Tigers boss Steve Bruce this week admitted he had endured the most difficult three months of his 17-year managerial career in the aftermath of Hull's relegation from the top tier.
Despite losing 10 players during a tumultuous close-season, Bruce knows what it takes to lead a team to Championship promotion – the former Manchester United star achieved that feat twice with Birmingham and once with the Tigers – and Hull's lively showing in their first match of the new campaign suggests he might have assembled a squad capable of doing just that.
