Football
Exclusive: Regan Slater on Adapting to Tim Walter's New System at Hull City
Regan Slater is eager to achieve promotion with Hull City under new coach Tim Walter, following last season's near miss. As the Tigers adapt to Walter's new system, Slater remains focused on building momentum and embracing the challenges of the Championship
Image Credits: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images
Midfielder Regan Slater has tasted the joy of promotion – and now he wants more with Hull City, and the ambitious 24-year-old is hungry to experience that feeling for a SECOND time with the Tigers.
The Yorkshire outfit agonisingly missed out on sneaking into the Championship play-offs last season after a shock 1-0 loss to Plymouth Argyle on the last day of the campaign.
Slater’s Promotion Dream
They finished seventh having been well set to put themselves in the mix for Premier League promotion for much of an impressive campaign, one which Slater played a key part.
“Every player wants to win promotion,” Slater told SportsBoom.com.
“It was great winning League One, that winning feeling would be great again.”
“But I think it’s just important we don’t get carried away and start looking into the future. We don’t want to put too much pressure on ourselves.”
There’s not a team setting up for relegation, every team wants to do the best possible.
Regan Slater
“It was frustrating last year because we set our targets for promotion, and we failed to do that.”
Narrow Miss for Play-Offs Last Season
“But in the same respect we it was a great season for the club. We improved on the previous season (the Tigers finished 15th), so hopefully we can replicate something like that again.”
“We can’t be talking at this stage of the season about play-off or automatic promotion, we just need to focus on taking three points as many times as we can.”
“You can’t really do too much about the future, you just have to live for the present.”
Image Credits: MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
“It’s important we try and build momentum from the start of the season and see where that takes us.”
Championship Challenges
Slater enjoyed being part of the Tigers’ 2020-21 League One title-winning team and not long after earnt himself a permanent deal at the MKM Stadium, just rewards for some starring performances on the pitch.
The former Sheffield United academy graduate quickly established himself as a fans’ favourite at the club, scooping the sought-after Supporters’ Player of the Year award for the 2022-23 season and also picking up the prestigious Players’ Player of the Year accolade at the end of the same campaign.
“I’ve played in the Championship for three years, but for me personally, it’s certainly lining up this season to be the toughest it’s ever been,” admitted Slater, who is closing in on 150 Championship appearances this season.
“Every game is a tough game, it’s a challenge.”
New Era Under Tim Walter
Hull sacked former boss Liam Rosenior in May this year after missing out on the play-offs – and German coach Tim Walter was appointed in July.
The former Hamburger SV and Stuggart boss has been brought in to see if he can be the man to get the club back to the topflight for the first time since 2017.
The Tigers managed to rescue a 1-1 draw in their first league meeting against Bristol City, courtesy of a 90th minute penalty from Oscar Estupinan, although there were signs of a new positive style of play being implemented by the German coach.
“He’s trying to get his way of playing across, there’s been a lot of information for us to take on board,” admitted Slater.
“It’s (his style) is something which is completely new to everyone (in the squad).”
“We’re just trying to take as much information on as possible and then relay what he’s asking on the pitch.”
“I think we’re not doing a bad job at all now, the gaffer seems to be impressed with the progress we’ve made. It’s all good at the minute.”
Neil has been a journalist for longer than he'd care to remember, having written for national newspapers and respected publications for over 25 years. For the last three years he has worked freelance for BBC Sport, working on the production desk as a sub-editor and also as a writer, covering a whole range of sports.