Parlour: If Hull get maximum Easter points they’re right in the mix
FORMER Hull City loanee Ray Parlour believes the Tigers’ hopes of promotion hinge on collecting six points from their two games over the Easter weekend.
City, who have just returned from their week-long training camp in Antalya during the international break, face struggling Stoke City at a sold-out MKM Stadium on Good Friday before making the short journey across Yorkshire to take on Leeds United at Elland Road.
Stoke are battling to stay in the Championship while the Whites are top and gunning for an instant return to the top flight, meaning both games will present very different challenges to Liam Rosenior’s men, who are unbeaten in their last seven, though the previous four have all ended in draws.
Rosenior’s men will go into the contest with good heart, after delivering a fine display against Leicester City before the break only to be held to a 2-2 draw.
Going into what’s always viewed as a potentially make or break period, City are a place outside the top six and sit three points adrift of Norwich, but do have a game in hand on the Canaries which comes late next month against another of their play-off rivals in Coventry.
“Yes,” the ex-city midfielder confessed when asked if winning promotion in the final nine games would be a tough ask.
“Hull City are having a great season. They are performing consistently well and have invested well in the squad. Liam Rosenior is doing an excellent job and you can see he has all the players on side.
“With Leeds, Leicester and Southampton having bigger squads, it is difficult to compete with them.
“Ipswich are playing some great football and pushing hard for automatic promotion. The two remaining places are up for grabs and Hull City are in amongst it.
“West Brom and Norwich are in great form and moving ahead of Hull City, but there is still time for them to make fifth or sixth. With the Easter period having many games, should Hull get maximum points, they are right in the mix.”