Hull star trolls own club with saddest ever team photo
Hull star Curtis Davies has poked fun at the crisis club's disastrous pre-season with what must rank as the saddest-ever professional team photo.
The promoted club's build-up to the Premier League has been beset by crises, with fan-favourite manager Steve Bruce quitting three weeks before the season-opener against Leicester amid a falling out with ill owner Assam Allam's son and club vice-chairman Ehab Allam; no new manager signed, despite ongoing links to Wales boss Chris Coleman; no new major signings; and an injury list that has left the Tigers with just 10 fit experienced players.
It's that last point that prompted and epic piece of social media banter from veteran defender Curtis Davies, who tweeted this forlorn-looking team photo during the club's pre-season tour of Austria:
The photo alludes to Hull's threadbare squad, having been shorn of the injured Michael Dawson, Moses Odubajo, Allan McGregor and Alex Bruce, who are all out for between three and six months.
Minor injuries to Tom Huddlestone, Jake Livermore and Harry Maguire have been compounded by the losses of Chuba Akpom and Isaac Haydon - who have returned to Arsenal from loan stints - and promotion-earning goal-scorer Mohamed Diame, who preferred to join Championship club Newcastle than stay in the top flight, with Hull.
Added to all that is the club's refusal to sanction the signing of another loanee, Nick Powell - who has since joined Wigan - and the release of Sone Aluko and Ryan Taylor.
The reality is Hull may not be able to choose from many more players than those pictured, although if this tweet from Norwegian striker Adama Diomande is any guide, spirits are still high, even if squad numbers are not.
Galivanting through the Austrian alps may be as good as it gets for Hull's players, who are staring at a swift drop back to the Championship unless the club's volatile backroom can start getting its house in order.