Leonid Slutsky: Hull City boss says fans must not disrupt games after ball protest

Hundreds of Hull City fans protested against the club's owners, the Allam family during Saturday's home game

Hull manager Leonid Slutsky has urged fans not to disrupt matches as the team tries to climb the Championship table.

Balls were thrown onto the pitch during their 3-2 loss to Nottingham Forest as a protest against the club's owners.

"For me the supporters must support the team," he told BBC Radio Humberside.

"I am very thankful to our supporters because in every match they give us unbelievable support, but when the match stopped for five to seven minutes it's really not the best action."

Many supporters threw tennis balls onto the pitch after 19 minutes and four seconds, to mark the year the club was formed, and to show their continuing unhappiness with owner Assem Allan and his son and vice-chairman Ehab Allam.

The match was stopped while players helped clear up the balls

An attempted rebrand as Hull Tigers in 2013 and the scrapping of season tickets in place of a membership scheme last year proved unpopular.

Hull are 17th in the Championship with just four wins from their opening 14 games following their relegation from the Premier League last season.

Slutsky added: "I know why they're protesting, but I don't understand why they use that type of protest and throw balls onto the pitch.

"I have a lot of problems inside the team [so] I have a serious focus on all problems inside the team because it's a new team and we're not stable.

"So for me it's really difficult to understand another type of problem.

"If I didn't have a problem - if we won each game 3-0 - then maybe I'd change my focus and think about other moments, but for me now it's very difficult to understand and speak about this situation."