The Tigers have seven games left to finish the season in a play-off place
John Lundstram in action for Hull City(Image: Greig Cowie/Shutterstock)
Hull City’s recent form has opened up the play-offs to the chasing pack, according to former Championship-winning captain Jobi McAnuff.
Prior to the 3-1 win against Sheffield Wednesday, City had lost three of their last four, including a surprise 3-0 drubbing at West Brom.
The Tuesday before that defeat in the Black Country, City had won at play-off rivals Wrexham and went nine points clear of Southampton, However, with the Saints’ win over Coventry City and then game-in-hand success over in-form Norwich City, that gap was closed to just three prior to the weekend, which saw Southampton maintain their impressive form and Wrexham come from behind to win at Sheffield United.
While the gap to seventh is just three points, Middlesbrough’s disappointing draw at lowly Blackburn Rovers means City are only five adrift of second place.
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When they return from the international break, the Tigers go to relegation-threatened Oxford United before hosting leaders Coventry City in front of the television cameras in Easter Monday’s late kick-off, a period which is traditionally crucial in the end of season shake-up and will be no different this season.
City remain in a position few expected at the start of the season, and with their fate firmly in their own hands, but the ex-Reading skipper believes it remains an open fight.
“Watford are still in the mix. I feel like seven points feels a bit too big at this stage of the season. Birmingham feels a little far away,” the ex-Reading skipper told the BBC’s 72+ EFL podcast. “Southampton are the ones I believed would come through and get a play-off place.
“A couple of weeks ago I’d have said there’s only one place up for grabs (sixth). That’s changed now, (fifth-placed) Hull have been really inconsistent so they have been brought into it a lot more.
“You’ve got Easter coming up, six points can go in a week. You have a quick turnaround. If you can put a run of games together, you can really jump up four or five places in the space of a few days. Anyone down to Watford (can make it), Birmingham feels a little too far away at this stage.”
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