Fine margins crucial as Tim Walter clings on to Hull City job

If last Saturday's 1-1 draw with Portsmouth felt damaging for Hull City manager Tim Walter's relationship with supporters, Tuesday's 1-0 loss at Oxford United obliterated it.

The away supporters sang continuously against their manager after Oxford's winning goal 10 minutes into the second half, and then booed him off as he headed back into the dressing rooms.

Ultimately, this was another game where City fell below the standard needed to get results at this level, and they now remain without a win since beating QPR.

READ MORE:Opposition verdict after Oxford United add to Hull City's growing woes

READ MORE:Update emerges on Tim Walter's Hull City future after fans turn on under-pressure boss

Here, City reporter Barry Cooper looks back at a difficult night for Walter at the Kassam Stadium....

Fine margins

The margins between success and failure can be so small, can't they? Without setting the world alight, City played well in the first half, had more than 60 per cent of the ball and had all the chances. Abdus Omur, Kasey Palmer and Xavier Simons could all have scored, while Mohamed Belloumi hit the post.

Had one of those gone in, City probably go and win that game fairly comfortably, so on top were they, but unfortunately, they couldn't take one of those chances and you always felt that would leave them vulnerable and so it proved.

In truth, once the 55th-minute goal went in, Walter's team never really looked like scoring in the remaining half-an-hour or so, barring a Ryan Giles effort and Chris Bedia coming off the bench to poke wide, and that's the concern. The reaction to going behind was flat, and it was the same on Saturday, and to a similar degree, against Burnley and Derby County.

Players giving their all

Usually, when a manager is under severe pressure, some fans will accuse players of throwing in the towel and packing up. Despite Walter being under heavy scrutiny now, his players are giving everything they can. There's no hint of downing tools and this defeat wasn't down to any lack of effort.

There's clearly a confidence issue, to a point, given how dominant they were in the first half and how they were able to create some really good chances, but then fell off a cliff once the opening goal went in.

City's dressing room is packed with players who care, players with talent, but unfortunately, it's just not working at the moment and it's hard to see it changing.

Belloumi's brilliance

On a night where the focus will be on City's defeat and the reaction against Walter, it's easy to forget there were some promising performances.

Mohamed Belloumi's first half display was superb, creating a couple of really good chances for Kasey Palmer and Xavier Simons, before hitting the post with a lovely curling effort. He deserved more from the night, and they'll hope his knock isn't too serious.

Both Charlie Hughes and Alfie Jones were good, too, and are forming a really useful partnership, though it will get overlooked given it was another game where there was no clean sheet.

The fans have gone

The MKM Stadium was an angry place come full-time after the game with Portsmouth, but usually across football, away fans are often a little more patient when things are not going well, but when you lose those travelling supporters who trek up and down the country, week in and week out, the end is nigh.

Once Oxford went in front, City's away following turned quickly. Various chants about his job, the quality of football and a jibe at his weekend comments, before the classic 'you're getting sacked in the morning' to round it off. Their fury reached fever pitch at full-time when Walter appeared to walk straight down the tunnel without acknowledging those supporters who had made the 400-mile round trip.

Skipper Lewie Coyle and the majority of the other players spent some time applauding the away fans along with assistant boss Julian Hubner, but the fans booed Walter as he trudged down the tunnel. He may have claimed in one of his post-match media interviews that he didn't hear the fans, but he did.

Acun Ilicali's big call

The owner is coming in for criticism of his handling of the past few months, but ultimately, he now faces a big call. Walter's appointment hasn't worked, and now the fans have turned in a big way, and when that happens, against the backdrop of performances and results, it's almost untenable, and he will know exactly what's being said and the strength of feeling.

Walter, as we've said repeatedly, was dealt a tough hand and in many ways, you can have sympathy for how things have worked out over the past few weeks, but ultimately, the manager will always carry the can, even if things behind the scenes have been chaotic.

Ilicali cannot allow this to carry on, and with one more game to come before the international break, he must decide whether to make the change and give himself time to work on the successor. Sunday's clash with West Brom has the power to be very damaging to the owner, so it will be fascinating to see what happens over the next few days, but it would not surprise anyone to see Andy Dawson placed in caretaker charge for that game.