It is a weekend of remembrance and reflection; I did not think it quite as appropriate to fill this preview full of jokes as I usually do. I will be instead looking back over a year of Liam Rosenior as head coach.

It was Wednesday this week which marked a year since Liam Rosenior picked up his first win in charge of Hull City. During his time at the helm of the club, “Rosey” has turned the tide of a struggling, potentially relegation-threatened side under Arveladze, to a side which have play-off ambition. 14 victories does not sound like a huge amount in the 45 games so far, but an average of 1.36 points per game shows some progression especially as only 12 of the 45 games were losses.

I still think we are yet to see the best of this Hull City side and the new possession-based play. The summer recruitment has helped immensely, and it may help turn ambition into a reality. Delap, Morton & Philogene all have been called up to the England Under 21s squad and this can only be a good thing. It has been a while since a squad from the MKM Stadium has shown a great deal of potential. A busy run of fixtures towards the Christmas period will mean consistency is key.

The last time City beat this Saturday’s opponents was back in 2015, which is prior to both sides’ most recent ventures into the top flight. When the two sides faced off in January, Óscar Estupiñán was on hand to rescue a late, late point for the Tigers. Huddersfield are in a strange place following the departure of Warnock. The Terriers are a team which always seems to be looking down rather than up and yet can pull off a good performance to shock others. City are almost the opposite now and a bad result or performance often causes some surprise amongst most fans. A tough Yorkshire derby awaits the two teams, but Rosenior will be buoyed by the return of Philogene. The young winger’s exciting trickery and influence were lacking at the Hawthorns. Six goal contributions in eight games is also a handy stat to bear in mind.
Looking back at the City team which managed a comeback in the south of Wales over a year ago; Christie, A. Jones, Greaves, Seri, Docherty and Slater are all still involved with the first team. Baxter now plies his trade in League One with Bolton. Centre-back Figueiredo hardly made an appearance under Rosenior and finds himself in Brazil turning out for Fortaleza. Loanee from last season, Pelkas now plays for İstanbul Başakşehir. Woods and Longman are out of favour despite still being contracted to the Tigers and were loaned out in the summer. It also has to be noted that new goalkeeper Allsop was in goal for Cardiff.

Expected XI vs Huddersfield: Allsop; Coyle, A.Jones, McLoughlin, Greaves; Traore, Seri, Morton, Philogene; Connolly, Delap.
Prediction: Hull City 2-1 Huddersfield.

On this particular weekend of reflection my final notes are to remember a great friend, even if he didn’t care all that much for sport and only loosely followed Hull City. I know a few of the contributors to the OSC (previews in particular) were inspired and had a great respect for the late Dave Fewster, former Viking radio DJ, radio presenter at Beverley FM and an all-round great man. Dave will be missed.
And on such a weekend Lest we forget all those who have fought and given their lives in conflict.