How do you follow the best season in your history? Despite a heart-wrenching defeat to Arsenal in the Cup final last season, Steve Bruce and Co produced the best season any fan from East Yorkshire had seen in a 110 year history.

Bruce has a task on his hands, fans will most likely be expectant on a season to top that of the last, but is that actually possible? Well, to put it frankly no.

That's not to say the season will necessarily be a bad one but rather it is difficult to topple something that is at the top and for a team that has largely been in the doldrums of the football league this will be quite a difficult task.

However, Bruce and the backroom staff are preparing for a season that has the added 'posioned' cherry of the Europa League to contend with. Signings such as Robert Snodgrass and Thomas Ince along with the permanent signing of Jake Livermore after a solid season makes good business at a combined £16m so far with Andy Robertson coming from Dundee shortly. The pre-season has been far from dazzling with only one win against York coming along side two draws against Barnsley and local Non-League Outfit North Ferriby, however, the signs have been promising. Fitness has been the key, with a glamour tie against FK AS Trencin coming up (glamour used loosely) the aim has been to get the players back up to speed at the sacrifice of tactical cohesion and it's for this reason so far I have no worries.

New additions have looked promising, Ince already seems like a steal and looks hungry to establish himself as the top flight player he clearly sees himself as, Livermore so far has been his dependable self and Snodgrass has shown flashes of why the £8m transfer fee is justified.

But what does this mean for the season ahead? Will it be second-season syndrome or success? Hull City will do well to stay up again this season as such should be the aim, anything higher would be ludicrous considering the extra games that could be played with the european adventure ahead. The league will be prioritised and an early start should be crucial to staying up like it was last time. Playing teams that are in the imaginary 'mini league' that surrounds them in the first five fixtures could be crucial to getting some early points on the board before the slog of the season ensues come winter time. Bruce is a savvy manager, he knows how to play this league and will no doubt keep it tight at the back and allow the creative talent he has at his disposal to come up with the goods. Players like Davies, Huddlestone, Long and Jelavic will be imperative in creating the home fortress again that started the season so well for those attending the KC stadium and this must be the same again. Hull must become difficult to defeat again in order to survive. Football is big business and now the big boys have to get dirty to stay at the top, even if Hull City aren't a big team this still remains true.

Like anyone in the bottom half of the table it will be the results you get from those around you that keep you up and fans can see the club picking up enough points to remain in the league. Europa League is another question as for now we don't know how far they will go, Targets are there to be beaten but beyond that remains an so far unchartered mystery.

My Prediction is 16th, anything around that range will remain a success, even if it doesn't top a day at Wembley

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