Liam Rosenior’s 18-month spell in charge of Hull City marked the former Tigers, Fulham and Reading defender’s first permanent job in management and despite the relatively short spell in charge of the club, he would make a lasting impression.
A seventh-place finish at the end of the 2023/24 campaign saw Rosenior dismissed by owner Acun Ilicali as the pair disagreed on the club’s footballing philosophy.
But the young manager clearly had not lost the dressing room, with former Tigers right-back Cyrus Christie hailing the impact that Rosenior made at the club.
Cyrus Christie on Rosenior’s impact
“He came in and brought a real sense of positivity,” Cyrus Christie tells FourFourTwo, having been part of that Hull City squad.
“He made it clear that it would be a process, the main part was stabilising us and trying to pick up points. Defensive shape was his initial priority.”
This early impact saw the side lose just one of Rosenior’s first nine league games. “We felt far more secure at the back,” Christie continues. “Liam had a clear way of communicating and was very open. Sometimes, a player might challenge something and Liam was happy to talk it over. He created a really good environment.
“Liam’s style was based on building play out from the back, recycling the ball and waiting for openings. Out of possession, we pressed as a unit and everybody knew their job.”
After steering the Tigers to a 15th-place finish in his first season, Rosenior oversaw a summer of high player turnover and the arrival of several young loanees, including current Chelsea forward Liam Delap, then at Manchester City.
“The gaffer showed he was adept at building squad harmony and we made a good start,” Christie continues.
“He was great with the younger players in the squad, but particularly with Liam Delap, who was given the responsibility to shine and grabbed it with both hands. Things were looking promising.”
The club would only miss out on the play-offs in the final day of the season and the decision to part ways with Rosenior did not sit well with Christie.
“I felt that was harsh from the owners,” he says. “We just fell short and the Championship is one of the toughest leagues in the world. He came into a club that was near the bottom of the table and, during his tenure, lifted us up to seventh.
“That’s progress, and he deserved time to have another go. Liam left, but I had a feeling he’d go on to bigger things.”
