Hull captain Curtis Davies has said the club need to sign a finisher in the January transfer window to stand any chance of surviving in the Premier League.
The Tigers lost 1-0 at Middlesbrough on Monday night, with Adama Diomande's stoppage-time effort their first on target.
Davies believes his side are still suffering from the behind-the-scenes chaos at the start of the season that denied manager Mike Phelan enough time to plan for the campaign ahead.
"We made signings in the window and they have come in and done their bit but because they were all left until the last minute I don't believe the manager had enough time to explore all his options," he said.
"It's hard but we have to deal with it -- we have to keep going.
"We need someone who can put the ball in the net. Our first shot on target was in the 92nd minute and that is not good enough."
Hull's defeat left them firmly rooted in the relegation zone while Boro -- who they would have overhauled with a win -- jumped to 13th.
Boro boss Aitor Karanka described the result as "massive" for his side, while midfielder Adam Clayton said it ranked higher than recent gutsy points earned at clubs fighting at the other end of the table.
Clayton, whose side travel to Southampton on Sunday, told Boro's official website: "It's even bigger to get the points at home against teams who will probably be fighting relegation, and I think we can really kick on now."