Hull City boss Tim Walter believes Championship has one key difference to other leagues
The Tigers are readying themselves for two big home games in the next week
Tim Walter had craved the chance to manage in English football and after being given his chance by Hull City owner Acun Ilicali in June, has thrown himself into the unique challenges the Championship has to offer.
Nine games into the 46-game season, City are lodged in mid-table with three wins, draws and defeats as the German head coach gets to grips with the league and almost a brand-new squad.
After taking the City squad back to Turkey for a warm weather training camp last week, the Tigers are back and preparing for a crucial MKM Stadium double-header against Sunderland and Burnley, the league’s top two at this early juncture of the campaign before facing the newly promoted trio of Derby County, Oxford United and Portsmouth.
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Walter, though, says the relentless nature of the Championship is everything he expected it to be, and more, it does have one major difference to life elsewhere.
“Oh, it’s really tough, really exciting and really competitive,” he told Hull Live when asked for his assessment of the second-tier. “Every game is different, but in another way, it’s the same.
“You have to fight for your points, and you have to develop, and you have to stay strong because it’s a high physicality, and that’s maybe the most important difference between other countries and over here that it’s more physicality, and maybe, we have an advantage if we are better on the technical abilities.”
Despite coming to work in England for the first time in his career and the unique challenges only the Championship can throw up, Walter says there have not been any surprises after his first nine games. “No (surprises), I’m fine, I love it,” and he says his favourite thing about life in England’s second division is “to have games all week, and it’s for me, it’s no pressure, it’s a pleasure.”