Marco Silva can reflect on his opening week in English football with a cautious sense of satisfaction. After beating Swansea City 2-0 in the FA Cup third round, an injury-ravaged squad went down to a battling defeat away to Manchester United in the first leg of the EFL Cup semifinal.
So far, so good for Hull City's new head coach but the fixture carrying greatest significance is still to come. If Silva is to nurture the tentative optimism that accompanied his appointment last week, getting a result against Bournemouth at the KCOM Stadium on Saturday feels a must.