The Tigers face their final outing before the international break
Hull City face the Owls at the MKM Stadium on Saturday(Image: MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Sergej Jakirovic is absolutely right when he says Hull City’s Yorkshire derby against Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday is a must-win encounter.
City have just eight games of the season remaining, and after a dismal display at West Brom on Saturday to lose 3-0 against a side that hadn’t won since December 29, they can ill-afford a similar display this weekend.
There cannot be any easing off, taking anything for granted or giving Wednesday any kind of encouragement. The sold-out away contingent would love nothing more than to claim that long elusive victory, and dent the promotion hopes of the Tigers along the way.
Wednesday’s problems have been well documented. They’re already relegated and have not won since they were 2-0 winners at Portsmouth in September. That run stands at 32 games. Their only point in the last 45 available came when they drew 1-1 at home to Watford.
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The Owls’ last points away from Hillsborough came when they earned a draw at Watford back in early December. In their 18 games on the road, the South Yorkshire strugglers have fashioned one win, four draws and 13 defeats. They’ve scored 13 and conceded 35, with seven of their points being accumulated away from home.
Yes, Wednesday are fighting. Ipswich Town skipper Dara O’Shea said as much after the Tractor Boys’ 2-0 win at Hillsborough on Saturday, but even so, this is a game City simply cannot afford to drop points.
They allowed that to happen on Boxing Day, when they were twice behind to the Owls in S6, before Mo Belloumi and Matt Crooks levelled to earn a point.
Going into the international break with anything other than a home victory is unthinkable for City, and would do serious harm to their play-off hopes, which have been put under added pressure given Southampton’s win on Wednesday night, which reduced their cushion to just three points.
Victory would ensure everybody associated with the club can enjoy the break, relax and look forward to the final seven games afterwards. Dropping points would be a disaster, and Jakirovic will be pushing that message in the days before the game.
City have enjoyed a terrific season, and they remain on course to finish in the top six, but if that is to be the case, they have to take the lessons from West Brom and ensure there is no hangover from that performance. Three points are critical, but they must be earned because Wednesdays are certainly not going down without making lives difficult.
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