HULL FC owner Adam Pearson insists there is no extra pressure on coach Peter Gentle or his staff this season – despite saying he expects big improvements.
Hull finished sixth in Super League last season and were dumped out of the Challenge Cup in the fourth round.
And having invested heavily in improving the squad for this year, Pearson says aiming for the top-four, and a possible cup run to Wembley, is not adding pressure to his coach.
"We are not putting pressure on Pete or the team, but we are looking to take this club forward and make a step up the league," Pearson told the Mail.
"We will give the supporters good value for money this season, there is no doubt about that.
"We have hardened this team mentally and they have that belief now, hopefully the supporters will have that belief too.
"It has taken two off-seasons to put this squad together, but this is now Pete's team and it is a squad with genuine high calibre players in it. "The squad needs to learn how to win tight games and beat the top teams, but that comes from just doing it and getting in that habit.
"We want to go to the big teams and win this year."
Joining the players and staff for part of their stay in Tenerife, Pearson says he's enjoyed watching Gentle's new-look side put through their paces.
Adamant fans will get value for money in 2013 after aiding Gentle's bid to make Hull a top-four force with the recruitment of Gareth Ellis, Ben Galea, Daniel Holdsworth and Shannon McDonnell, Pearson says he's excited about the impending start to the new season.
He also says he has been pleased with the sales figures of season tickets which stand at just over 8,000.
Having targeted 10,000 season pass holders before the start of the new campaign, he's realistic that target will not now be met. But in one last call to arms, he's hoping for a late rally from fans who will be convinced in the forthcoming friendly games Hull will be realistic challengers this year.
He added: "What we need is the crowd's backing and for them to come out and get behind us. We have had a good response from the supporters in terms of season tickets and while we haven't hit the 10,000 mark the supporters have still got behind us.
"If we could add another thousand onto the current total that would be great and it would give us a good base to work on. Where corners have been cut before, we are trying to correct that and we are getting it right off the field and hopefully on the field now. I think people can see that."
