SOLE FOCUS IS ON NEXT GAME
MCCANN BANISHES PROMOTION TALK UNTIL JOB IS DONE
GRANT Mccann has again refused to entertain talk of Hull City’s impending promotion to the Championship.
City host Sunderland tonight holding an 11-point advantage over the Wearsiders, who have lost their last three games.
Promotion would be sealed should Mccann’s side make it five straight victories, and results involving Lincoln and Blackpool go in their favour.
Mccann, though, played questions about how he might celebrate an instant return to the second tier with a straight bat.
“If it happens, I’ll tell you how it feels after that,” he told BBC Humberside. “At this present time, we’re worried about the next game and that’s Sunderland.”
Ten days ago the fixture looked like being a promotion shoot-out, but defeats to Charlton, Wigan and Blackpool have all but ended the Black Cats’ hopes of automatic promotion with second-placed Peterborough moving eight points clear, and games running out.
Mccann, though, is understandably cautious about the threat Lee
Johnson’s men will pose
KCOM Stadium despite recent run.
“I went to watch them at Wigan – it was a good game actually, Wigan were at it – as you expect from teams fighting relegation,” he said.
“It’s three defeats in a row for them so they’ll be coming here with the bit between their teeth trying to react off that.”
Prior to the 2-1 home reverse to Charlton, Sunderland had gone 12 games unbeaten to surge into automatic promotion contention, before the last three outings damaged those hopes severely.
“It’s going to be another very tough game, Sunderland are not up where they are in the league for no reason,” Mccann explained.
“They’re up there because they’re a very good team and they’ve got some very good players, so we’re going to have to be at it to get another result.
“They’ll come here knowing they’ll have to win which in turn will open it up to be a good game, because they play good football.
“They’ve got good players at the top end of the pitch who can hurt you if you’re not right.
“We’ll look forward to it.” at the their