The Tigers remain in the play-off race but know they must return to winning ways this weekend
The Tigers were well beaten at The Hawthorns last weekend (Image: MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Hull City must take six points from their next two games against Sheffield Wednesday and Oxford United, if they have hopes of holding onto their place inside the Championship’s top six.
That’s according to former second-tier promotion winner Kevin Phillips, who feels City have a fantastic opportunity both on Saturday and then again on Good Friday, against two of the bottom three, to get back to winning ways.
After winning four in a row, City’s form since the end of January has been patchy, with five defeats in their last eight games, and with Southampton claiming back-to-back victories, their nine-point cushion has been cut to just three.ff
Despite a superb success at Wrexham last Tuesday night, Sergej Jakirovic’s play-off hopefuls were dismal in their 3-0 loss at West Brom, who started the day in the bottom three and without a win since the end of December.
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City must now respond before the international break against an Owls side who have won just once all season, but did hold the Tigers to a 2-2 draw at Hillsborough on Boxing Day.
“At this stage of the season, what, eight games, nine games left?” Phillips told BestBettingSites. “You don’t want to be dropping points. Even though West Brom have had a tough, tough season where they are in the league, it just shows you that if you go to places and you don’t perform, you’ll get turned over. And that’s what happened at the weekend. Great result for West Brom, but a kick in the teeth for Hull City, considering where they are in the league.
“They’ve got an opportunity now, Sheffield Wednesday at home, a team that’s playing for nothing. So there’s no pressure on them, all the pressure’s on Hull. Now, how do they deal with it? I think nothing but six points is good enough.
“They’re still in a good position. They’re sitting in the play-offs comfortably at 63 points. So, I think if they were to pick up six points in the next two games, that would set them up really nicely for the remaining fixtures and securing that place in the play-offs.”
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