Hull City are in deep trouble and Acun Ilicali has to appoint a new manager with one key trait

It's been almost a week since Tim Walter was given his marching orders by Hull City owner Acun Ilicali following the defeat to Sheffield Wednesday.

Since then, the Tigers kicked off their post-Walter era with a 3-1 defeat at play-off hopefuls Middlesbrough on Saturday, with Andy Dawson placed in caretaker charge for the second time in as many years.

Walter's dismal tenure at Hull City was laced with problems, some of which were of his own doing, while there were others that were not. But one key issue that must be high on the list of attributes for the new manager is the ability to give his players confidence, and in turn, get the best out of them.

READ MORE: Former Hull City loan star linked with January transfer move to Championship title hopefuls

READ MORE: Hull City next manager LIVE search latest plus FA Cup third round draw as Tigers learn fate

That might sound obvious, but given Walter's inability to get the best out of his squad, it's perhaps not as obvious as many of us would think. City have some good players, but they're in a hole. They're third bottom of the table, only off the foot because of goal difference; they've lost five in a row and haven't won in 10 games. In the first 18 league games, this squad have won three times. If you throw in friendlies and one cup game, they've got four wins in 26. No wonder their confidence is shot to pieces. However, their manager didn't help.

So far, Kasey Palmer and Mason Burstow have put their head above the parapet since Walter's sacking, while Regan Slater's comments a few weeks ago highlight what was a very obvious issue; his inability to give the players confidence, and make them feel special.

City need a manager capable of doing that, and if that can be achieved, there's every chance the Tigers will move away from the drop zone with the quality that remains in that dressing room.

Managers have various ways of getting the best from their team in this league. Neil Warnock was a master at it, but more recently, John Eustace at Blackburn is doing a terrific job. Wins over Boro and Leeds United this week has Rovers just two points off the top six. Last term, wins at Leeds United and Leicester City were hugely impressive in keeping the Ewood Park side in the league.

How he went about it was absolutely key, as Sammie Szmodics explained last season in the Lancashire Telegraph: "John Eustace's man management is brilliant, which is important. He pulled me on his first day and said 'You're the best striker in the whole league' and even if he didn't think it, it made me feel like that. That took my confidence to another level.

"I took the role of 'I'm going to keep Blackburn in the league'. I'd done so well to that point, that people probably expected me to fall away, playing midfield. With the manager's confidence and the lads, Eustace made us so together and I think that's why we didn't go down.

"It gives you a bit of a kick, lads that weren't playing saw it as a clean slate. Under Jon Dahl, we never had a day off, occasionally a Monday off. We were always in on a Sunday and he said when he was at AC Milan, he never had a day off in three months.

"You will lose some players that way. Some think you must have a day off. John Eustace came in and said you'll have Sunday and Wednesday off. We played our first game and beat Stoke 3-1. It gave everyone a lift. John Eustace said at the end of the season one his best team talks was telling us we got two days off. Everyone wanted to give back.

"I think under Jon Dahl, we were too in routine. If you lost on Saturday, you were in on Sunday and nobody wants to be there. When you're winning, it's great, when you lose it's not. John coming in and offering two days off, that gave everyone a lift straight away."

That's one example of a very competent, forward-thinking manager in the Championship using quick, easy wins to get his players on a side, and it's worked. City don't need a manager to come in and try to be a revolutionist, one who overcomplicates something that doesn't need complication; they need what they needed two years ago because that's where they're at right now.

A manager to come in, organise the players, give them confidence, galvanise them and give them something to believe in, and once that's done, the Tigers can look forward.