TomWhite
Contributor

Offline, last online: Oct 28 2007, 11:41 AM

So, Hull City's close-season transfer activity is now well underway - and Phil Brown has thrown down a marker of his ambition for the season.

Following the completion of a permanent deal for cult hero Dean Windass, the signings of Bryan Hughes and Richard Garcia demonstrate Brown's resolve to establish City higher up the Championship table.

Hughes, in particular, will add another piece to Brown's jigsaw by bringing some attacking verve to a solid but often one-dimensional midfield.

While Ian Ashbee, David Livermore and the under-rated John Welsh are all fine players, they are a little similar and are all more at home in
defensive areas.

Hughes will change all that, with his tendency to push on in support of the strikers leading to an impressive return of goals and assists.

Curiously, the 31-year-old has established himself as an FA Cup specialist with a scoring record of close to a goal every other game in the competition - which could prove useful in ending the Tigers' abject cup record in recent years.

Garcia also comes with an impressive pedigree - although it is coupled with a worrying injury record, far from ideal for a club who have suffered the kind of problems seen at the KC Stadium over the last couple of years.

The Australian, though, is a talented player when fit, has experience of a successful Championship season with Colchester last time out, will add another option to Brown's less than prolific strikeforce and can also operate in a midfield or right-wing role.

A rumoured move for Brazilian legend Juninho is another striking indication of the expectations of both Brown and new chairman Paul Duffen, while the manager also appears to have targeted experience - presumably in a bid to instil more consistency into the notoriously Jekyll-and-Hyde Tigers.

At 25, Garcia is comfortably the youngest of the names to have been linked with City so far, with the 34-year-old World Cup winner joined in the runour mill by Bolton's Henrik Pedersen, 32, and Sheffield United defender Chris Lucketti, who will be 36 in September.

This could be just what is needed, especially if the exciting crop of
youngsters - led by forward Nicky Featherstone and centre-half Matt Plummer - currently bubbling under in City's youth team are given their chance alongside the veteran signings.