Hull City’s first-choice goalkeeper has struggled throughout the season and remains prone to errors as the Championship campaign continues.

The Tigers fell to a 2-0 defeat against Ipswich Town at the MKM Stadium, with Marcelino Nunez and Chuba Akpom striking in the second half to secure the points for the visitors. Hull have now lost three of their last four matches and have dropped out of the play-off positions, sitting eighth in the table and one point behind sixth-placed Bristol City ahead of Wednesday’s fixtures.

Journalist Cooper, speaking to HullLive, was critical of Ivor Pandur’s display, noting that the keeper survived an early scare from a difficult pass by Charlie Hughes and later conceded a corner for holding onto the ball too long. Cooper felt Pandur looked uneasy throughout the match and should have done more to prevent the second goal.

Hull will attempt to respond on Saturday when they travel to Stoke City, who have built strong momentum under Mark Robins and recently beat Charlton Athletic 3-0.

Pandur’s form remains a concern. Despite earning a call-up to the Croatia squad this season, he has not reproduced the performances that earned him Hull’s Player of the Year award during their dramatic final-day escape under former manager Ruben Selles. Although linked with several clubs in the summer, including West Ham, Middlesbrough and Leicester City, none of those rumours led to a move.

Signed in 2024 by Liam Rosenior, Pandur initially served as understudy to Ryan Allsop. His previous clubs include Rijeka, Hellas Verona and Fortuna Sittard.

Hull lack serious competition for the goalkeeping position, with Dillon Phillips viewed primarily as a backup rather than a contender to take over as number one. Defensive issues remain a problem for Sergej Jakirovic’s side, who have conceded far too many goals and risk falling further down the table if the situation is not addressed. Their attacking output, however, continues to impress, with only Coventry City having scored more this season.