Marco Silva Appointed Hull City Manager: Latest Details, Comments and Reaction

Hull City confirmed the appointment of Marco Silva as their new manager on Thursday, quickly acting to replace former boss Mike Phelan.

After days of speculation, the news was announced via the club's Twitter account:

This is the 39-year-old Portuguese coach's first job in English football after three successful managerial roles across Portugal and Greece. He faces a difficult task in steering Hull clear of relegation, but the club clearly believe it is an achievable goal.

"He has a great track record, and we feel this is a bold and exciting appointment in our aim to retain the club's Premier League status," said vice-chairman Ehab Allam, as per Hull's official website. "Marco is a young coach who has impressed us with his philosophy and football style."

Phelan guided the side to just 13 points from 20 Premier League matches, and the Tigers are three points away from 17th-placed Crystal Palace. Silva faces an extremely difficult start to life at the club, with matches against Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Arsenal on the horizon, as pointed out by Team FA on Twitter:

Silva spent three years as manager of Portuguese outfit Estoril—the club with whom he spent most of his playing career—and achieved extraordinary success. After winning the 2011/12 Segunda Liga title, his team finished fifth and fourth in the Primeira Liga in the two subsequent years, their highest league positions since 1948.

Unsurprisingly, Silva's skills were noticed, and he landed the Sporting CP job soon after. However, he only lasted a single season in charge despite the club finishing third and winning the Taca de Portugal, the Portuguese equivalent of the FA Cup. It was the club's first trophy in seven years. 

Kerstin Joensson/Associated Press

His latest managerial stint was similarly brief, with Silva having spent just the 2015/16 season at Olympiakos. Not only did they win the league with six matches to spare, but Silva's side also recorded a memorable 3-2 Champions League win over Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.

Silva's managerial record is impressive, making his decision to join Hull extremely risky. Relegation seems a certainty, and the new manager may already be thinking about how to win promotion from the Championship in 2017/18. 

However, he's signed on a short-term contract until the end of the season, which Hull Daily Mail sports reporter James Smailes suggests might be a bad omen:

Silva is not unlike compatriot Jose Mourinho in his tactical outlook, favouring defensive football and pragmatism over an expansive style. This is precisely the kind of system needed to fight as Premier League underdogs. It fits the identity that former Hull boss Steve Bruce instilled during the 2015/16 promotion-winning season.

Another key aspect of his personality is creating a never-say-die attitude in the dressing room. His teams have always been stubborn, something reflected in Silva's press conferences.

Before a Champions League clash with Bayern Munich in 2015, Silva said, per Stephen Creek of Goal: "I am not afraid of [Pep] Guardiola or Bayern."

The Hull job is surely the most difficult in the Premier League, but Silva—with an exceptional track record and resilient attitude—has as good a chance as any of turning their fortunes around.