Pre-season is supposed to be about legs, rhythm and minutes. Fine. But Ryan Giles has said the bit too many teams try to pretend does not matter: the result. And for Hull City, that is not just a throwaway line before a warm-up in Slovenia. It is a reminder that five friendlies now carry real weight, especially with Manchester United waiting on August 22.
Hull City were due to face Konyaspor in Slovenia on Saturday, their first friendly of the summer after last playing in late May. Giles did not dress that up as a gentle reintroduction. He said it would be “brilliant” to get the first game in the bank, but also made it clear that winning matters, not just running through the motions and pretending the scoreline is irrelevant.
Results are not the whole point — but they are not nothing either
That is the honest view, and it is hard to argue with it. Yes, pre-season exists to build fitness, sharpen combinations and get players ready for a much tougher Premier League campaign. But confidence is not built in a vacuum. If Hull go through these games with the right edge, the right standards and the right habit of competing for every result, that matters when the real pressure starts.
Giles put it plainly: he feels results matter regardless, and he knows some will wave it away with the usual “it is pre-season” line. But that is exactly the point. Good squads do not use pre-season as an excuse to switch off from winning. They use it to get used to it.
Why Hull need more than fitness work
There is also a slightly sharper edge to this summer for Hull. Sergej Jakirovic’s squad went unbeaten throughout their pre-season campaign twelve months ago, which gives this current tour a useful benchmark even if no one should pretend last year automatically predicts this one. The bigger issue is competition for places. Matt Targett’s arrival adds another layer to that battle, and players like Giles are plainly aware that every friendly is another chance to make a case.
That is what makes the Konyaspor fixture more than a simple exercise. Hull are not just trying to get through a schedule. They are trying to establish habits. They are trying to make sure the standards are in place before the opposition gets stronger and the margins get tighter. If Giles is right — and he probably is — then the winning mentality has to start now, not when the first league points are at stake.
So yes, Konyaspor vs Hull is a pre-season friendly. But it is also the first test of whether Hull treat these five games like preparation only, or like the beginning of something more demanding. Giles has already chosen his side in that debate. He believes the result matters. On balance, that is the right attitude.
