to guide a struggling side away from danger, even enjoying a flirtation with the top six earlier this year, albeit a brief one.
READ MORE: Lynden Gooch outlines Sunderland area of improvement ahead of Hull City clash
While results have dipped recently with just one win in nine games and a flurry of draws, support for Rosenior remains strong behind the scenes at the MKM Stadium, with a belief that with a pre-season and summer transfer window behind him, there is reason to be optimistic about next term.
"For me, Liam is a very special person," Ilicali told our sister title Hull Live as he reflected on his first full season as owner. "From our very first meeting over Zoom, I said to myself that this is my coach. Before I met him, I had 10 interviews and nobody made me feel like that. I saw a young, passionate, and very intelligent person in that one-hour meeting, and in every movement, he has made, he's proved that.
"When he explains some things to me, I'm always convinced. He gives us reports of what he's doing and informs us of his ideas behind them. I've been in the football business for more than 20 years, working inside Fenerbahce, and when he explains things to me, he convinces me (like I haven't had before).
"Business is important, and everyone's talent is important so too is someone's capacity, but for me, the most important thing is to be a good person, I always work with good people.
"I never, ever, in my whole career, have worked with somebody where I don't like their character. I can fully guarantee you in our eight months together I have found that - I feel like an expert in human behaviour, a gift given to me by my father - Liam is a very nice guy and has a very clean heart, and I feel that will help him a lot in his managerial career."
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