Steve Bruce received numerous plaudits for last season but in the end Hull City only finished a few points ahead of the relegation zone and whilst their players were arguably distracted by an ultimately unsuccessful FA Cup Final I don't think they come into the new season with great prospects.
Hull and Steve Bruce have something in common which is a good start which ends in disappointment. Hull had a good first spell in the Premier League but ultimately failed miserably before getting relegated whilst Steve Bruce has worked wonders at Wigan, Birmingham and Sunderland but all of those spells ended negatively and I have a feeling the same may be true here.
The theme I prescribe to strongly for next season is that good home form will be a deal breaker down the bottom because if you have it there are so many winnable games and my opinion is the KC stadium is too 'nice' a place for visiting teams to go and play Football. Poor home form would be a concern if it were to be the case this coming season because their away form last season was not good, only mustering three wins on the road throughout the campaign.
Whilst I do think there are potential negatives for the upcoming season there are also some positives for the Hull fans to consider and notably amongst their thoughts will be the prospect of European football. Hull will enter into the third qualifying round of the Europa League so aren't guaranteed a run of games in the competition and some may say that it would be a hindrance to them if they did but the fans are sure to enjoy every minute of it.
Another positive for Hull is that they have Shane Long and Nikita Jelavic who could potentially be a strikeforce capable of securing Premier League football for another season, but Steve Bruce will face the challenge of how he gets both of them to perform and score goals on a consistent enough basis for Hull to be safe. A player who impressed last season was Robbie Brady and he may well come into 2014-15 with added experience having been a regular in the side whilst Harry Maguire of Sheffield United is believed to be close to a move - both of which are young, have great potential and could be assets for years to come.
Overall I have a feeling that this could be an interesting season at the KC Stadium, not forgetting the ongoing debate over the owner's proposed name change which is seemingly a harmless one at the moment but if Hull were to struggle at any point then such an issue could cause a bitter backdrop. Steve Bruce will be hoping second season syndrome doesn't strike but the potential for European games coupled with a limited squad may mean a struggle is ahead. 2014-15 Prediction: 18th (relegated).
