Hull City turn to Marco Silva and offer former Olympiakos boss a six-month deal 
Luke Edwards
4 JANUARY 2017 • 4:40PM
Hull City are set to take a huge gamble on Portuguese manager Marco Silva after sacking Mike Phelan and dismissing his entire back-room staff to make way for the former Sporting Lisbon and Olympiakos boss.Telegraph Sport understands that talks are at an advanced stage, with the offer of a six-month contract and a lucrative bonus if Silva can keep the Tigers in the Premier League.
Hull’s players have been informed they should have a new manager by the weekend and it seems certain Silva will accept the job, despite the short-term contract on offer.
The 39-year-old has been trying to find a way into English football since he left Olympiakos last summer and was recommended to Hull’s vice-chairman, Ehab Allam, by a mutual friend.Although former Birmingham City manager Gary Rowett has also been linked with the vacancy, he is thought to have reservations about the way the club is being run and has not spoken to anyone at Hull about taking the job.
That has paved the way for the appointment of Silva, who has won trophies in both Portugal and Greece and was once considered one of the brightest young coaches in Europe.
Nevertheless, Hull will be taking a huge risk putting their top-flight status in the hands of someone who has no experience of English football.
The decision to replace Phelan, a rookie manager, but one with more than three decades of experience as a player and a coach in the Premier League, with an out-of-work manager from abroad is also unlikely to impress supporters.
Most have already blamed the Allam family for the club’s struggles this season and few will believe Silva is the man to turn things around.
Although the Allam family have presided over the most successful period in Hull’s history, they managed to alienate the man largely responsible for that success, former manager Steve Bruce, who quit in July as he was so incensed by the lack of investment in new players,
Hull did eventually spend some money in the summer, but left it until the end of the transfer window and the Allam family are still trying to sell the club, which means funds in January are likely to be restricted.
Silva does have a decent CV, leading unfashionable Estoril to promotion in Portugal before stabilising them in the top flight.
However, he lasted just one season as head coach at Sporting Lisbon, despite winning the Taca de Portugal and also quit after just 12 months at Olympiakos, despite winning the club’s 11th successive league title.
Things should move swiftly ahead of Hull’s FA Cup third-round tie against Swansea and confirmation of Silva’s arrival is expected within the next 24 hours.
The former defender will be allowed to bring in his own coaching staff after Hull dismissed Phelan’s assistant Neil McDonald, goalkeeping coach Bobby Mimms and chief scout Stan Ternent just hours after sacking Phelan.
An official club statement read: “Following on from the departure of head coach Mike Phelan, the Tigers can confirm that assistant head coach Neil McDonald, goalkeeping coach Bobby Mimms and chief scout Stan Ternent have also now left the club.
"We would like to thank Neil, Bobby and Stan for their efforts during their time at the KCOM Stadium."
Former Blackpool manager McDonald had only joined Hull's coaching staff at the end of October, shortly after Phelan had been appointed permanent manager. McDonald had been appointed on Phelan’s recommendation as a replacement for Stephen Clemence, who left Hull to follow Bruce to Aston Villa.
Mimms had been at the club for even less time, only taking the job in November, after previous goalkeeping coach, Gary Walsh, had also elected to join Bruce at Villa Park.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2017/01/04/hull-city-turn-marco-silva-offer-former-olympiakos-boss-six/
