AFTER ending the previous year narrowly avoiding relegation and putting in a strong FA Cup final performance — which meant clinching a Europa League spot — Hull City went into the new season with the wind at their backs.

Having strengthened over the summer with an estimated £30 million spent to bring in Jake Livermore, Andy Roberston, Robert Snodgrass, Harry Maguire and Tom Ince before adding a more star-studded haul of Michael Dawson, Abel Hernandez, Mo Diame and on loan, Hatem Ben Arfa and Gaston Ramirez, Steve Bruce began to assemble a stronger-looking side.So what went wrong for the team that was relegated on the last day of the season with a paltry 35 points?

Things didn’t get off to a flying start for the Tigers when the away goals rule put an end to their first European foray against Belgian side Lokeren in the Europa League qualifying play-off — the tie ended 2-2 on aggregate.

And it only got worse as, after an opening 1-0 win to eventually bottom-placed QPR, Bruce’s side embarked on an embarrassing run with just a single pathetic win in 16 games.

As is a regular pitfall of summer recruiting in such large numbers, their players struggled to gel and a number failed to live up to their hype.

Record £10m signing Hernandez managed just four goals all season, Livermore was suspended for cocaine use and Newcastle’s hot-shot loanee Ben Arfa’s attitude problems resurfaced and, after an ill-fated few months, he vanished abroad only to see his contract with Newcastle terminated in January.

Injury also blighted the season with, in particular, long-term problems seeing newbies Snodgrass and Diame both spending extended spells on the sidelines.

With their future still in their own hands in April and wins against an in-form Crystal Palace and at home to Liverpool, Bruce’s side began to believe they would be able to pull out of their relegation nosedive at the last minute.

But some unconvincing and lacklustre displays in May saw them take just one point in their final five games to seal their fate on the final day of the season.

A small silver lining to the season was the attractive play from former SPFA Young Player of the Year and left-back Andrew Robertson, who signed from Dundee United for £2.85m. However his marauding runs won’t have gone unnoticed and it’s expected that a host of sides will be circling with the hope of poaching the promising 21-year-old and bringing him back into the Premier League.

What next? Hull will be targeting a bounce straight back into the top flight but their continued reliance on transfers to bolster their squad because they lack youth coming through is a worry — they were the only Premier League side not to have an academy graduate playing at the top level. However, with Steve Bruce being backed by the owner and signing a new contract in March, if they hold onto their key players and make some smart — and hopefully more successful — signings they will be in with a good chance.

But Hull City’s entire campaign and preparations for August are, and have been, overcast by the ongoing battle between the fans and owner Assem Allam, who is attempting to push through a name change from longstanding Hull City AFC to Hull Tigers to increase their appeal in Asia.

After the Egyptian’s plans were rejected by the FA Council in 2014 the club’s ownership was thrown into doubt when he lashed out and announced plans to sell the club.An April Hull City Supporters’ Trust survey found that 99.2 per cent of supporters oppose the change and, with the controversy rumbling on after a independent panel overturned the ruling and cleared the way for a new application — which is not set to be finally ruled on until July, season ticket renewals are likely to be affected as fans protest against the proposal.

The uncertainty off the pitch will inevitably have a knock-on effect on what takes place on it.