A three week break in action has presented the perfect opportunity to reflect on the season so far. As Hull City sit one place outside of the Championship playoffs, it is time to assess the performances of the players signed to get them over the line.
Billy Sharp: Free Agent (free)
A deal announced prior to the window opening, Billy Sharp arrived at the MKM Stadium knowing his minutes would limited but his impact could be huge. Boasting a coaching staff made up of primarily ex-defenders, bringing in the Championship's all-time top scorer to impart some wisdom upon the Tigers' frontline was far from the worst idea in the world.
A month away from his 38th birthday, the striker was never going to be Hull's saviour but rather add some much-needed experience to a young squad. Despite even Sharp himself knowing that he would struggle for game time, injuries to Liam Delap and Aaron Connolly left the Tigers relying upon the veteran almost instantly.
Making eight appearances for his new side, Sharp is often asked to impact games off the bench. Owing to his lack of pace and restricted abilities with the ball at his feet, Sharp can sometimes feel like the week link in Hull's attack with the old school striker's skillset in direct contrast of the players around him.
A signing more for the dressing room than the pitch, it's clear that Sharp plays an important role within the squad but has failed to impress beyond that.
Verdict: D
Whilst few expected a man one year younger than Liam Rosenior to score a hatful, it feels like Sharp should've had at least one by now.
Fabio Carvalho: Liverpool (loan)
Beating the parachute-plumped ex-Premiership sides to his signature, the arrival of Fabio Carvalho at Hull City had the potential to be one of the most exciting coups in the club's history.
The attacking midfielder had previously put in one of the most impressive individual seasons that the Championship had ever seen, contributing ten goals and eight assists as Fulham stormed to the league title in 2021/22. Carvalho stood out as an electric presence on the ball at Craven Cottage, however has needed to alter his play-style to suit Rosenior's system.
Fabio Carvalho Championship stats. Fulham 21/22: left, Hull City 23/24: right (source fbref)
Often playing behind a traditional number nine during his time at Fulham, the 21-year-old is now deployed as a forward for Hull. Whilst this shift has caused his creative output to decline, Carvalho has become Rosenior's attack dog on the press, ranking among the best forwards in the division for blocks, tackles and interceptions.
Despite being in a new role, Carvalho's eye for a goal hasn't left him with the Liverpool loanee notching four times in just eleven Championship appearances. The 21-year-old has found the back of the net in vital moments scoring the winning goals in victories over Southampton and Sunderland and earning the Tigers vital points against Leicester and West Brom.
Verdict: A+
Carvalho has been everything fans expected and more. A hard working player with the quality to win games singlehandedly, we're lucky to have him at the club.
Ivor Pandur: Fortuna Sittard (£1.5million)
The first transfer fee paid of the window, the penultimate week of January saw Ivor Pandur join Hull City from Dutch outfit Fortuna Sittard. The 23-year-old arrived with the assumption that he would become the Tigers' number one, displacing the occasionally error prone Ryan Allsopp.
Unfortunately for the Croatian shot stopper, this has not transpired with Pandur yet to play a game for his new side. Whilst Allsopp has improved in recent weeks, there are still some pining for a change between the sticks.
With nine cup finals standing between Hull and the playoffs, changing keepers may not be the best idea regardless of the form of the current number one.
Verdict: N/A
Unfair to judge a man who hasn't kicked a ball for the club but Hull clearly haven't spent all that money for him to sit on the bench so expect him to step up next season.
Noah Ohio: Standard Liège (loan)
First revealed on the X account of legitimate journalist turned click-bait influencer Fabrizio Romano, the signing of Noah Ohio was something of an unknown entity to the Hull faithful.
The striker arrived with an impressive CV boasting spells in Germany, Austria and the Netherlands as well as a youth career spanning both the blue and red sides of Manchester.
Optimists in the fanbase viewed the well travelled 21-year-old as an exciting acquisition whilst sceptics saw a player who struggled to spend more than one season at a single club.
