Andy Dawson is unsure how long he will remain as Hull’s caretaker head coach after a dramatic day that began with the sacking of Shota Arveladze and ended in a 2-0 home loss to Luton.
Arveladze having been dismissed on the morning of the match by owner Acun Ilicali after four straight defeats, a quick fix was called off in the first half after Alfie Jones’ first own goal and Henry Lansbury’s formidable strike after 44 minutes.
Dawson said: “It’s a football club I’ve been part of for many, many years, but it’s not about me.
“When someone at a football club leaves, someone who is highly respected and highly valued, it’s always difficult.
“We all know the owner wants to start a family. I’m sure it was really difficult with what happened with Shota.
“Whether I’m a small part or a big part of it, it doesn’t matter. All I care about is performance on the pitch.
“It’s about working hard for the badge. Everyone has to come together to win a football game and that’s all I care about.
“As far as I know I will be here (on Wednesday at home against Wigan). My job is to give everything I can for the football club.
Hull have the weakest defense in the Sky Bet Championship and have now won just once in eight games.
Dawson still looked up when Jones couldn’t react quickly enough to Elijah Adebayo’s sweep that hit the underside of the crossbar after six minutes.
Hull’s defensive frailties were further underscored when Lansbury scored from outside the penalty area – Lewie Coyle this time foul with a weak header clearance.
Luton were much stronger and much smarter from the start than their accommodating hosts and were rarely troubled after the restart as Nathan Jones’ side moved up to fifth in the table.
Dawson said: “The game didn’t go our way but, for a man, I thought they gave it their all.
“We were probably lacking a bit in quality, but there are no excuses, there is no hiding place.
“It’s difficult for us at the moment, but do they have enough conviction and quality to turn things around? Without a shadow of a doubt.
“Things are going against us, but I firmly believe that the harder you work, the more you get.
“The message is to keep working hard. If we keep doing this throughout the season, everything will be fine. »
Luton had made an inconsistent start to the campaign but they have found their mojo in recent weeks and have now lost just one in seven times.
Jones, whose team won away for the third time in a row, said: “It was a very professional performance. In the first half, we were excellent.
“You never know the effect of a manager change, but once we stopped their press, we really went after them.
“We knew they were playing a certain form but nothing has changed in our approach to the game (following the dismissal of Arveladze).
“We came here last year and did the exact same thing and didn’t expect anything different.
“We were brave, daring and athletic and every big chance fell on us.”
The Luton boss added: “I thought we snuffed them out in the first and had all the better chances.
“We were leading 2-0 at half-time but we could have gone even further. We know what we are doing and we defended the box wonderfully well.
“It’s a really nice away win against a tricky opponent. It’s a tough place to come, so I’m really proud of them.
“It’s a wonderful, wonderful performance. A clean sheet and two goals, we can’t ask for anything more.
