Hull City are fourth in the Championship and are well on course for a play-off place
Sergej Jakirovic has Hull City in the play-off spots(Image: PA)
Six points from back-to-back away games at Southampton and Preston North End have put Hull City within touching distance of the Championship’s automatic promotion places.
Tuesday night’s 3-0 victory at Deepdale saw the Tigers leapfrog Millwall into fourth and – at the close of play – within three points of second place. That might have changed after last night’s clash between Stoke City and Middlesbrough.
However, what won’t have changed is the optimism attached to Sergej Jakirovic’s squad nor the momentum they are building up for a season that just a few months ago seemed unlikely to anyone outside the MKM Stadium.
With 47 points on the board and 19 games remaining the Tigers are right in the mix, certainly for a play-off spot but perhaps even more.
Traditionally teams need at the very, very least 70 points to have any chance of a top six finish, while it is likely to take somewhere close to 90 to go up as of right. Number crunchers Opta have tracked how City are faring so far – and predicted where they expect them to finish.
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They reckon the Tigers are on course for 75.91 points – which would be enough to stay fourth, with Coventry City (89.24) and Ipswich Town (82.91) going up automatically. Boro are tipped to amass 78.57. Millwall and Stoke are the other clubs they expect to qualify for the play-offs.
Opta also estimate City’s title chances as little more than two per cent, their automatic prospects as just 12.98 per cent but top six chances at a very, very encouraging 66.58 per cent. They reckon Blackburn, Oxford and Sheffield Wednesday will go down to League One.
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