Failing to score during his fourteen game stretch in the Belgian League this season, Ohio already bettered his goal tally for the campaign when he netted his first goal for the Tigers in February's 2-1 win against Rotherham United.
The 75th minute winner against the Millers left many assuming that Ohio would become Rosenior's first choice at number nine however, after just two substitute appearances the following month, it was clear that he had failed to win over those at the top of a club.
Verdict: C-
Whilst Ohio earns some credit for the Rotherham goal, failure to impress in subsequent cameos has left many wondering what went wrong. Ultimately, we will never know if he's actually any good if he can't get on the pitch.
Ryan Giles: Luton Town (loan)
After Ruben Vinagre called time on his subpar spell in East Yorkshire, a new left back was always going to be at the top of Acun Ilıcalı's shopping list for January. Hull eventually settled on Ryan Giles who has used his handful of appearances for the Tigers to silence critics and show his quality.
The 24-year-old arrived in Hull with a mixed bag of a recent record. A twelve assist campaign with Middlesbrough last season had been followed up with a Luton Town spell that saw Giles struggle for minutes in the Premier League.
Giles came to the MKM Stadium with doubts over his defensive capabilities however, nine games into his Hull City career the 24-year-old has proved many of the doubters wrong. The left back has put in strong shifts against some of the league's top wingers including Southampton's Stuart Armstrong and Leicester's Abdul Fatawu.
The full back's party trick at other clubs had been his eye for a cross. With Rosenior preferring to progress the ball slowly through the midfield, Giles has needed to learn to be patient as he is forced to link up play and facilitate his winger rather than do all the creative work himself.
Verdict: C+
A strong start to his life in Hull however, with an option to make the deal permanent in the summer, it is likely that Giles' best performances in black and amber are ahead of him.
Abdülkadir Ömür: Trabzonspor (£2.0million)
A struggling Turkish league star once ambitiously likened to Lionel Messi, Abdülkadir Ömür had all the hallmarks of the kind of terrible signings that plagued much of last season's business.
Thankfully, the 24-year-old came to East Yorkshire with other ideas and has become one of Hull's biggest assets going into the business end of the season. Ömür has forged a strong partnership with Carvalho as the duo make up the Tigers' makeshift central strike force.
Much like his Portuguese teammate, Ömür has also been a pressing machine, ranking first among his Hull teammates for combined tackles and interceptions per ninety. The Turkish international has also earned plaudits for his immense work-rate, tracking back to win the ball and establishing himself as a fan favourite in the process.
Verdict: A
Ömür has swiftly put to bed any early fears of a Doğukan Sinik 2.0 and hit the ground running at his new club. While the 24-year-old is yet to score for the Tigers it only feels a matter of time until he finds the back of the net.
Anass Zaroury: Burnley (loan)
Anass Zaroury was the seventh and final signing through the door at the MKM Stadium, rounding off a complete overhaul of the Tigers' attack. The Moroccan came to East Yorkshire following a ten goal haul last season as he helped Burnley back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.
The 23-year-old exploded upon his first start at the MKM Stadium, rattling an excellently struck effort off the bar only for the ball to be fired home by Jaden Philogene. Zaroury has since gone on to score two goals of his own in subsequent games against Southampton and Leicester.
A left winger by trade, Zaroury has been forced to share his natural position with the previously mentioned Philogene. Whilst the Moroccan has been a strong addition to the side, there is no denying that it has been at the expense of the output of Hull's star man.
This issue could create a headache for Rosenior as the end of the season draws near with Zaroury perhaps better suited for a future in which Philogene leaves the Tigers this summer.
Verdict: B
A couple of important goals so far but it's clear that we are yet to see the best of Zaroury. If he and Philogene can settle on a side, the Moroccan could prove vital for the run in.
Have Hull City's January transfers been successful?
Overall, the positives vastly outweigh the negatives in regard to Hull's January window. Shipping off struggling players in exchange for topflight quality, it is clear that Rosenior's men are now in a far better position to contest for the playoffs than before the window opened.
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