Struggling Hull City sack boss Walter

Tim Walter won three of his 18 matches as Hull City boss in all competitions

Hull City have sacked head coach Tim Walter after just 17 league games in charge, with the team in the Championship relegation zone.

The German replaced Liam Rosenior after the Tigers finished seventh last season.

However, the former Hamburg boss could not build on that and Tuesday's 2-0 home defeat by Sheffield Wednesday left them winless in nine games.

Owner Acun Ilicali was at MKM Stadium for that match and, despite saying in an interview with BBC Radio Humberside before the game that he would not sack the 49-year-old regardless of their result, he has decided to make a change now.

Coach Andy Dawson has been placed in charge on an interim basis.

Walter had previously managed Holstein Kiel, Stuttgart and Hamburg in the German second tier, leaving the latter after being sacked in February this year.

His preparations for the season were not helped by the losses of key defender Jacob Greaves to Ipswich, winger Jaden Philogene back to Aston Villa, and the end of the loan spells of forward Fabio Carvalho and striker Liam Delap, who had joined from Liverpool and Manchester City respectively.

The Tigers failed to win any of their first six games of the campaign in all competitions but successive wins against Stoke, Cardiff and QPR got them going in the right direction.

That run of form came to an end with a 4-0 reverse at Norwich and they failed to win any of the subsequent eight matches.

In the midst of what proved to be his final games, Walter drew criticism from fans after supporting the club's decision to use music after goals scored in home games and then questioned the backing in the home draw with bottom side Portsmouth.

Ilicali had said he felt the relationship between the fans and Walter was "repairable" before Tuesday's game against the Owls but, with a trip to high-flying Middlesbrough to come on Saturday, he has now taken action.

Hull City are the fifth Championship team to change manager this season after Preston, Stoke, Cardiff and Coventry.

What a difference a day makes...

Ilicali had looked to take the responsibility for Hull's poor start to the campaign in Tuesday's interview.

He said that issues with recruitment were to blame rather than Walter.

"I'm not trying to blame someone personally, it's not only his fault. I would never put the blame on Tim, I put it on me too," Ilicali said.

"We sold some players and unfortunately we waited for some good options in the last week of the transfer window because teams like us can not pay £8m or £10m because of transfer limits.

"Unfortunately it was 1 September when we made our team.

"I'm the guilty one that we couldn't deliver the exact team that Tim wanted. There were some positions that we couldn't get and that happens in football."

He also said before the defeat by the Owls that fans should be patient with Walter after some had started to call for him to be relieved of his duties.

Walter had angered fans after questioning their lack of support in the 1-1 draw with Portsmouth at the start of the month and attempts to appease them by suggesting unhappy fans were welcome to attend a training session did little to help matters.

Ilicali conceded that there was a "communication problem" between supporters and the head coach, but acknowledged the issue was on the German's side.

"These fans have shown so much love to me from the first minute and if they don't show love for someone it is not their mistake, maybe Tim has not explained himself," he said.

Analysis: Tigers could be in relegation battle

BBC Radio Humberside sport editor and Hull City commentator Mike White

After just 17 league games and one abject League Cup defeat, Walter's time in East Yorkshire is over before it ever got going.

City have secured just three wins all season and have lost the past four to leave them in the bottom three. The term "sleepwalking towards relegation" has been used on more than one occasion from fans and pundits alike.

Walter had boldly proclaimed that "nobody is playing my way", which is a lofty perch to place yourself on but only creates an even bigger and harder fall if it does not pay off - and it hasn't.

The "progressive" playing style is one that has had fans scratching their heads in a confused state since day one and there have been too many times when the players appeared to feel that way as well.

Plus, he has increasingly alienated himself from many of the supporters with various public comments and actions that have only incensed an already anxious and edgy fanbase.

"Walterball" did not produce exciting, high-energy, high-intensity play and 17 goals from 18 games was not as advertised, leaving many still questioning Ilicali's decision to part ways with Rosenior in May after a seventh-place finish.

If the spotlight was on Ilicali following his last managerial change, the focus and scrutiny has just ramped up even further for the Turkish media mogul to get the next one right with the worrying but all-too-real possibility of this team being in a relegation fight.