City will hope to bounce back against Ipswich Town on Tuesday evening
Former Hull City winger Kevin Kilbane believes the run of results between now and Christmas will set the tone for the Tigers’ hopes of mounting a serious play-off bid.
City moved up to third in the Championship for a period on Saturday when they were winning at QPR, before dropping to sixth after succumbing to a 3-2 defeat in West London.
Tuesday night’s 2-0 defeat to Ipswich Town, coupled with results elsewhere on Wednesday, then saw Sergej Jakirovic’s men drop to 11th, two points off the top six, ahead of Saturday’s showdown at second-placed Stoke City.
In typical Championship fashion, though, just five points separate West Brom in 17th and Preston North End, who occupy the final play-off berth.
“As a club, Hull are in the same position as a lot of Championship teams: it’s all about getting consistent up to and beyond Christmas, and then you ride the wave from February and March through to the end of the season. I think they’re in that position now, and if they can continue what they’re doing, they’ve got a chance,” he told Betway.
“But as I said, there are probably fifteen teams in the Championship thinking the same thing. Making the playoffs is a success, but getting into the top two positions is something else entirely.
“My old team, Coventry, who are at the top of the league right now under Lampard, are doing remarkable things. I don’t think many people would have expected three or four years ago that Coventry would be hitting playoff finals and all that. That’s a club that’s been on its knees – supporters who felt they weren’t treated particularly well – and now they’re getting back to where they were when I watched them as a kid.
“There are so many clubs in that league with stories like that. It’s such a hard league to get out of. I played in it — it’s a grind every single week. You’ve got to have something about you, and you’ve got to have quality as well. Most Championship teams have quality, and then you just need a bit of luck along the way.
“I remember around February or March last year reading that every single team in the Championship could still technically be promoted and every team could still be relegated. That tells you how tight it is.
“Every year, there are maybe six points separating the playoff places from the relegation zone. It’s so tight, and it’ll be that way again this year. It’s a great league. I love watching it. It’s crazy.”
Here at Hull Live , we are dedicated to bringing you the best Hull City coverage and analysis. Make sure you don’t miss out on the latest City news by joining our free WhatsApp group.
You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe. You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service.
Click here to be sent all the day’s biggest stories.