HULL City have made boardroom changes in their bid to steer the club away from administration, with owner Russell Bartlett now acting as chairman.

It is a move which will see former chairman Adam Pearson move to the role of head of football operations, tasked with reshaping the Tigers squad for next season and reducing the £38.9m wage bill.

The changes have also seen the club appoint insolvency expert Martin Fry to work alongside Bartlett in dealing with the financial troubles at the club, and to negotiate with creditors to reshedule repayments.

Asked about the changes, Pearson told BBC Radio Humberside: “We are going to run it that way. I will be running the football side of things, including sorting out the management, getting the players out and getting the contracts sorted out so they do not strangle the club.

“He (Fry) understands this process very well and he will be working with Russell on the financial side of the club."

Bartlett remains confident the club can trade through the difficulties and emerge with a competitive squad in the Championship next season.

And his hopes were boosted yesterday as Football League clubs backed plans to extend parachute payments to £48m over four years for sides relegated from the Premier League.

It came as Pearson also admitted that the club had met with the playing squad yesterday to urge them to take pay cuts to help avoid administration.

"We have talked to the players and they have gone away to think about it," Pearson said.

"We have got a decent bunch of lads here who want to help the club and I would be surprised if they did not try to help. But the payers were given those contracts."

“We have a massive two weeks to try and manage the debt. It is a debt that should never have been at this club. To spend £36m in 18 months takes some doing.”

Although not commenting on what reduction the club had asked players to accept, it is thought it is around 30 per cent.

Bartlett has previously told the Mail that City's wage bill will fall from £38.9m to £21m on June 30, when some players come out of contract, long term loans end and a series of contract clauses - thought to be cuts of 25 per cent - come into force.

That would leave City needing to trim a further £6m off the bill to reach Bartlett's target of a £15m wage bill for next season.

Big contracts such as those for Jimmy Bullard (£45,000 a week) and Geovanni (£30,000 a week) are the biggest problems facing the Tigers, as both men do not have relegation clauses in their deals.

However, should Bullard accept a 30 per cent cut, it could help wipe close to £1m off the annual wage bill alone.

Pearson also admitted the club was unlikely to be appointing a new manager in any rush, as reported in yesterday's Mail, as he said it would be wrong to do so given the present uncertainty over the club's future.

He and Bartlett are due to meet former boss Phil Brown tomorrow - who has been on gardening leave since March - with both parties thought to be willing to part ways.